By Monique Noble

Canadian equestrians breathe a sigh of relief when long-awaited spring weather finally arrives and the outdoor riding season begins in earnest. Time to fit up our horses and ourselves for trails, competitions, and the pleasure of spending time outdoors, finally free of the layers of winter gear and horse hair that come with the chillier seasons… 

As we head for the outdoor ring or start down our favourite trail, it’s heartbreaking to see that tell-tale orange tint in the sky. Fire doesn’t have to be close for your plans to go, well, up in smoke. Equestrians across the country are getting used to seeing smoky skies as researchers recommend “learning to live with fire.” 

Photo: Alamy Stock/Tribune Content Agency LLC 

An extended and record-breaking 2023 wildfire season saw states of emergency and evacuations across Canada. With plumes of smoke drifting across the country, even those not among the nearly 200,000 evacuees were impacted by poor air quality, the oppressive pall of smoke in the air, and devastating losses as over 18 million hectares of land went up in smoke. Quebec had more than 120 fires ignite in one day in 2023, as arid conditions associated with climate change led to incredibly dry underbrush that could light with a single spark. 

Related: Help Your Horse Survive the Winged Pests of Summer

As predicted, the 2024 wildfire season has arrived early, and as if to prove this point, the fire threat here in Alberta was made abundantly clear just yesterday as I drove past a smouldering coulee sparked by a blown tire; thankfully, it was quickly tamed by local firefighters.

My local grassfire may have been subdued but some overwintered fires from 2023 that burned under blankets of snow are still smouldering and will reemerge in spring as temperatures rise. On February 21, 2024, CBC News reported that there were still 92 active overwintering fires in British Columbia (BC) and 54 in Alberta.

With little snowpack accumulated over an unseasonably warm winter and increasing temperatures bringing hot and dry conditions across Canada, an above normal spring fire risk is predicted for Southern Quebec, Eastern Ontario, and Northern BC with similar conditions affecting the rest of BC, the prairies, and Northern Ontario later in the season. 

Related: The Impact of Air Quality and Pollution on Your Horse's Lungs

The Northwest Territories (NWT) is also expected to have drought conditions until later in the year and is preparing for another difficult wildfire season. In 2023, the NWT saw more than four million hectares of forest burned and the evacuation of 12 communities including the entire city of Yellowknife and its environs. Hot, dry conditions and low water levels throughout the NWT and Alberta also cause water sources required for fighting fires to be less reliable for water procurement. First responders, environmentalists, and horse enthusiasts alike are all hoping that El Niño will give way to his somewhat gentler, cooler sister La Niña this fall. Unfortunately, with abnormally dry conditions present across most of Canada it seems that this summer we can expect more smoky, hazy days ahead of us, and we should be prepared for them.

Canada, the third most-forested country in the world with about nine percent of the world’s forests, has seen about 7,300 wildland fires each year for the past 25 years. Photo: Starizon Images

There is very little you can do to prepare your horse for smoke inhalation. Even horses housed indoors are exposed to smoke as it circulates through ventilation systems and pervades the air. As horse owners, the best thing we can do is educate ourselves and pay attention to air quality and the signs our horses are giving us.

A horse’s lungs are massive; they move more than 2,000 litres of air per minute during heavy exercise, and they also have 50 times more alveoli than human lungs. Alveoli are the microscopic air sacs within our lungs where gas exchange occurs. That alone makes horses incredibly susceptible to respiratory issues when there are impurities like smoke in the air. Horses are also obligate nose breathers, which means they cannot breathe through their mouths like humans can. With only one way to breathe it is vital our horses’ nasal passages remain free of blockages and irritants.

Related: Emergency Preparedness for Horses

Wildfire smoke is incredibly toxic to lungs — whether horse or human — and while normal healthy lungs can fend off a bit of exposure, prolonged exposure is decidedly unhealthy. A mixture of particulate matter from whatever was in the fire’s path, carbon monoxide, ammonia, and a litany of other gases and toxins, can lead to both chemical and heat irritation of the delicate respiratory system. The horse’s fantastic lung capacity can cycle and store an incredible amount of minute smoke particles, which are small enough when inhaled to settle deep within the lungs after exposure, causing damage to delicate lung tissue. This damage can make a horse’s respiratory tract more susceptible to bacteria and pollen agitation and can lead to chronic respiratory issues if not addressed. Damage from smoke exposure often appears as lethargy, coughing, fast shallow breathing, wheezing, nasal discharge, irritated eyes, and an increased heart rate. In some cases, this will be accompanied or followed by pneumonia and fever. Left untreated, and sometimes even after treatment, smoke exposure can turn into chronic equine asthma. 

If you encounter smoke while on the trail, move to lower ground immediately then slowly and calmly make your way out of the area. Photo: Starizon Images

If there is a good chance that smoke is going to be in your area, you could choose to proactively feed a supplement proven by research to provide respiratory support and improve lung function, in addition to diligently monitoring air conditions and being prepared to manage your horse’s exercise and turnout schedules accordingly.

As a rule of thumb, when the air quality is not good for humans to exercise in, it’s not good for horses either. Canada has a very thorough and real time Air Quality Index (AQI) online to help us make the right decisions regarding air quality. If your horse has a history of respiratory issues such as asthma, a pre-existing cough, or recurrent airway obstruction (also known as “heaves”), it is wise to consider them to be in the at-risk category and more susceptible to the effects of smoke. 

If there’s smoke in the air, you and your horse are breathing it, and exercise should be limited. Photo courtesy of Kay Smith 

If you do not have access to the online AQI Index, such as when out on the trail, you can use the 5-3-1 Visual Air Quality Index (see below) to assess the air quality in the area.

We try our best to avoid exposing our horses to hazardous environments, but sometimes it is out of our hands. So, what to do after a horse has been exposed to smoke? The first thing is to have them assessed by a veterinarian to determine how severe the exposure is, especially if there is any shortness of breath, coughing, or nasal mucus being expelled.

Related: Horses and Wildfire Smoke

If the smoke exposure is minor there are a few options to help your horse recover a little faster. But after acute exposure an extended rest period is required.  

University of California, Davis recommends to: “Give your horse ample time to recover from smoke-induced airway insult. Airway damage resulting from wildfire smoke takes four to six weeks to heal. Ideally, plan on giving your horse that amount of time off from the time when the air quality returns to normal. Attempting exercise may aggravate the condition, delay the healing process, and compromise your horse’s performance for many weeks or months. It is recommended that horses return to exercise no sooner than two weeks post smoke-inhalation, following the clearance of the atmosphere of all smoke. Horses, like all other mammals, tend to have an irritation to particles, but should recover from the effects within a few days.”

While you are waiting for your horse to recover from exposure there are things you can do. Ensuring your horse has access to plenty of fresh water is very important, and wetting down their hay is also helpful as it reduces feed dust and increases the horse’s fluid intake while helping keep their inner passages hydrated.

A horse that has had more acute smoke exposure or a history of respiratory issues may need a little more help in recovery and should be assessed by a veterinarian. A veterinary exam may result in prescribed mucolytics, nebulizers, and/or equine inhalers. These should only be used on the advice of a vet, as incorrect usage could exacerbate the horse’s health problem. 

Allowing the horse the time needed to recover is of utmost importance, but they need our time too. Horses are incredibly sensitive to their environment, and they are instinctively driven to move away from smoke. In most cases, the modern domestic horse does not have the option of moving away from smoke, so they need their owners to take the time to be with them and give them a sense of safety. Grooming, bathing, hand walking, and calm groundwork are all positive, fun ways to safely pass the time with your horse while the smoke clears.

Related: Wildfire! Flood! Earthquake! Horse-Specific Emergency Planning

Photo: Starizon Images

 5-3-1 VISUAL AIR QUALITY INDEX

Look away from the sun and use a landmark at a known distance as a benchmark. Once you have picked your benchmark, if visibility is easily over 5 miles the air quality is good, if visibility is 5 miles away but hazy the air quality is still moderate but beginning to deteriorate, should be monitored and may be a hazard to sensitive individuals. 

If visibility is under 5 miles the air quality is unhealthy and outdoor activity should be limited for young children, seniors (65 and older), expectant mothers, and people or horses with compromised respiratory systems.

If visibility is under 3 miles the air quality is bad for everyone and outdoor activity should be avoided. 

If visibility is under 1 mile the air quality is hazardous for everyone, outdoor activity should be avoided, and it might be a good idea to leave if you can. 

Note: Loosely translated to kilometres the 5-3-1 visual index can be remembered as 8-5-2. High humidity can reduce the effectiveness of this method. 

Related: How Climate Change is Affecting Our Horse Industry

Related: How to Assess Smoke Inhalation in Horses

More by Monique Noble

Main Photo: Alamy Stock/ZUMA Press Inc.