Cold Weather, Hot Weather... And the Effect of Airflow on Your Horse

Horses closed up in stalls are prone to health issues due to dust, endotoxins, urine, feces, etc.

I have boarded my horse at 9 different barns in the 15 years I have owned him, moving 13 times for various reasons from lack of proper care, raised board fees, death of the owner, to simply not getting along with owners or boarders. Some were small family barns, others large public barns. All varied in the degree of airflow from too much (a wind tunnel) to not enough (stifling and hot inside). Some offered windows of various sizes or even run-outs so the horses could remain outside if they wished or go in if the weather was bad.

Barns!

The worst, however, (something I find mostly in larger barns), are barns with no windows and are shut up at night (one barn I was at even shut the place up and locked it all summer, the horses sweating horribly inside). Barns can get hot at night with the heat of the horses' bodies (even winter, so keep blanketing in mind). I've seen horses soaked in sweat all night long. How the horses did not suffer from heatstroke is beyond me, but that cannot be comfortable. Even with a large barn, doors open at night, but with no windows on a hot sticky summer night, the temperature inside the barn can become stifling.

Fine particulate matter and fungal elements from stored hay and straw are a major source of respiratory irritation in barns with poor ventilation. [source]

Of course, the best situation is a barn with back doors that lead out to a paddock with plenty of forage both inside and out. No matter what the horse chooses he/she has ample grazing either on grass and/or hay, even during the night, and plenty of air. Unfortunately, these barns are often difficult to come by, particularly here in the Northeast.

When the winds are high and temperatures drop, we want our horses to be comfortable and protected. Nestling into a cozy stable may seem like a good solution, but there are health risks lurking in a tightly closed up barn. -The Equine Chronicle

Most barns will close all doors and windows during the harshest weather; blizzards, extreme cold, etc. But there still needs to be air flow. Horses have large nostrils and wide windpipes. A closed up barn allows too much dust to gather and can cause allergies, coughing, sneezing and even health issues that can be difficult to get rid of.

Temperatures!

But, there's another problem to closing up a barn, especially during cold weather - The shock on the horse's system when going from warm to cold. More than 10 - 15 degrees difference in temperature can wreak havoc on and place undue stress on the horse's body. Blankets don't always do the full job. Legs and feet are exposed, and often bellies, necks and genitalia.

In the case of elderly horses, this becomes much more of an issue. Their bodies cannot handle stressors such as the extreme change in temperature and airflow when going from a warm, stuffy stall to extremely cold air. Not only is this bad for their sinuses, but their feet actually expand and contract and any horse prone to laminitis can be in danger. Laminitis can lead to founder (sinking of the coffin bone of the hoof), and this is not only an extremely dangerous situation, but potentially a deadly one. Horses with such health issues as insulin resistance and Cushings are the most affected.

Stalls!

Find an old barn, generally built before the 1990s, and you will often find stalls that have an approximate size of 10' X 10' or less! Add that these stalls close up completely with sliding doors and full bars, solid walls between each stall, no windows, and dozens of horses side by side and across from each other, and health issues become much more prevalent.

Keeping stalls clean and the building well ventilated are the first steps in reducing exposure [to contaminants, mites, endotoxins, etc]. Using wood or synthetic bedding (e.g. paper based) reduces plant and fungal matter, but must be used in all the stalls. Horses are also exposed when hay or straw are stored in the same building, even in a loft.  Horses with clinical signs should have their hay and bucket-fed meals thoroughly wet down. Always strive to remove horses from the barn when stalls are being cleaned and aisles swept. -The Equine Chronicle

Cleanliness is another big concern. Stalls should be completely cleaned every day with absolutely no urine left behind on mats, or soaked into shavings. The safest wood shavings to use are clean pine shavings (Canadian shavings, IMO are the best), pellets bedding made specifically for horses (though I find these are too dusty once they dry), or a combination of the two (I put dry pellets where my horse urinates, then good pine shavings over the top and throughout the stall. As he pees, the urine is well soaked into the pellets, does not soak the whole stall and saves on shavings). Make sure whatever shavings you use, they are not only easy to clean and sift, but absorbent enough to prevent the whole stall being damp.

Here's a tip: If your bedding (particularly pine) starts to brown, it's got too much urine soaked in and needs to go. Replace with the clean stuff! EVERY DAY!!