Good Horsekeeping
Wildfires in Canada recently pushed smoke filled air south well into the Midwest, And with over 900 fires currently burning, chances are we will likely have more days with poor air quality.
With the onset of the smokey days in mid-July, the Internet became a buzz with concerned horse owners. Some chose to keep their horses inside on days we were under air quality alerts. However, during such a stretch of hot and humid temperatures, keeping a barn locked up to keep the smoke out was not an option.
According to Equus Magazine, the air quality index (AQI) is a measure of air pollution that is influenced by ground-level ozone and particulate matter as well as heat and humidity. The AQI scale runs from 0 to 500, with higher values associated with more pollution and greater health concerns for horses.
AQI for much of Michigan and Indiana for several days in mid-July was well over 300 On those days health experts, as well as our weather forecasters, advised humans with compromised respiratory systems and cardiovascular issues to stay indoors. And I could only wonder how it could affect our horses—especially older ones and horses with heaves and/or allergies.
Smoke contains fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and toxic gases that can irritate a horse's respiratory system—leading to fatigue, coughing, difficulty breathing and other respiratory distress.
For this reason, one large horse show circuit canceled their show for the upcoming weekend. But many fairs in both Michigan and Indiana went on as scheduled.
Most owners initially reacted by keeping their horses inside, but, according to Equine PhD "Is Your Barn the Safest Place?" in a Facebook post July 16, this might not be the best thing to do. "A common recommendation is to house horses in barns to reduce their exposure to smoke, however, this is not always the best plan of action. That is because ventilation matters. And often, the air inside the barn is just as bad as the air outside the barn."
This was confirmed by a Dr. Rob van Wessum of Michigan-based Equine All Sports Medicine Center. He advised in a recent Facebook post that the best regimen for horses during days with high levels of wildfire smoke is for them to be turned outside in the early morning, when temperatures are relatively low. He said when a horse's head is down while grazing, mucus and debris can easily be cleared from deeper airways (down to the trachea and then out through the nostrils).
Additionally, he said when horses are stalled some small parts of the lungs aren't used in the respiratory process and smoke particles can remain stagnant—making a breeding ground for infection (this can actually cause pneumonia).
According to the University of Minnesota Equine Extension Program on days with dangerous AQI levels these things can help:
• Skip strenuous exercise. The harder a horse is worked increases the toll on their lungs when breathing in air with a high AQI.
• Only trailer if absolutely necessary. Being in a trailer already puts a horse in an environment with limited ventilation.
• Feed low dust hay when possible (steaming and soaking are great options).
• Keep dust down in the barn. This means watering indoor arenas, wetting down dry sawdust bedding in stalls, and only sweeping aisleways (or blowing them with a leaf blower) when horses are outside.
• Keep stalls clean. Ammonia fumes help create poor air quality for stabled horses.
• For horses with allergies and respiratory issues like heaves and/or COPD, be vigilant with medications that help with those issues.
• Allow recovery time: give horses time to rest and recover after smoke exposure.
The damage to the airways can take 4-6 weeks to heal once air quality returns to normal.
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