The use of cardboard bedding material as part of an environmental control regime for heaves-affected horses: in vitro assessment of airborne dust and aeroallergen concentration and in vivo effects on lung function.

This study examined the potential of using shredded cardboard as a low-dust bedding for horses with a respiratory condition called heaves. The results showed that cardboard bedding produced lower levels of airborne dust and allergens, and horses bedded on this material showed no significant change in their lung function, suggesting that this could be a suitable option for managing heaves-affected horses.

Research Methods and Objectives

• The primary objective of the research was to determine whether shredded cardboard could be used as a suitable low-dust bedding for horses suffering from a respiratory disorder known as heaves.
• The researchers performed standardised in vitro measurements of airborne dust and allergen concentrations in cardboard bedding to assess their suitability against common bedding materials.
• The study involved six heaves-affected horses in clinical remission. For a two-month period, they were stabled on cardboard bedding and given grass silage as feed.
• Pulmonary function tests (PFTs), including ventilatory mechanics, arterial blood gas analysis, airway inflammation scoring, and bronchoalveolar cytology, were conducted before, during, and after the two-month period to monitor the horses’ lung health.
• For contrast, the horses were then stabled under poor hygienic conditions, and their lung health was monitored via PFTs.

Key Findings

• Cardboard bedding had significantly lower airborne dust and allergen concentrations compared to conventional bedding materials, according to in vitro measurements.
• During and after the two-month period of stabling on cardboard bedding, the horses’ pulmonary function test results showed no significant differences from the results after they had been pastured or from those of healthy horses.
• However, the horses’ PFT results showed significant differences when they were stabled under poor hygienic conditions, implying a decline in their lung health under these conditions.
• Based on both in vitro and in vivo findings, the researchers concluded that cardboard bedding, used together with low-dust forage, may be an appropriate solution for managing heaves-affected horses by providing a minimal-dust environment.