Poor barn ventilation is among the leading causes of decreased performance, illness, and possibly death in today's horse population. It's also a commonly unaddressed issue for most horse owners.
How does poor barn ventilation really hurt your horse's health? After all, it's common for horse barns to smell like ammonia. By discussing everything from pathogens to porches, Brad Cumper, DVM, and Lorri Hayward of Hayward Design will help you understand how your barn's polluted air can make your horse sick, and how to design your barn for proper horse barn ventilation-whether you're updating the old or building a brand new barn for your horse.
"Poor barn ventilation can ultimately kill your horse," affirms Dr. Brad Cumper of Saginaw Valley Equine Clinic in Freeland, Michigan. Such a decree may sound excessive at first, but as Dr. Cumper explains, the long-term effects of poor ventilation create a wide variety of respiratory disorders, some of which are fatal under the right conditions.
From the rancid smell of ammonia from degrading urine, to the build-up of dusts, molds and other pathogens from insufficient ventilation, your barn may be the reason for your horse's respiratory difficulty.
Basic Physiology
First, let's understand the basic physiology of a horse's respiratory defense system and how it becomes susceptible to disease.
"The primary defense mechanism of the equine respiratory tract is the trapping ability of mucus," Dr. Cumper explains. "Mucus is then expelled by the cilia which line the airways of the lungs and trachea. Billions of microscopic hairs (cilia) fan or wave mucus out of the lungs, up the trachea, and expel the overflow of mucus which catches and contains the irritants and pathogens."
This is seen as a nasal discharge (or snotty nose).
The secondary defense mechanism is the immune system, composed of cells that consume infectious agents and other antigens, such as hay dust. This second arm of defense invokes an immune response-which protects the respiratory tract from infection. However, constant aggravation of the respiratory tract's immune system can cause it to overreact (such as occurs with a severe allergic reaction), which can cause loss of airway function and death in minutes to hours.
So the basic physical responses can be associated with different types of pollutants.
"There are three categories of airborne irritants that adversely affect horses: contact irritants, airborne allergens and infectious agents," Dr. Cumper explains.
