Hi Karenc53,

I have a 13yp TB Mare and towards the end of the winter she got quite a bad caugh. My problem was the hay and her bedding. Now she is living out She has no hay and no bedding and the caugh has gone! It all just gets so dusty after being stored for so long.

With respect to the rugs I think in a way its a matter of instincts. Now my mare is living out and the weather is quite warm she has no rug in the day and just a lightweight (practically a rain sheet) at night.
But she only went out last Sunday, before that she has a waffle on at night because if she was to get too hot and start sweating it would not soak the rug or end up in her having a cold etc from it! To me it just seemed to be the best option if I wanted her rugged at night because as you say the weather is so unpredictable.

Do you soak his hay? And what sort of bedding do you use in his shelter?

Is his hay dry? or do you soak it.. If dry try damping down.. to rid of any dust...

Have you tried something like easicof Im not sure of spelling..

When he is on anti biotics does it ease his cough or is he the same?

Also when on ventipulmin how is he on that..

Re rugging at this time of year most horses shouldn't be rugged.. also when you do rug up a horse will sort its own body heat..

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My first instincts was the bedding. what bedding do you use? also try soaking the hay this will alleviate any dust that is in it.

With regard to the rug, i personally would leave it as its quite nice. But it does depend on where you are in the country obviously it may not be as nice where you are. We arent waking up to frost i know that!!

Perhaps try it for a week off see how it goes? As you know if its left on and he starts sweating his condition will go.

We dont have any frost now and yesterday it was 25 degrees! If this is the case where you are then a rug is a definite no no (obviously unless its a fly rug)
But with him having shelter and deep bedding too there isnt much of a risk of him getting cold unless the temperateure really drops. I have had to be quite careful with my mare due to her being clipped but anything over abnout 15degrees I think is perfectly fine for no rug!

Maybe there is a little dust in the hay and the bedding - these are normally prime candidates for causing coughs.

Be sure to use top quality bedding and forage (hay) and make sure that the bedding is clean clean.
Do not muck out when the horse is nearby though and do not shake hay up when horse is nearby either. Both have spores in them which cause coughing.

Try dust free bedding such as hemp or any other dust free bedding and as suggested always soak the hay for short time

better still steam it :

put in dustbin, pour over 2 kettles boiling water - cover with tight lid - leave 30 mins and feed.

Packhorse