Coughing at the Beginning of Work

[*JumpIt*]

Hi!

My mare coughs at the beginning of work. She doesn't do it any other time, just in the first couple minutes of trotting. We could have walked for an hour before picking up the trot and she'll still cough. She doesn't do it out in turn out or in her stall nor that I've noticed when playing in her field. Yet after her minute or so of coughing it doesn't happen again even after a long walk break. It is always the first trot of the ride but then it doesn't happen again.

She is an OTTB (currently 11 years old and raced til she was 5) and was a bleeder and was on lasix for every race. Could this have something to do with it?

I don't think it could be allergies because it happens no matter the season. She is in light work w/t mostly with the occasional canter rides right now are max 30 minutes, coming back from a splint injury. (coughing had been going on before the injury)

It doesn't seem to bother her but is this something I should be worried about? Anything I can do for it?

Thanks! :)

[drifter99]

I just took a gelding in to be scoped for this very same reason.

The vet found his throat and nasal passages very red and irritated. He said everything was working right and there was no infection.

He put him on some Equiphed and he quit coughing. This horse would also cough when he got up from rolling.

[huntereq_princess]

Hmmm, my gelding does the same thing. Every time, within the first time or two around the ring at the trot, he coughs and/or snorts with a final big blow of the nose, then he's fine. Should I ask the vet about it? I've seen other horses that do similar things and I guess I just hadn't been too overly concerned about it...

[Laurierace]

The vast majority of times that is completely normal. Its their way of getting the gunk out. Definitely has nothing to do with racing, bleeding or lasix.

[SarahandSam]

My horse usually does that, and most of the lesson horses I've ridden have done that... just a couple coughs or snorts right at the start, and then fine. More often in the indoor or in dusty footing than on grass or anything like that. I always figured it was just "getting the gunk out," too, as Laurie put it. (:

[McVillesMom]

My horse has done this for YEARS. I think he's just kind of "clearing his throat." It's nearly every time I ride, unless he's already been running around like an idiot in the pasture :D Of course, if this is something new, I'd probably keep an eye on things and get it checked out if it's not going away, it's getting worse, or other symptoms appear.

[*JumpIt*]

Phew, glad to hear it is nothing to be to worried about. I am such a worry wart but it makes me feel better to check it out with coth.

[dwblover]

Funny, I just read a vet's response to this very question in an old Equus magazine. The vet pretty much said to not worry about it. He said horses tend to store phlegm in their throats, etc. and that they are just clearing it out at the beginning of exercise. So if that is the only time your horse coughs, I would not be concerned. If however the horse starts to cough at other times throughout the day, or continues to cough while you ride, then worry.

[TBMaggie]

I agree - should be nothing to worry about. Unless you see other symptoms, such as increased coughing (during eating, or a coughing fit after running or playing in the pasture), nasal discharge, runny eyes, temp. I wouldn't be too concerned. You can always run this by your vet to get his/her opinion.

I have a horse (17 yr old TB) who is very sensitive to dust/has IAD. He has a flare up of his symptoms every 6 months or so, and has to be treated with a course of antibiotics and Prednisolone, plus lives 'in a bubble.' I had him scoped when I noticed him coughing more and more, plus he had nasal discharge.

Horses live 'dirty lives' and it's no wonder that they have to clear their throats sometimes.:)

[Keg-A-Bacchus]

Definitely nothing to worry about if it's just once. I was told it's a sign of relaxation as they relax their poll and "clear out the gunk" to get more oxygen in for work. Almost every horse I have does it. Glad it's nothing serious!

[Riley0522]

My horse does the exact same thing [16 y/o OTTB, raced until 5/6 with 60 starts]. I was never really concerned about it, but it was interesting when I watched his scope for ulcers, the vet found some polyps in his throat on the way down...said they're nothing to be concerned about.

[CosMonster]

Usually I think it's no big deal but I also do have one horse who had an irritated throat that showed up most noticeably by him coughing in the beginning of the ride. It was a sudden thing, though, and happened right after going back to work after he had gotten his head caught in a fence and cut his neck very deeply, which seems like it may have been connected to me. He would also cough when getting up from rolling and occasionally when eating alfalfa.

If it were my horse and a new thing, I'd keep a close eye on them for a week or so and make sure it was only happening during work. Otherwise, probably nothing to worry about.

[WB Mom]

My horse has also done this since I have owned him - years. Talked to vets, but they weren't concerned. I think some horses just do this - it's the way they are made. As long as it is consistant - happens the same way/time all the time I wouldn't worry about it. I did notice a difference when the BO started treating the indoor with calcium chloride, it got better, but he still does it.

[circusponydreams]

My horse (19 year old OTTB) begins every single ride with 5-10 minutes of walking, then a lap of walk/trotting that concludes with exactly 2 coughs and a snort, and once that's done, we can get to work. His owner says he's done that every ride for all 10+ years she's had him!

[Rescue_Rider9]

Keep watching this. My mare started like this, but it developed into something more and she was diagosed with Heaves a month ago! Good luck!

[Birch3280]

More often in the indoor (:

My horse coughs a couple times when we first start trotting but it only happens when we are in an indoor. Doesn't matter if the footing is rubber, sand, mix etc...If we are riding in an indoor he has to cough starting off. I have never noticed him do it when riding outside. I too have always thought he was just clearing gunk out of his throat.

[monstrpony]

I had one that did this, now I have one that sneezes at the canter. He was scoped last year for another reason and there was no irritation found, so its probably just his way of clearing the gunk.