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​The weather is beautiful – why is my horse wheezy?

This time of year, there’s another trailer pulling in to South Florida for the winter every day. Ah, Florida weather! No need for that winter fur coat here.

While we’ll never have to worry about a pasture blanketed in snow, we do have to deal with weather issues and unpredictable changes. Cool early mornings, steaming heat by mid-day and pop-up rain showers just to throw you a curve. It won’t grow thick grass so there’s always sand just beneath the green. Something’s always blooming, therefore, something’s always giving off pollen. And there’s mold all year long. This is the dry season, so the wind will be tossing it all about.

If your horse is stuffy even in the sun, now you know why.

There are several steps to take to eliminate irritants, including a thorough dusting of your horse’s stall. Check the air flow through the barn. Make sure it’s bringing in clean air without kicking up irritants. Also, during this dry season, make sure to keep the practice ring damp – but not wet – to minimize dust.

If your horse still needs some help despite all your management tools, try a product like Open Air, Air Power, or Wind Aid to clear the lungs and eliminate mucus.