Can Horses get Hayfever?

Hayfever in humans is also known as allergic rhinitis, and it is generally associated with an allergy to pollen. It causes annoying symptoms like runny eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, coughing, and itching of the eyes and throat. Although it can progress to more severe breathing difficulties in asthmatic patients. It’s pretty common in people, and those who suffer from it will understand how bothersome it can be. In horses, we don’t see hayfever as such. However, they have their own set of respiratory and breathing problems; of which some can seem to resemble this human condition.

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Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO) – also known as Equine Asthma Summer Pasture-associated Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (SPAOPD)Other things…You might also be interested in:

Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO) – also known as Equine Asthma 

RAO (now often referred to as Equine Asthma Syndrome) describes a condition seen in horses, middle-aged and above, where inflammation in the airways results from an individual horse having a hypersensitive reaction to certain allergens. These are allergy-inducing entities like hay dust, dust, or mould from bedding, and mites, etc. This leads to an accumulation of mucus and secretions in the lower airways, as well as inflammation of the airways. As a result, affected horses show signs like coughing, lethargy, and, later on, nasal discharge. In most cases, it is a lifelong condition. Some horses with uncontrolled disease can struggle to maintain weight, often having a marked heave-line. This demonstrates the long time frame of the disease. Because it is caused by an increase in the size of the abdominal muscles that are used in coughing and forced breathing.

Once diagnosed, many horses can be well managed. The treatment involves changing their environment to minimise exposure to the potential causes of hypersensitivity. This can mean soaking hay, avoiding dusty bedding, and providing more turnout. In acute bouts, horses often require some medication to help reduce the inflammation and widen the airways, to get their signs under control. 

Summer Pasture-associated Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (SPAOPD)

Quite a mouthful, SPAOPD is the long-winded term we use to describe the syndrome characterised by recurrent bouts of signs. Such as coughing, increased breathing rate, and