Bedding for horses with lung disease

When managing a horse with lung disease, optimizing the conditions is the most important measure to help the horse. But bedding in particular is a headache for many owners: Which bedding is suitable for horses with lung disease? And what should I look out for when choosing? The following three points are particularly important for respiratory patients:

There are also a few points that you should consider when it comes to bedding in general. In particular, price, handling, procurement and disposal options play a major role for many stables. Added to this is the absorbency of the bedding and whether horses like to eat it, which can be an advantage or disadvantage for each individual horse. In this blog article, we want to introduce you to various bedding options and additives as well as their advantages and disadvantages.

Straw is the classic bedding option in horse stables. No wonder, after all, it is easy to get, cheap and regional. In addition, high-quality straw is particularly suitable as a snack between meals. However, straw is often not suitable for horses with coughs: the dust load from straw bedding is medium to high, and the ammonia binding is only moderate. Other disadvantages are the low absorbency and the effort involved in bedding. Straw requires a lot of storage space and the daily workload is high compared to other bedding options, as the sticky nature of the bedding makes it difficult to remove manure. Since straw is a natural product, its quality also varies greatly - especially in wet years, the mold load can be very high. BUT: very high-quality straw can also be suitable for horses with coughs. However, in this case, strict attention must be paid to flawless quality. Moldy straw in particular is not suitable as feed or bedding.

In addition to straw, (wood) shavings are another classic bedding. There are now numerous variants on the market from different suppliers. Particularly fat horses or horses with respiratory problems are said to benefit from the bedding, as the right variants are very low in dust and the horses do not eat the bedding. For horses with coughs, you should always use dust-free shavings - only these actually score points with a lower dust load. In addition, the mold load is low, which is particularly beneficial for asthmatic horses. However, shavings also have their disadvantages: maintaining the boxes is time-consuming, and disposal is a problem, as many biogas plants and farmers do not accept manure with shavings. The absorbency and ammonia binding are medium to low. The cost factor should also be mentioned: shavings as bedding are medium to high-priced on the market.

Straw as bedding has some disadvantages - straw pellets are intended to remedy these. Straw pellets are particularly impressive due to their good hygienic properties: the heating during pelleting kills mold spores and other germs. But be careful: if the stable is not cleaned out properly, mold can quickly form again even with straw pellets. Low dust levels, high absorbency and high ammonia binding also speak in favor of straw pellets. However, caution is advised with very greedy ponies: some of them will even eat the straw pellets. The amount of work involved in using straw pellets is low and disposal is not a problem either, as they can be disposed of like conventional straw. The pellets are a medium-priced bedding option.

If you are even more interested in handling straw pellets, you can read Anna's experience report here - she has been using the bedding for 7 years.

Linen or flax straw is one of the bedding alternatives that has been gaining ground recently. They are also considered a healthier alternative to normal wheat straw. Untreated, they often have a high dust load, but they are often offered in a dust-free version. In addition, the binding of water and ammonia is better than straw. The bedding is also good for keeping your figure slim - the bitter substances it contains spoil even ponies' appetites. Depending on the quality, the mold load is low to high. If you want to use linen straw as bedding, you only have to factor in a small amount of work, but the costs for the bedding are in the middle price range.

Miscanthus is also becoming increasingly popular and is considered a true all-rounder among the bedding alternatives: low dust load, high absorbency and good
Ammonia binding is one of the advantages of elephant/Chinese grass. In addition, the contamination by germs and fungi is said to be very low. This bedding does not require much work and is not eaten by the horses - so it is also suitable for losing weight. The sticking point of this type of bedding? The often very high price.

Forest soil is particularly impressive due to its very low dust formation, high absorbency and good ammonia binding. However, good ammonia binding is only guaranteed if the bedding is thick enough. In addition, forest soil is said to be particularly easy to maintain on a daily basis. For many owners of horses with coughs, it therefore seems to be a perfect solution. Unfortunately, forest soil bedding often has a problem: Since the principle of forest soil bedding relies on natural rotting processes, the contamination by mold can sometimes be high. In particular, allergy sufferers who are sensitive to mold sometimes have serious problems with this type of bedding. Once the forest soil has been established at a fairly high price, maintenance is inexpensive.

Paper as bedding? It sounds like a joke, but it's actually a reality, but it's rarely seen in Germany, as there are no manufacturers of this type of bedding for horses. Paper used to be used as bedding for horses, particularly in England. The advantages: hardly any dust, good absorbency and ammonia binding. If the stable is mucked out regularly, the mold contamination is also very low. On the other hand, however, it tends to quickly become moldy if used incorrectly. FUN FACT: If old paper with printer's ink is used as bedding, mold quickly turns into piebald horses!

Peat as bedding is also less well known in Germany and is considered an exotic alternative. Peat as bedding was also popular in Germany in the past because it has a very positive effect on the stable climate. Studies even show that peat bedding causes less irritation of the respiratory tract than shavings. It has a high absorbency, binds ammonia very well and the dust load is very low. However, the raw material peat should be viewed very critically because its extraction destroys moors, which leads to a high environmental impact. In terms of costs, this bedding is also very expensive.

Sometimes it makes sense to combine the bedding with other additives in order to optimize the living conditions even better. Various aids and additives can increase the horse's lying comfort, but also improve ammonia binding, for example. Possible additives are box mats, inorganic additives to bind pollutants or effective microorganisms.


Stall mats are very popular for horses with respiratory diseases because they do not produce dust and are easy to clean. However, it is important that stall mats are also covered with bedding so that the urine can be absorbed. However, this requires significantly less bedding than without mats. In combination with dust-free bedding, stall mats are a good choice for horses with coughs.

Inorganic additives consist of shell lime, for example. They have the great advantage of binding urine and ammonia and thus ensuring better stable air when they are distributed in the bedding. Horses that cough can benefit greatly from this lower ammonia concentration. Of course, regular mucking out is still a must.

Effective microorganisms can also have advantages in the stable, as they support the natural rotting process when they are introduced into the bedding. This means less ammonia is released, dust is better bound and putrefaction pathogens are combated. Regular mucking out is still mandatory in EMOs.

Here you can find all Instagram posts about the different bedding options!