Dust Management in Horse Facilities

Every little bit of dust reduction helps so cleaning out the barn is a good start.
Bedding  The bedding used in stalls can have a significant effect on the respirable dust concentration in the barn. Many barn owners choose to bed their horses on straw even though research shows that it is one of the dustiest materials that can be used. Wood shavings provide a good alternative and there are many new items on the market such as bedding in pellet form and shredded paper and cardboard that generate very little dust.
Feed  What a horse is fed also has an effect on the amount of dust in a barn. Several different studies have shown hay to be dustier than other available forages. Furthermore horses tend to bury their noses deep in hay while eating especially in round bales thereby exposing themselves to even higher dust levels. Alternatives to hay include alfalfa cubes or pellets and haylage. Haylage is made from grass cut at an earlier time than hay. After it has been dried to an appropriate level the haylage is wrapped in plastic retaining the original nutrients.