It is currently common practice for horses to be contained in a confined space for prolonged periods of time, whether it is while they are stabled or being hauled from place to place. There has been lots of published research looking into the dust environment surrounding horses while they are stabled, however nothing so far has looked at the impact of dust when trailering horses.

This study examined the dust environment while travelling a horse in a trailer and if different treatments of the forage could affect this. The chosen forage was hay and the three treatments included dry, soaked and steamed. This was a continuation of research done looking into the treatment of hay and the effect it has on the breathing zone of stabled horses. The current research and understanding are that the surrounding respirable dust environment during periods of being stabled can be very changeable and have a major effect on the horses health.

Horses are highly sensitive to dust and mold particles therefore excessive inhalation of these could lead to breathing problems, both short and long term. This has been shown to be the case in stables but it is yet to be seen if these factors have the same effect while travelling (Curtis 1996, Waran 2002, Moore-Colyer 2015, Clements 2006, McGorum 1998, Woods 1993, Jones 1989 and Niedzw 2014).

Taking information from various comparable studies helped with making predictions for possible outcomes. It had been found that the airborne dust concentrations were significantly greater around a horse’s breathing zone compared to the general stable environment. This is significant because when horses travel in trailers, hay nets are often placed very close to their muzzle. While a horse is eating forage, ventilation makes only a very small impact therefore changing the treatment to the forage will have the biggest impact on the dust environment.

Performance horses exert a large amount of energy for their chosen discipline and the respiratory system is of great importance to being able to compete to the best of their athletic ability. Respiratory conditions such as recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) can be very damaging to a horse’s performance career, with the respiratory system proving to be the most limiting factor in a racehorse. This therefore makes any improvement to a horse’s dust environment whether it be while stabled, trailering or both very important to ensure as high a quality of performance as possible. This even applies to recreational horses that should remain in the best health possible.