health issue

Question
I have an 8 y/o arab/paint mare that has been diagnosed with Equine metabolic syndrome. She has also has a bad cough, which is off and on in its frequency for a couple of years now and was diagnosed with COPD. This summer she has had a noticable increase in her sides when she breaths. She also has a heave line. She is stalled at night, with the top of the dutch doors open and out during the day. I put her in a very short pasture grass area so that she does not eat too much grass. I have tried soaking hay,changing her bedding to pellets,washing the dust off the stall walls, cough free(the cough free did not work for her) and currently have her on Wendals respitory herbs, for about a month now and see no signs of improvement.What would you recommend for the cough? I am caught between a rock and a hard place as she needs to excercise and she can't even free lunge at a trot for more than a couple of laps w/o her nostrals flaring and getting out of breath. She is notacably more irratable and has not been her perky self in over a year. I would appriciate ANY advice on this issue and am willing to try about anything at this point. Thank you for your time.

Answer
Hello Zara!
It sounds to me like she has heaves. The WORST thing possible for that, is for her to stay in a stall at night and such. Keep her outside at ALL times. That way she gets fresh air and stuff. Soaking the hay is an excellent idea. Try to keep the hay off the ground in her paddock...the dust and dirt will get in it, and eventually into her lungs.

If she needs excercise, start her off by just taking her for walks.

There is some medication to help heaves. I would call a vet and get informed.

Good luck ~