Healthy respiratory function is critical to equine performance and few know that better than Wren Burnley, DVM. Along with caring for horses in her Fulton, Kentucky practice, Dr. Burnley is an active dressage rider who deals with asthma herself.
Horse in a hazy summer pasture
Recognizing the surprisingly subtle symptoms of early respiratory disease is a focus of upcoming free webinar on March 29th.
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She shares her personal and professional vantage point as the featured guest on a Peak Respiratory Health webinar hosted by Canada's Ontario and Trillium Hunter Jumper associations.
The educational presentation is part of the associations' Horse Show Life webinar series. It airs Tuesday, March 29 at 7 p.m. EST and is open to all. Registration is available here.
Recognizing the surprisingly subtle symptoms of early respiratory disease is a focus. So are simple steps all horse owners can take to clear up respiratory irritants in the stable environment.
As an athlete with asthma herself, Dr. Burnley is keenly aware the uncomfortable and performance limiting effects of a compromised respiratory system.
In this webinar, she will share actionable information about the importance of respiratory health, the prevalence of respiratory challenges and the small changes in barn and facility management that can make big improvements in a horse's well-being and performance.
Small Changes, Big Impacts
Dr. Burnley will give an overview of the subject and respond to horse owners' questions.
She is a long-time advocate of Haygain Hay Steamers because of their ability to eliminate up to 99% of the dust, mold, bacteria and other allergens found even in hay of good quality.
Along with bedding, even top-quality hay is one of horses' main sources of inhalable airway irritants. Removing them from hay is highly effective in preventing and managing Inflammatory Airway Disease, a condition on the milder end of the Equine Asthma Spectrum.
Over 80% of active horses are estimated to have some degree of respiratory challenge, often without obvious symptoms.
The veterinarian and USDF gold medalist learned of Haygain too late for a beloved FEI horse who was lost to respiratory disease many years ago.
"I went on the warpath about decreasing dust in our barn and in our practice," Dr. Burnley explains. "I worked very hard on it because it has such a personal impact." Prevention is especially important with respiratory health and educating clients and other horse owners on that topic is a passionate pursuit for Dr. Burnley.
For more information on the webinar, visit the Ontario Hunter Jumper Association at www.ohja.ca or the Trillium Hunter Jumper Association at www.thja.ca.
For more information on Haygain, visit www.haygain.us.
Press release by Kim F Miller