Heaves in Horses and Salt Therapy: A Guide for Horse Owners

What are heaves in horses?

Heaves is an allergic, inflammatory condition of a horse's lower airways. When an affected horse breathes in dust, the airways tighten and fill with mucus, so breathing takes more effort. It is most common in mature horses, and a genetic tendency makes some horses more likely to develop it than others.

The condition has had several names. It was once called COPD, renamed recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) in 2000, and veterinarians now group it with milder airway inflammation under equine asthma, with heaves being the severe form.

Signs of heaves

• A cough that keeps coming back, especially when eating hay
• Breathing that takes visible effort even at rest, with flared nostrils
• A "heave line": a ridge of muscle along the belly from pushing air out
• Nasal discharge
• Tiring quickly or performing below normal under saddle

Signs often appear or worsen when a horse is stabled and fed hay. Call your veterinarian if you notice:

What triggers heaves?

The usual trigger is organic dust in the stable: mold spores, allergens and endotoxins carried in hay and bedding. Some horses also react at pasture in summer, to grass molds and pollens. Round bales, dusty bedding and poorly ventilated barns all raise exposure.

How vets manage heaves

• More turnout, less time in the stall. Fresh air is the single biggest help for many horses.
• Low-dust feed. Soaked or steamed hay, hay cubes or pelleted feed instead of dry hay; avoid round bales.
• Low-dust bedding and good ventilation. Choose dust-free bedding and keep air moving through the barn.
• Medication when needed. Your vet may prescribe medicines to calm flare-ups and open the airways.
• Regular check-ups. Heaves is long-term, so management is adjusted over time with your vet.

There is no cure for heaves, but many horses can be kept comfortable and symptom-free with consistent management. Your veterinarian will usually focus on the environment first:

Salt therapy for horses

Equine salt therapy, or equine halotherapy, brings the same idea people use in salt rooms to horses: breathing air that carries fine, dry particles of pure salt. It is delivered in an enclosed stall or equine salt room, or through a mask fitted to a dry salt aerosol device. Salt therapy has been offered to sport horses and racehorses, including at Santa Anita Park in California.

Owners who use it see it as one more part of a horse's wellness routine, alongside, never instead of, dust control and veterinary care.

What the research says

Research on salt therapy for horses is still at an early stage. The most detailed work we have found is a 2022 doctoral thesis from the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca, Romania (thesis summary). Horses with mild to moderate equine asthma breathed dry salt aerosol through a mask for 60 minutes a day for 7 days, and the author reported improvements in arterial blood gas values.

The author described dry salt aerosol as a new and promising method that could be used alongside veterinary drug treatment, or as a preventive measure where feeding and housing conditions are dusty. The groups were small and the study used a mask device rather than a salt room, so larger studies are needed. For more, see the animal and veterinary studies in our research library.

Thinking about salt therapy for your horse?

• Talk to your veterinarian first. They know your horse's diagnosis and treatment plan, and salt therapy should fit around it.
• Keep it dry. Halotherapy needs an enclosed space with dry air, below 55% humidity. Barns are often dusty and damp, which matters for any equipment.
• Use the right salt. Only pure pharmaceutical-grade sodium chloride, never feed salt, mineral blocks or Himalayan salt.
• Keep equipment out of reach. Horses are curious; any device must be mounted safely away from teeth and hooves.
• Ask us about your setup. Our halogenerators are designed for enclosed spaces up to 144 or 225 sq ft. Contact us and we will help you work out whether your stall or barn is suitable.

Frequently asked questions