Desert Horse Care--Blowing Sand

[cardinale]

Those of you in sandy desert areas, please let me know whether you’ve had problems from keeping horses where there is blowing sand. I’ve found research dealing with e.g. arena and stall dust exposure, but not that address consequences of having horses where there is frequent fine blowing sand + occasional severe sand storms bad enough to leave a thick layer of sand covering everything. Some of that sand must make its way into the lungs.

Arabians have been kept under these conditions for hundreds of years, and horses are kept around Phoenix, Tucson, California high deserts, etc. with success. Those of you in these areas, do you see respiratory or other health impacts attributable to inhalation of sand? Is there any way to minimize the issue?

Fans, mist etc. can mitigate the heat, but the sand has me wondering.

Thank you

[candyappy]

Something I never thought of. Since most horses I have owned will stand with their butt facing the blowing dirt/ sand etc… I would expect those in the desert areas would do the same.

I would keep a mask on as the debris in the eyes would be a major concern.

[PalmPony]

I always kept a flymask on mine when we lived in the desert to mitigate the risk of eye issues. It made a big difference in just the level of eye irritation I dealt with

[J-Lu]

I lived in the desert with my previous horse and my current horse was imported and raised in the desert. My old trainer bred and showed dressage horses and she was in the high desert-sand everywhere. I’ve never heard of or experienced problems with horses experiencing sand-storms. If your horse has a good shelter, it shouldn’t be a problem. Sand colic may be a larger concern, but Psyllium seems to work.

[4horses]

A barn or wind break probably helps.

I think fine particulate matter is more of a concern then dust/ sand. Smaller particles are more difficult for the body to filter out. Think of the smoke released from wildfires in California… My neighbor burned right next to my property. One of my horses coughed so much afterwards I was afraid he had heaves! I had to stop one ride because he was coughing so badly. The cough lasted about 2 weeks and went away.

Another thing to consider is temperature. The hotter the temperature, the more fine particulate matter will be in your air.

I am a huge proponent of not burning yard waste- controlled burns are a separate issue. We don’t need to be releasing more smoke. It seems like my neighbors constantly burn. It is super annoying - here’s a nice day to ride and I can’t go outside without standing in smoke. The new housing developments are all ripping out the trees and burning. Seems like they should be taxed for environmental damage.

[sorrelfilly721]

As others have mentioned, the only effect I see is irritated eyes which can be remedied with a fly mask. I have never had any sand related respiratory issues and we get UNBELIEVABLE wind where I am (enough to blow trucks over on the highway).

[findeight]

Never had any particular problems. They need a windbreak for sure and I preferred a stall in high winds. Forget the misters, they add humidity and one blessing of the dryness is no mold or moisture loving insects. Waste water as well and water is everything in the desert.

Oh, didn’t use a fly mask, too hot, sweat under it. One caveat, heavy bodied horses with dark coat color and heavy mane hair don’t tolerate the heat as well as something less dark and dense.

Not clipping the ears too close or at all will help keep any sand out, what the hair is for.

[JLR1]

When I lived in AZ I don’t recall my horse ever having issues with blowing dust. I always used a fly mask on windy days. For humans and dogs blowing dust might contain the spores that cause Valley Fever. 2 of the 4 dogs we had over the years had it.

[jetsmom]

I’ve had horses here in the sw with days of 55 mph gusts. Never had any issues. Keep a fly mask on in spring/summer.

[hillary_again]

Am in Phoenix. Never heard of this as an issue, directly. Dust from arenas: yes. Dust from arena as a problem for horses stabled next to arenas, yes. Blowing sand, no. We do get sandstorms in the summer, and the area between the AZ-NM border, all the way along I-10 to Phoenix has sand issues in the summer. In Phoenix and Scottsdale, not so much. Heat stress is a much bigger issue. Of course, this can change with a lot of other environmental factors.