Cough?

[CoconutEventer25]

Hello!

Just wanted to pick people’s brains about a coughing/loud breathing noise my horse (10yr old OTTB competing at Prelim) has.

A few months ago, I noticed his breathing while being ridden had gotten louder, as well as the occasional cough (out of the ordinary). Soaked his hay, and immediately had the vet out and scoped upper airway. We ruled out roaring, as his airway was normal. Vet recommended doing a dynamic scope while being ridden if it comes back, which we will do if this persists.The cough disappeared, until recently.

It has started up again, same symptoms as last time, louder than normal breathing undersaddle, but only when in a frame, no unusual discharge either. Ventilation isn’t an issue as he is outside about 16hrs, and has a good breeze blowing down the barn isle. We have started to soak his hay again, and I will be starting him on Zev to see if that helps, as well as putting Vicks in his nose before we ride (an old trick my coach recommended). I have complete confidence in both my vet and my coach, just moreso looking to see others experiences in how they have dealt with respitory issues.

Thanks so much!

[LCDR]

I would think about drawing blood for an allergy panel.

Especially if the airway problem seems to occur in times related to the three main peak pollen times - grass, tree, and ragweed. We are currently in ragweed season here in SC.

How I dealt with it was corticosteroids, dose adjusted by following pollen levels and clinical signs. After a couple of years experience and meticulous record-keeping, I could pretty well keep my eventer/foxhunter functional. BTW, my guy was fine with his breathing up until he was about 10 years old.

And I swear he learned after a while that coughing could get him out of work. I’d walk out to get him to go hunting, and when he saw me coming in hunt clothes he’d cough, like he was a person who is perfectly fine but calling in sick to work and making fake “I have a bad cold” sounds on the phone. Early on I caused and reinforced this by just taking one of my other horses instead when he coughed.

[cnd8]

Coughing mid-ride can be a sign of lung bleeding aka “a bleeder.” It may be mild enough that you don’t see blood physically in the nostrils, but then again, it has to be very bad case for blood to make it to the nostrils. In barrel racing, the scoping of a suspected bleeder is usually performed within 30 minutes of one of their runs.

[LadyB]

I would have him scoped. I had a mare that used to blow a little louder, she had a paralyzed larynx. She was vetted and cleared to Prelim and that was it. She wasn’t allowed to go higher because of that. Worth scoping.

[CoconutEventer25]

As I said, he has been scoped and the airway is fine, including his larynx

[candyappy]

My daughters mare started with an occasional cough and ended up with louder breathing with a slight wheeze when breathing. Eventually turned into a scary heaves episode.

What she ended up having was allergy induced heaves. We treated, she responded and it hasn’t returned in several years now.

I don’t have to soak hay or medicate at all. Strange but there was something that year that bothered her.

[luvmyhackney]

Is it a wet cough or dry cough?

If dry, I’d scope with exercise. Could be a displaced palate.

If wet, get the horse on some anti-inflammatories and allergy panel.