Mary Allen
If the horse coughs, the pet owner suffers too. Especially when the weather changes and during the cold season, horses can catch something quickly. In this article, we explain which symptoms you should react to and which home remedies are suitable for relieving coughs in horses.
Cough in Horses – Causes & Symptoms
Coughing in horses is very common. The cause can often be traced back to the housing conditions in the barn, especially in winter. High humidity, litter, and feed result in a high level of ammonia, fine dust, fungal spores, skin and hair particles as well as grain husk and bacteria. This irritates the animals’ upper respiratory tract and will cause infections. In stable horses in particular, which are close to many other conspecifics and there is a frequent change of horses, infection with bacterial horse cough is then significantly higher.
Infectious cough is an acute respiratory disease and should not be taken lightly. Especially in the wintertime, it is exhausting for the animal to fight the cough on its own. With quick action and the right treatment, you can prevent procrastination and chronic coughing in horses.
Symptoms of infections and coughs in horses:
- sneezing and sniffling
- yellowish nasal discharge
- blowing the nose
- sniffles
- cough/rattle
- abdominal breathing
- exhaustion and lassitude
If the cough is advanced, additional fever and mucus formation can indicate bronchitis. At this point at the latest, the animal should be presented to the veterinarian to determine the appropriate medication.
Home Remedies for Horse Cough
As a rule, coughing in horses is not serious and can initially be treated with natural healing methods. If the cough still does not go away after a few days, it is advisable to take the animal to a veterinarian. Below are some remedies that can naturally relieve horse cough.
Sage tea for horses
Sage is a traditional medicinal herb and is particularly effective in treating throat and pharynx disorders as well as disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. The main ingredients of sage are essential oils, flavonoids, and bitter substances. Sage is known for its antibacterial, antiviral, and secretion-promoting effects. Sage tea for horses can loosen the phlegm and relieve the cough. Simply boil the sage tea according to the package insert, let it cool down, and give it to the horse with the feed.
You can also sweeten the sage tea for horses with a little honey. Honey is contained in many cough medicines and is therefore also a natural alternative to common cough suppressants.
Bronchial herbs for horses
If your horse has a cough, then bronchial herbs for horses should not be missing from the treatment. This cough herb mix supports the respiratory tract, cleans the bronchi, and strengthens the horse’s immune system. A high-quality and effective herbal mixture usually contains eucalyptus, marshmallow root, Icelandic moss as well as thyme and buckhorn leaves. These natural herbs complement each other perfectly and have a holistic effect on the horse’s body. Ingredients such as cineol, methyl cysteine, flavonoids, and tannins have an anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects.
The bronchial herb mix can also be given to the horse as a preventive measure during the cold season. In this way, you strengthen your animal’s immune system in good time and the horse’s lungs become less vulnerable to infections.
Inhalation for coughs in horses
Inhalation is also an effective remedy against horse cough. Medicines, saline solution, or other liquids get into the bronchi better when inhaled and can take effect right there and then. Special inhalation devices for horses make the procedure much easier.
It is best to let the animal inhale at the first sign of a cold or cough, so you can prevent a cold at an early stage.
Various essential oils are recommended for inhalation:
- chamomile
- fighter
- eucalyptus
- peppermint
- sage
- thyme
Since horses are very sensitive to essential oils, they should be very diluted, otherwise, the mucous membranes may be irritated.
Prevent Coughing in Horses – Naturally, Strengthen the Immune System
To prevent annoying horse coughs, you should strengthen your favorite’s immune system all year round. Horses’ defenses are severely challenged today due to being kept in stables and sometimes inferior feed quality. Especially in winter, there is often a draft in the stables, which causes problems for the four-legged friends in the long run and often also encourages coughs, bronchitis, and colds in the animals.
With natural herbs, roots, and fruits, you can strengthen your pet’s immune system all year round so that they can start the cold season with a strong immune system. Because we know: prevention is the best medicine! If your horse’s organism is well supplied all year round, it can build up reserves and prepare the immune system for the winter.
Echinacea drops, rosehip powder, and the proven bronchial herbs can be fed to the animal all year round. Not only do they add variety to the feeding plan, but they also provide lots of important vitamins and minerals. In addition, the feed supplements are purely natural.
To keep dust in the stable as low as possible, try not to shake out the hay in front of the animal’s box, and do not clean the stable when your horse is present. A lot of exercise in nature is also effective in the prevention of coughing in horses in winter.
If the cough is already there, moisten or wash the hay before feeding and carry out targeted movements with your animal in the fresh air to promote mucus expulsion.
When Your Horse Has a Cough – an Overview
- Coughing in horses often occurs in the cold season
- If not treated in time, the horse cough can become chronic and even develop into bronchitis and colds
- With natural bronchial herbs for horses and other home remedies, you can relieve the cough and strengthen the horse’s immune system
- If your horse has a cough and it is not relieved after a few days of treatment, you should take the animal to a doctor
- Avoid too much dust in the barn and encourage your animal to exercise in the fresh air