My Charmer...who is struggling...

Heaves...a nasty word that we horse owners hate to hear.  It's like asthma in humans.  For horses it can be a big life change.  Many of them here start because of their lack of tolerance to allergens in the air, be it mold, grass, weeds, etc.  Many times it's just the grass and mold.  That's an issue here because we have lowlands and standing water, things have a tendency to stay very moist, thus producing mold, and the grass just grows here like crazy.  A horse with heaves needs to come off of the grass and into a barn/dry lot turn out situation.  They really need a sandy lot, but you do what you can with what you've got sometimes. 

My horse, Charmer, was diagnosed with his this summer.  A big bummer really as I'd had to put down my best friends horse a year ago because of heaves.  He started off with a moderate to severe case though and just went downhill from there.

Charmer is not really enjoying his new digs...he's actually annoyed that he can't go with the other horses.  He doesn't understand, but I do know he is acting like he feels better and I can see that his breathing is better.  That is a plus in my book.

A picture of when he was working this spring...

 

His new pen with two big shade trees and a shelter under them....

 

 

 

I'm hoping to get him out west.  I think it will be good for him...