Chronic coughing in horses is unfortunately very common in stalls. The reason is usually the so-called "mattress bedding", i.e. the new bedding is poured on top of the used bedding for two or three weeks without cleaning the box first. The ammonia gases breeding underneath become more intense day by day and not only result in hoof rot, but also damage the horse's respiratory tract.

The usual treatment usually consists of switching from straw to shavings, wetting the forage hay, and medicinal relief.

This does not cure the chronic cough at all. However, there is a way to cure the cough completely.

I had my horse for years in stables where mattress bedding was common. It wasn't long before my horse suffered the same fate as around 50 per cent of the horses stabled there.

For a few years I followed the advice of several vets and switched to wood shavings and wet hay. The horse lost weight because it didn't like eating the wet hay and had no straw to nibble on. The cough improved considerably, but from time to time I had to add a cough powder to the concentrated feed when the bronchial tubes became so clogged that breathing was difficult. I tried giving herbal teas as an alternative (coltsfoot, thyme and elderflower). Again, this only alleviated the symptoms, but did not help with the actual illness.

I then tried to move the horse in the fresh air for as long as possible so that it could cough up the mucus. Unfortunately, time was short and the horse still spent most of the time in the stuffy stable air. As I lived in Düsseldorf, the choice of stables was also quite limited. All the affordable options only offered mattress bedding.

So I had to find another way. I already knew that fresh air would be the key, so I started by looking for open stables. But these are in high demand and therefore expensive and hard to come by. Eventually I bought a piece of meadow (500 square metres) in the countryside. I built a shelter for the horse there and made everything escape-proof. The hut only has three walls and is completely open on one side. The horse can go in and out whenever it wants and is therefore effectively out in the fresh air 24 hours a day. The hay that I feed is very dry and also quite dusty.

It took perhaps a total of 4 weeks for the cough to disappear completely. The horse is completely cured. It doesn't need any medication. The hooves are also picture-perfect.

It was the best thing I could ever do for my horse in every respect. A horse is a moving animal and doesn't like to be locked up. Since my horse has been living outside (i.e. being kept 'robust'), he has really blossomed. And he doesn't freeze in winter either: he gets a really fluffy, thick coat and his hut offers him enough protection.