Dust-extracted bedding

[Cathy Reynolds]

Now my scruff-bag pony is coughing! Looks OK. Temperature not raised. Not off his food. No nasty mucus, just a slightly watery nose, and the cough is less bad when he's in the field during the day. His hay is being soaked for 20 minutes. His straw is high quality and doesn't smell/look musty. The stable is well ventilated. Where he was up to a month ago he was on deep litter, so we are going to try that.

Surely I'm not going to end up with dust-extracted bedding? Anyone got any views and ideas on what's best? Anyone using Belvoir Flax-a-bed?

 

[Wally]

It's not the dust it's spores that cause coughs. There is a spore count in any bedding like straw, even if it looks great. I'd soak the hay for a bit longer to give the spores chance to swell properly.

Try shredded paper even wood shavings. Any chance of leaving him out full time? It could answer all your problems.

 

[JoeyJoJo]

I heard a theory somewhere that feeding hay from the floor instead of in a net/rack can help.

The idea being that whilst the horse is eating his hay his head is lowered and the spores fall from the nostrils and lessen the amount that are breathed in.

This may be complete b@&%"%!t but I guess it makes sense?!?

 

[Cathy Reynolds]

Thanks for the ideas. Really good to hear from people.

Shredded paper on his floor as of yesterday. Much nicer (though ?@$**! expensive). Have a feeling he didn't lay down much last night as poos aren't tamped down!

Should have understood about the spores (am microbiologist by training!). Yes, feeding hay from lower down has come in as advice from elsewhere. Apparently it releases the mucus in the nose. Feeding a dollop of Benylin (a cough remedy for non-UK readers!) has been suggested - young assistant in city centre pharmacy asked if I wanted the ordinary or non-drowsy version and I thought she was going to call the pharmacist to have me certified when I told her what it was for. Read a post from a .edu site on this coughing thingy - seems it's a stress response as well, so given what he's been through in the last month - moved 300 miles, two new yards, WORK!, daily grooming etc, I shall have to forgive him.

He seems a bit better today. Next jobs are teeth, the next wormer in the yard cycle, shoeing - does it NEVER end? I can't remember it all being so complicated when I was a teenager.