© 2022 Copyright Statement dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing User Terms, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
You need to be logged in to fill out this form
"*" indicates required fields
Wildfire Season and Feeding Horses for Lung Health
A. Having lived in Northern California for many years during large wildfires, I understand your concerns firsthand. A horse’s respiratory system is the main limiter of performance.
While it’s possible to improve cardiac function and muscle mass, as well as the strength and skill to perform certain expectations, the respiratory system cannot be greatly improved through exercise. The ability to transfer oxygen across lung membranes into the bloodstream sets the upper limit on how much oxygen is available to reach muscle tissues. Muscles need oxygen to metabolize fuel stores of fats and carbohydrates using aerobic metabolism.
When a horse is asked to work hard and when adequate oxygen isn’t available, the body recruits anaerobic metabolism, which provides less total energy and can only use carbohydrate as a substrate. So, a horse with a reduced ability to bring in and transfer oxygen might have to switch to anaerobic metabolism sooner than a horse with a greater ability to deliver oxygen to muscle tissue. Any lung tissue damage will, therefore, have a negative impact on that horse’s performance capacity, so we should consider airway health in horse management, especially performance horse management
Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.
TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.
Start your free account today!
Already have an account?
and continue reading.
Written by:
Clair Thunes, PhD
Related Articles
Ohio Stallion Positive for Strangles
2 Michigan Equids Positive for Strangles
Strategic Deworming Schedules for Horses
Michigan Gelding Positive for Strangles
Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with
FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com
Sponsored Content
Harnessing Fluorescent Light Energy for Horse Wounds and Skin Disease
PulseVet Shock Wave Therapy for Horses
Noltrex®Vet for Equine Joint Maintenance
Weekly Poll
Readers’ Most Popular
EHV Confirmed in Wisconsin Facility
Elite Dressage Horse Head-and-Neck Angles Associated With Scores
Close Contact: Kissing Spines in Horses
Understanding Pedunculated Lipomas in Horses
Top Categories