Wildfire Smoke and Horses: A Guide to AQI and Horse Health

A wildfire doesn’t have to be looming to affect your horse. In Nevada, smoke from a fire dozens or even hundreds of miles away can settle in and linger for days. There may be no flames on the horizon, no evacuation warning, and no immediate emergency. But, if the air is smoky, your horse is breathing it, too.

Prolonged exposure to smoke is unhealthy for every animal. When wildfire smoke settles into the area, it’s important to know how to make your horse comfortable, recognize the signs of smoke sickness, and decide if it is safe to ride. Here is a Nevada horse owner’s guide to wildfire smoke:

Why Wildfire Smoke Matters to Horses

Smoke contains gases and extremely small particles that can travel deep into the respiratory system. Prolonged exposure to smoke can irritate horses’ eyes and respiratory tracts, reduce lung function, and aggravate existing respiratory conditions such as equine asthma or heaves. Very small particulates can reach even deeper into the lungs and interfere with the respiratory system’s normal ability to clear foreign material.

Exercise increases the amount of polluted air that moves through a horse’s lungs. A horse may seem perfectly comfortable standing in his stall, but that does not necessarily mean it is okay to take him on a trail ride.

Understanding AQI

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is the Environmental Protection Agency’s official system for communicating outdoor air pollution. It runs from 0-500. The higher the number the higher the pollution and health concern. It’s important to note that AQI was developed around human health, not horses. However, most veterinary officials say that the AQI guidance can be extrapolated for horses.

Remember: AQI is a guide, not permission to ride. If smoke is clearly visible, your horse is coughing, conditions are rapidly deteriorating, or your horse has an existing respiratory condition, be more conservative. Limit exercise when smoke is visible and avoid activities that could significantly increase airflow through the lungs.

My horse is just standing around. Is smoke still a problem?

It could be! A resting horse still can’t escape the ambient air. Even standing still, prolonged exposure can irritate the respiratory system. Horses with equine asthma or other respiratory conditions warrant particular concern. Exercise increases the amount of air (and smoke particles) through a horse’s respiratory system. So, a horse can be comfortable enough to stand outside in current conditions, but not comfortable enough to climb a mountain with you today.

Should I go trail riding today?

Before you hook up the trailer, check the AQI at your destination, not just at home. Nevada’s terrain makes this especially important. Smoke can settle differently from one valley or mountain range to another and conditions can change throughout the day. Make checking AQI part of your trail-riding routine during fire season, alongside checking the weather.

During wildfires, the EPA recommends the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map, which displays location specific air quality using monitors and sensor data. It also displays smoke plumes, fire locations and, wind direction.

Helping your horse when the AQI climbs

Unfortunately there is no magic way to give your horse clean air when wildfire smoke is blowing in. Instead, the goal should be to reduce the total respiratory burden wherever you can. The biggest thing owners can do is giving their horse time off. Skip conditioning rides, lunging, strenuous arena work, and unnecessary exercise during significant smoke events. A few missed rides won’t hurt as much as stressing out already irritated lungs.

Try to keep water fresh and plentiful. Good hydration helps keep the respiratory tract moist and supports the normal mechanisms horses use to clear inhaled particles. Smoke and ash can also contaminate or affect the taste of exposed water, so check and refresh troughs frequently during heavy smoke events.

If possible, reduce dust. Your horse’s respiratory system is already dealing with wildfire particulates. Soaking hay before feeding can reduce additional exposure to particles such as mold, pollen and bacteria. Other ways to keep dust down include, avoiding sweeping or blowing dust, not exercising in dusty areas, wetting down dusty barn areas where practical, and using low-dust bedding.

Know your horse’s normal breathing

Learn your horse’s normal resting respiratory rate before fire season. The normal range for adult horse’s is 8 – 16 breaths per minute. That can increase with respiratory distress. Look for these warning signs association with smoke exposure:

You should also watch for eye irritation and watering, reduced appetite or thirst, and increased respiratory rate. Don’t evaluate your horse immediately after exercise, check respiratory rate while the horse is actually at rest. Even better, know what’s normal for your horse when the air is good so you’ll recognize when something changes.

Call your veterinarian if breathing is labored, respiratory rate remains abnormally elevated at rest, coughing becomes peristant, nasal discharge is abnormal, or your horse otherwise appears unwell. Horses with pre-existing respiratory conditions deserve a lower threshold for calling the vet.

The sky cleared. Can I ride now?

Air looking clear again doesn’t mean a horse’s respiratory system has immediately recovered from prolonged smoke exposure. Veterinary officials say that airway damage from significant wildfire smoke exposure can take four to six weeks to heal. Horses that have been exposed to substantial smoke should not return to exercise sooner than two weeks after the smoke has cleared. Exercise during recovery may prolong inflammation and compromise performance.

That does not mean that one smoky afternoon automatically requires six weeks off! The appropriate recovery period depends on the severity and duration of exposure, the horse’s health, and whether the horse developed respiratory signs. A brief period of moderate smoke is not the same thing as days or weeks of severe exposure. After a significant smoke event, especially if your horse showed symptoms, talk with your veterinarian about an appropriate timeline for returning to work. Get back on the trail gradually, rather than heading out on a tough all-day ride right away.

Smoke can come from a long way away

You don’t need a wildfire burning right over the ridge to have a wildfire-related horse health problem. Nevada often gets poor air quality from fires burning in California. If you see haze and smell smoke, check the AQI and make a decision about riding. Remember, horse health comes first. The trail will still be there when the air clears.