Winter is a time to keep a close watch on our horse’s respiratory health as changes to their management can cause problems. Winter requires many horses and ponies to spend more time in the stable or field shelter however research has shown that this stable environment contains greater air contaminants than the external environment. Bedding, forage, feed, dried mud, scurf, and hair and coat dust all generate particles that can enter the horse’s respiratory tract and cause irritation.
These particles are normally caught and removed from the respiratory tract by the tiny hair-like cilia and mucus lining. The stable environment can overload the system and impair normal function, causing irritation and inflammation of the respiratory mucus membranes. This irritation and inflammation leads to excessive production of mucus that restricts the airways and leads horses to develop a cough, laboured breathing or nasal discharge, problems that can reduce the horses capacity for exercise. 
Reducing this air contamination and respiratory irritation can be achieved by making adjustments to normal management practices. Haylage and soaked hay produce fewer dust and mould particles and dried short chopped forage is an excellent dust free alternative to feeding long forage. Whatever the forage choice feeding from the floor, a hay bar or a large rubber bucket reduces air contamination even further and aids natural clearing of the respiratory system. Selecting dust free bedding and feeds that have been either steamed or micronized in their production, also reduces dust horses are exposed to during eating. Grooming and changing rugs outside of the stable is also a simple change that can dramatically improve the stable environment. Adding Clarity to your horses diet will aid soothing and help to expel dust, pollen and excess mucus from the airways.. Clarity contains
- Coltsfoot leaves: to help with soothing the throat and expelling mucus and catarrh
- Elder flowers: to help maintain a healthy internal defence system, thought to combat pollen and dust within the airways
- Liquorice root: to help soothe membranes within the respiratory tract and loosen and help expel mucus
- Garlic: to help optimise normal respiratory function; thought to cleanse the lungs and expel mucus
- Lemon: rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, used to help ease mucosal build-ups
- Oregano: highly aromatic, helps to expel mucus from upper respiratory tract
- Sage: an aromatic. Helps maintain a healthy mouth and soothe the throat.
