Hi everyone, I have a 9 yr old dutch warmblood who was diagnosed with RAO when he was 5. I do not have my own farm I board him. Anyway I’m feeling very frustrated as his breathing is great one day coughing uncontrolably with exercise the next. I don’t find the supplements do much to help but perhaps I am not using the best ones. I soak his hay and he is turned out from sunrise to sunset. Corticosteroids work wonders but obviously he cannot compete on them and I also worry about the long term effects especially with the liquid which is much more affordable. I’m looking for others who have competition horses with RAO. How do you keep them breathing well for the season? I know of world class horses that compete consistently and have RAO. How do they do it? Any insights would be great thank you .
I know a horse with RAO that goes well on Lung EQ from Uckele. . .She also uses pelleted bedding that they keep damp. Of course they soak hay and feed, she also uses a fatty acid supplement Equi Omega 4:1 and a paste of some sort before and during shows. I will ask her and update!
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My horse has RAO and he has been steroid free for almost 3 years. Environment was a key factor in keeping him healthy. He is in a well ventilated area of the barn with two windows and a fan in the summer for circulation. He gets soaked hay inside and I feed 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 2X/day. I don’t ride him in extreme heat or cold and I keep him cooler in the winter (I don’t over blanket as his breathing gets worse if he’s too warm). For him I find it’s more about managing his environmental vs his breathing.
Thanks so far everyone! I will look into these is product you mentioned Indy and get back to you. I’m in canada and we have different brands so I’ll have to look at the ingredients to see what the differences are. I tried him out on 24/7 outdoor board which made a huge difference but he did not do well with the herd at night and lost weight and became a nervous wreak. He us very low in the peaking order.So now he’s inside at night and starting to cough again. He is out for long hours which helps but I’m worried for the cold winter when the barn is closed up tight. The winters are so cold in canada, the barn are shut tight for months! There are a few liveries I may try but I’m running out of options. If I had my own place he would be on pelleted bedding, steamed hay, window wide open all year but it’s not an option right now. The managers at the liveries are never fond of me asking for so many extra things to make him more comfortable . I am thinking of retiring our competition dreams as it stands. Hoping to find a place that can really support him but not sure it will happen. Any more tips are much appreciated.
I totally get it. . . The mare with RAO that I know does get a lot of special attention. . . I’m sure you will find somewhere. Maybe just a fan in the winter to keep the air moving will help!
Uckele will ship directly to Canada, I believe. I am happy to give you their contact info, I’m sure Leigh or one of the other reps would be thrilled to help you out. They are based in Michigan. I do not know where in Canada you are, but I bet it would arrive fairly quickly.
So sorry you guys are having so much trouble! I’m sure it will get better, sometimes it just takes a while to get everything figured out!
It’s tough. My guy is on pelleted bedding, steamed hay, Smartbreathe and stalled at the far end of the barn near the door and as far as possible from hay storage in the arena. Outside as much as possible. Invested in the hay steamer because no BM wants to deal with soaking hay in winter. Pricey, but so worth it.
I’m really thinking on a hay steamer as well. Especially since his mold allergies are values from his test are through the roof and I hear the steamer will actually kill the spores!
