I never used to but lately find myself coughing a lot during and after cleaning our stalls. I have all the windows and doors open (weather permitting) and the barn is well-ventilated but the dust particles I stir up cause havoc in my airways. I hate wearing a mask because it’s hot and stuffy and leaves lovely red lines on my face for the rest of the day but these days I don’t have a choice. Anyone else wear a mask? If so, what kind? I use the paper kind with a ventilator on the front and must admit, I can see dust all around that on the outside, so I know it’s working, but man, what a pain!
Not when I muck stalls but definitely when I Webster the cobwebs. And I make sure to wear my glasses too since my eyes are really sensitive.
i have in the past; but they tend to fog up my glasses. 
i’ve also pulled a bandanna up over my nose; end up with dirt patches on it in front of my nostrils, so it’s at least catching something.
No, but I need to. Last week I got a facefull of hay dust when stuffing hay nets and that night my throat nearly closed and it was almost a trip to the ER.
Also, not being allergic would help.
For just mucking, no.
When I use the blower, yes.
G.
No, but when I retired the horse and quite riding in the indoor all winter, I quit getting crud that went into bronchitis every year. And I have see what’s on a mask when a friend tried riding in one (didn’t work comfort wise), no wonder we get sick.
I don’t think its a bad idea at all. There must be other alternatives available for disposable masks, medical or laboratory equipment suppliers perhaps?
I don’t find mucking stalls to really kick up the dust. I could see why it would be a good practice for raking the aisle, which can kick up dust. Also see it being a good thing to have on when cleaning out the hen house. I might start wearing one.
I bed with shavings, which may create more dust, but straw seems to bother me as much. The donkey’s stall is the worst - he is so clean that his bedding stays in longer - just a couple of pee spots and neatly stacked manure every day. I also bottom the stalls every day which may make it worse. There must be some fine irony in us humans showing signs of heaves after toiling away in the barn and of course never dreaming of having a horse inside during cleaning time because of risk to their lungs! I tried to explain this to my doctor and he just can’t grasp the inner workings of the horse owner’s mind…
I do sometimes. But I wear safety glasses every time. I’ve had a series of eye infections and my dr. says it’s for spending so much time outside, and in a dirty, dusty environment. So I take extra precautions now.
If I’m totally stripping the stalls, which I do once a month, I wear a mask and eye protection, too.
Usually - I have asthma, and catching the dust tends to help. Also for feeding hay. I appreciate the AZ winters, where it keeps my face warm and not as if it will melt off. 
Last winter when it was very cold and the dry air seemed to make stalls even dustier, I would wear a buff around my neck and pull the front up over my nose and mouth when necessary.
No but I should. Doing stalls doesn’t bother me as long as the barn is open. I’m horribly allergic to horses and hay (along with basically everything else) but it’s dust that will send me into an asthma attack. I have to brush my mare outside so the wind will blow the dust away from me. My allergist has always said to wear a mask. If I’m doing stalls in a closed up heated barn it gets bad and I have a hard time breathing :(.
If you go to a medical supply store you will be amazed at the variety of disposable masks. Or check on line. I get wheezy when grooming, so a vacuum is a lung saver for me.
Like Pocket Pony said- when dusting or cobwebbing. I think it is a good idea & you really need to have one on if you are doing anything with bird or bat poop!
We do here when cleaning more than stalls and are going to stir up dust.
We have Hanta virus around here and some years back a teenager cleaning around rodent droppings died from it, so everyone is very aware of that danger now.
What a good idea. I should. Bet I won’t actually do it.
I have been checking all over the internet but can’t find one that looks remotely comfortable. Instead of the two thin elastic bands I would love to find something that has softer and wider sides. Maybe fabric bands that could be tied in the back? Any industrial designers on here?! Meanwhile, I spend most of my time these days with angry red stripes on the sides of my face…goes well with the frost on my eyebrows.
I wear one when moving our bulk shavings, can get pretty dusty. I wear the disposable type with two elastic straps, and also end up with the red strap marks. But I figure that’s no more unattractive than me hacking up junk from my lungs for the next 24 hours.
I wear one every time I work in the barn, whether mucking, cleaning, moving hay around, or spending any more than an hour. But, I have hyper-reactive airways and have to use an air cleaner even inside the house, so obviously YMMV.
I just use the super-cheap disposable ones that you can buy in bulk at Home Depot. For my purposes, they work. I would rather have an ample supply of cheap ones in my tool box and never run out than find myself empty-handed, as used to happen to me when I bought the expensive ones. I bet I have 50 of the cheapies in my tool box now.
For what it’s worth, I found the more expensive ones did perhaps work better, but they were more uncomfortable and caused me more grief with fit issues. The cheap ones just slip on, do their job in a rather unobtrusive way, and then get tossed into the trash. Works for me.
I also use mine all the time when mowing, along with plastic safety glasses over my regular glasses, or my eyes swell shut from the dirt and pollen and such.
