Ask anyone with asthma what it’s like to have an attack and words like “suffocating,” “drowning,” and “an elephant on my chest” are a common refrain. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America explains that asthma is a “long-term disease that causes inflammation and swelling of the airways,” meaning that the asthmatic truly cannot get enough air into their lungs. Human asthma is on the rise, and more and more horse owners seem to be dealing with respiratory issues and the disease in their horses. Being able to identify asthma triggers is an important part of keeping people—and horses—healthy.
As soon as asthma triggers such as dust, animal dander, and pollen are identified, asthmatics often make lifestyle adjustments to reduce their exposure. This gives them the best chance of remaining healthy. While it would seem intuitive that similar lifestyle changes would be warranted in horses, a recent study conducted by the University of Lisbon found that the majority of horse owners and managers were reluctant to implement any kind of adjustment to the horse’s routine.
Knowing that these changes are imperative to—quite…
