Heaves in Horses
  Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
  Recurrent Obstructive Airway Disease (ROAD)
  Summer Pasture Associated Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (SPAOPD)

  by Robert N. Oglesby DVM

It may start as a transient cough when the horse begins exercising but over time with repeated episodes Heaves can become a severely debilitating respiratory condition where the horse fights for every breath it takes. Whether you call it Recurrent Airway Obrtruction (RAO) or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or just simply "Heaves" it is a disease caused by a reaction to inhaled allergens. The most common allergen is to very common mold spores found in the horse's hay and environment though in the southern US a summer pasture associated obstructive pulmonary disease (SPAOPD) is seen.

Once an allergy to an inhaled allergen develops there are changes in the lower respiratory tract that cause the symptoms seen. Initially you will see coughing that if not effectively managed proceeds to difficult breathing. Once a horse begins to breathe hard, the condition is referred to as heaves or COPD. This article discusses diagnoses, treatment, prognosis, and prevention of this potentially debilitating disease.

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