Question: I keep my 15-year-old Quarter Horse stalled in the winter, as I don't have access to winter pasture. I do turn him out for exercise daily, and longe him when possible. I've heard horses that are cooped up in the winter can get heaves. What exactly is heaves? All I know is that it's some sort of respiratory problem in horses. What can I do to prevent it? Is there a cure? —Chet Brockson, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Answer: "Heaves" is a layman's term for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an equine lung disease. Other terms used for the disease include "broken wind" and "hay sickness." COPD is a naturally occurring respiratory disease similar to bronchial asthma in humans. An affected horse will have constricted airways. It'll be harder for him to get air out of his lungs than to get it into his lungs. Thus, he'll "heave" or expel air from his lungs with his abdominal muscles. Attacks are followed by periods of remission. This effort creates muscles in the rib cage, commonly called a "heave line."

Several things are attributed to the cause of heaves, but they’re not well-documented. Many consider the cause to be a hypersensitivity to inhaled dust and molds commonly found in poorly cured hay and straw, hence the term "hay sickness." Of course, if you confine your horse to a stall, you’ll increase his exposure to irritants. Horses kept outdoors rarely develop the disease. Properly ventilated stalls, as well as mold-free, clean hay and straw, decrease the risk of a horse developing the disease.

Once a horse starts showing signs of COPD, the disease can be controlled only by alleviating the cause. Available medications are used to treat the symptoms, not cure the disease. An affected horse will show signs of improvement within a few days after being moved outside into the fresh air.

Go ahead and stall your horse for the winter, but give him plenty of exercise, provide adequate ventilation, and avoid dusty, moldy feed and bedding. Feed hay pellets rather than flakes, and avoid straw bedding.

Question: My husband and I are retired, and can finally realize our dream of spending winters in the south (southern Nevada) and summers in the north (Idaho). Of course, we'll take our dependable Paint Horse geldings (ages 12 and 17) along for year-round trail riding. As someone who also "migrates" every year, do you have any tips for getting our horses acclimated? Is there anything we should watch for? —Jackie Charles, Pocatello, Idaho

Answer: I'm very happy for you and your horses — you’re among the lucky ones. Here is the short answer: Your horses will do fine! It'll take the first season for them to sort of adjust, but believe me, they'll experience a less severe change by "migrating" than they would by staying in either Nevada or Idaho year-round. Think about it: You and your husband are making the trip to enjoy a mild climate all year.

Of course, it depends on the time of year you make the transition. We go north May 1 and return south October 1. Our horses don't even blink. We have two trail horses, Red and Weaver, who are retired, high-mileage endurance horses, and two 18-plus-hand, 2,200-pound Belgium carriage horses.

If you have to wait till the Idaho cold sets in, then blanket your horses to keep their winter coats minimal. In general, keep in mind that our equine friends are very hardy and adaptable. I believe overprotecting them can actually have an adverse effect by not allowing their systems to adjust naturally to the change of seasons.

As for the trips back and forth, I believe in getting there in as few lapsed hours as possible. Horses do better getting where they're going as soon as possible, then resting, than taking extra rest stops and extending the lapsed time.