Horse IQ

As you already know, your horse’s sense of smell is much greater than ours. That’s why this winter horse health hazard might go unnoticed to us humans. Our noses may not immediately pick up on it. But it’s still there. And if you don’t limit your horse’s exposure to it, it could have a very negative effect on his respiratory system. What is this insidious hazard? Read on, rider…

I’m talking about ammonia. Your horse produces plenty of it in his own urine. And if he spends most of his time inside his stall in the winter, you’ll have to do some preventive maintenance to keep him healthy. You don’t want him breathing it for extended periods of time.

According to Harness Racing Central, one of the most important things in winter horse care is the control of ammonia.

“Ammonia fumes are a significant problem for horses that live in stalls,” Hayes says. “And because we tend to think of the time we spend with horses as our down time - its our time that we’re away from the hustle and bustle and the stress of our work day lives - we sort of associate all of the things about being in the horse barn with positive things, including the way barns smell.”

Just how dangerous is prolonged ammonia exposure? It’s so serious that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) limits the exposure of ammonia to humans to 50 parts-per-million for only two hours a day. Any more than that, and ammonia can burn a person’s lungs and may even cause them to get respiratory infections. And it’s not different for horses.

Horse health expert, Dr. Karen Hayes, says..

“Now think about your horses who aren’t in an ammonia laden environment for two hours - they live in that stall. I have tested ammonia fumes in fancy show barns as well as humble backyard shacks and everything in between with the same instrument OSHA uses and found ammonia levels as high as 450 parts per million.”

So what can you and I do to decrease our horses’ exposure to ammonia? The best thing you can make sure you barn is well-ventilated. You want your horses air quality to high as what they would breathe if they were outside. So a good, uninterrupted flow of air is one of the best things you can provide for your horses while they’re in their stalls.

Also, provide horse bedding that absorbs urine. You may even want to try pelletted bedding. Guardian makes horse bedding from heat-treated pine shavings that has a high absorption rate. Just put it down in the stall, add a little water to activate the ingredients in the pellets, and you have instant bedding. It not only absorbs urine, but it also provides him a shock absorbent footing.

The cold winter air might mask the smell of ammonia to you and I. But that doesn’t mean ammonia is any less dangerous to your horse. That’s why it’s so important to practice good stable maintenance and hygiene as often as you can..even in the winter.

Yours for Better Horse Health,

Sierra Lynch

Tags: Horse Barn

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