Experts recommend management strategies for horses during poor air quality

To adapt the existing air quality index (AQI) framework to communicate equine health risk and develop practical recommendations for horse care, training, and competitions at increasing levels of air pollution.

A 3-round modified Delphi study.

15 expert equine veterinarians contributed, with 11 experts completing 3 rounds. First, experts agreed that both healthy horses and those with underlying health conditions may experience short- and long-term health effects. Second, experts adapted the AQI public health messaging to communicate equine-specific health risk. Third, experts developed practical recommendations for each AQI category, spanning general management, training, and competition decisions.

This study utilized the existing AQI framework to develop resources for communicating equine health risk and expert-informed management strategies for each AQI category. Reliance on translational data highlights a critical need for future work prioritizing equine-specific research on health impacts and pollutant thresholds to support refinement of AQI-based guidance.

Equine veterinarians are encouraged to widely distribute this equine-specific AQI framework to clients, barn managers, and trainers as a practical framework for informed decision-making to support horse health and welfare during periods of poor air quality.