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 A Gopher's Worst Nightmare
Posts: 5094
 
Location: Southern Oregon | We have some massive wildfires burning roughly 10 miles away from us right now. Some days it is so smokey I cant see but maybe 1/4 of a mile down my road, other days it is smokey enough I cant see the mountains except for an outline that are about 5 miles away. I have been way to chicken to work any of my horses in these conditions. Is it best to wait until the fires clear up or could I still do lite work on the clearer days? Right now I have them all on an immune boost and respiratory ease just incase. I have friends who are still riding and riding fairly hard, and giving me a hard time for not coming with them. |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
 
Location: SE Louisiana | With those fires that close, I'd be more worried about having to load them up and run for cover than anything else. A wind shift could put that fire on you pretty quick. Id wait till they were out or had moved away. |
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A Gopher's Worst Nightmare
Posts: 5094
Location: Southern Oregon | They are actually moving in the other direction, plus two full river crossing and a free way and a town before we would have to worry. The miles are as the bird flies, which doesn't include the up and downs of our terrain which is alot. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I wouldn't be riding in it, how would you like to run a marathon in those conditions.
The smoke can cause carbon dioxide poisoning, damage the lungs, and cause cardiovascular problems due to low oxygenation levels.
Also the ash they would be breathing in will adhere to the lungs and cause irreversible damage |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | We tend to get wild fires alot to during these months.. this year we have been lucky.. few years back we had ashes falling on us from a few miles away.. but No we dont work them..when you do it opens up their airways and the lungs struggle and can cause scarring . Id advise Not to.. let it clear up some.. we also put fans on them |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 415
| If possible keep them in a closed barn with fans, maybe an equi-resp type machine? Good idea with the supplements! I probably wouldn't ride either, I would rather have them around for a long time verses riding and possibly causing damage :) |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 956
Location: Washington | I know what you are going through! We have some fires around us right now and the smoke always gets blown right down the valley and is thicker than snot in the afternoons. On smokey days I don't even really get outside, usually throw hay top off waters and back indoors as it is hard for me to breathe out there. I also know it isn't good for them to breathe it in (well when you have air advisory to stay indoors...I don't think it would be a good think to ask them to work in it). |
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Misters are great to.. or mist their face thru out the day |
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Exercising horses in smokey conditions?