Haygain’s ComfortStall Sealed Orthopedic Flooring looks like another stall flooring product from the surface. Both have a single piece cover that seals to the stall wall.
The Grand Prix dressage rider and trainer purchased the other flooring when she bought Clearwater Farm in Marshall, Virginia 16 years ago. Early on, however, this horse stall bed fell short of what she wanted for her elite sporthorse training facility.
She was expecting a combination of cushion and give that she describes as “squishy.” Instead, Lauren found that this product's rubber crumb cushioning material was never sufficiently squishy, even on day one.
Durability was also disappointing. “In four or five years, the horses put holes in them. The company sent us patch kits to repair the holes, but they never held.”
During a major renovation 10 years ago, Lauren replaced 11 of those stalls with ComfortStall Flooring, made by Haygain.
“I can’t say enough good things about ComfortStall,” she enthuses. The flooring uses a dense, medical grade foam that does not compress over time. Lauren and the horses in her care loved them from day-one and ever since. Even after 10 years, the ComfortStalls look and function as if they were brand new, Lauren asserts.
She purchased an additional nine ComfortStalls when she expanded her stable recently. “We had fun bouncing up and down on the new flooring, and we noted that it looks just the same as the ComfortStall flooring we put in 10 years ago. You really can’t tell the difference!”
A desire to use less shavings was the impetus for looking into sealed flooring with built-in cushion. “We do a lot of composting and we wanted to use less bedding and use a bedding that breaks down more easily.
"ComfortStall’s claim of using less bedding has held true. It's more environmentally friendly, and I also don’t have to pay for having so much bedding taken away. And our staff spends less time cleaning the stalls.
“We’re not creating a bunch of waste and our horses still lie down and are comfortable,” she continues. “Hock sores are not an issue and the flooring is just better all around.”
Every aspect of Clearwater Farm’s facility is designed to support optimal horse health. The 85-acre property features more than 40 grass pastures and endless trails for hacking and conditioning.
Maximum ventilation flows throughout the cinderblock stable. The 12 ‘ x 14’ stalls have windows facing out or run-outs and grated fronts to ensure airflow. Infrared solariums, ice and laser therapies, dust free arena footing and a covered Equineciser are among the facility’s many health-oriented amenities.
Now, all 20 of the horses in Lauren’s care have flooring that meets her high standards for their health and well-being.
Various studies in the UK 1,2 have monitored obesity in leisure and performance horse populations. The incidence is frighteningly high with 50-80% of horses classed as obese, which equates to over half a million fat horses in the UK!2,3,4,5
We all know that excess weight makes work and exercise more difficult, but it is the hidden damage that obesity causes that should really concern us.
Fat horses are more susceptible to 6,7
• insulin dysfunction (diabetes)
• chronic systemic inflammation
• laminitis
• pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (Cushings disease)
• osteochondrosis (swollen/painful joints)
• hyperlipemia (fat pads)
• benign abdominal lipomas
• colic
• hypertension
• thermoregulation (difficulties cooling when exercising in summer)
• reduced reproductive performance
• increased management costs (vet, farrier and feed bills)
This is a frightening list and one that is largely avoidable. So how have we got here and why is obesity frustratingly persistent?8,9
Inevitably there will be horses, just as in the human population, where obesity has a strong genetic / disease / gut microbiome factor that predisposes to weight gain. For these animals, it is not a matter of ‘happiness is, energy intake = energy output!’ For these horses weight management can be very challenging and extra care is needed in monitoring body condition and dietary intake, to keep them healthy. But it is possible, so take heart if you own one of these horses.
For the majority of horses it really is a matter of matching energy intake with energy expenditure.
When horses were used in war and as work animals, spending all day carrying armoured people, pulling carriages, herding cattle and working on the farm, energy expenditure was very high and diets were compiled to match the horses’ needs. This is when feeding cereals (mainly oats) became common place, energy expenditure could not be met by feeding grass or hay alone so they needed to have the more energy-dense feeds.
In the 21st century it is important to recognise that our performance and leisure horses exercise for significantly shorter periods. Most simply don’t need to be fed high levels of energy dense feeds.
Some performance horses just don’t do well unless they are fed some cereals, but the majority of leisure horses do not require them. Alternatives should be sought if a ‘bucket feed’ is used as a horse:human bonding exercise.
Our feeding practices have also been influenced by over-zealous assessment of energy expenditure and the marketing of attractive compound feeds which have seduced us into believing that we are neglecting our duty of care if we don’t feed them.
This has made the pendulum swing to the excess side of ration formulation and the result is fat horses.
A recent study by Ebert and Moore-Colyer10 has shown that the commonly used ration formulation equation (NRC 2007) over-estimates energy requirements for exercise in performance horses by 111%. The Ebert study developed an easy to use equation (see Table 1 below) based on 60 Sports horses in UK and Switzerland using actual maintenance and work values when in their normal regimes. This demonstrated a significantly lower energy requirement for exercise (EEE) than previously thought.
Table 1. How to calculate energy requirements for your horse in megajoules (MJ) of digestible energy (DE) per day.
Using this system is a good starting point and a method of checking if you are under or over feeding. There are some minor adjustments that can be made, if necessary, for hyperactive horses or very ‘laid-back’ horses, but this is the most accurate method of assessing energy expenditure currently available.
Another factor that is often given as justification for a fat horse is body shape. Yes, cobs, cold bloods and heavy-weight hunter types are ‘stockier’ and heavier than a similar sized hot-blooded horse (Thoroughbred/Arabian), but this is no reason for them to be carrying excess body fat. The key is to be able to determine the difference between muscle and fat and to do this effectively you need to body condition score.
Figure 1 below details the areas commonly used to assess the amount of fat stored in these specific target body areas. The idea is to do a ‘laying on of hands.’ Palpate each area, see how easily you can feel the bone or muscle (feels slightly ridgey) underneath and give it a numerical score. The most common is a 1-10 scale with 1 being emaciated and 10 dangerously obese.
Worry less about the actual number you give an area because sometimes it is hard to differentiate between scores when the horse is in moderate to good condition. But take note if your 5 is still a 5 by your assessment, when you score the horse 2/3/4 weeks later. It is more important to monitor the changes than to be pin-point accurate with an actual score.
Figure 1 Areas commonly assessed when practicing body condition scoring
When we see our horses every day, we can miss subtle changes in body condition and before you realise it your horse has gained 50kg without you noticing. Giving your horse an objective score every week / 2 weeks will make you take notice of any changes and you can react accordingly before you have a problem on your hands.
Horses in the wild gain weight in the spring and summer months when the grass is plentiful, and lose weight in the winter when grazing is sparse. However, domesticated horses are stabled, and wear rugs so this seasonal fluctuation in body weight does not occur. Keeping a constant healthy body weight is perfect. If you let your horse gain too much weight in summer, it is highly likely that your regime will not allow the natural winter drop resulting in a steady annual weight gain.
As horses grow and mature, it is natural for them to gain weight. Training stimulates muscle growth and muscle is heavier than fat, so weight gain with training and age is expected. The important thing is to use body condition scoring (BCS) to differentiate between fat and muscle. Even if you have access to a weigh-bridge and know your horse is not gaining body weight, it might still be accumulating fat, particularly if it is not in active training.
BCS can be done by anyone. If the key areas which are known fat stores in laminitics -- such as crest, rump and shoulder areas -- are monitored carefully, many laminitis cases could be avoided.
If you own an obese horse you should contact a registered equine nutritionists and work out a suitable schedule for weight loss. It can be a long slow road and you will need support to do this. It is easy to be become emotionally blackmailed by your horse.
We think we train our horses, but in fact they are much better at training us! A neigh, kicking the door, hanging around by the gate / barn door, looking longingly at the hay can convince us that they NEED feeding.
Small reductions in feed will do little to drop weight, the horse will just down-regulate their metabolic rate and no weight-loss will occur. More drastic measures are needed but it is important to ensure that protein and micronutrient requirements are met during the process. This is why a taylor-made weight-loss programme for your horse is best.
If your horses is just ‘carrying a bit extra’ then pay attention to the bucket feed your are offering. Cut this down, replace cereals with fibre feeds (but be aware that some fibre feeds are also high in energy), limit time at pasture, put a muzzle on your horse. Most importantly know your horse’s energy expenditure and feed to match that and not a gram more. Get your forage analysed so you know how much energy it contains, and if it is high quality then replace some of the hay (approx. 20% is fine) with straw so you dilute the energy content of the forage portion of the ration, but maintain chewing time.
If you horse is stabled, then you need to be aware of time budgets. Better to give 4/5 small nets per day to maintain trickle feeding rather than 2 big ones.
And finally, remember the old saying, a derivation from an essay by Hugh Latimer in 1555:
‘The eye of the keeper doth maketh the horse fat.’
Cited References
1. Carroll,C.L., Huntington, P.J. 1988 Body condition scoring and weight estimation of horses. Equine Veterinary Journal. 20; 41-45
2. Knowles, E., Grieve, L. 2020 Clinical insights: Equine obesity. Equine veterinary journal (10) 1111
3. British Equestrian Trade Association - BETA National Equestrian Survey 2019. Beta-uk.org
4. Furrado, T., McGowan,C., Perkins, E., Pinchbeck, G., Watkins, F., & Christley, R. (2018) How do owners perceive body condition and weight management of UK leisure horses? Equine Vet Journal 50 (52) 5-35
5. Furrado, T., Perkins, E., Pinchbeck, G., McGowan, C., Watkins, F., & Christley, R. (2021) Exploring horse owners' understanding of obese body condition and weight management in the UK leisure horse. Equine Vet Journal 53; 752-762
6. Johnson, P.J., Weidmeyer, C.E., Messer, N.T., Gangam, V.K. 2009 Medical implications of obesity in horses - lessons for human obesity. Journal of diabetes science and technology: from basic science to clinical practice. 3 (1) 163-174
7. Busechian, S., Turini, L., Sgorbini, M., Pieramati, C., Pisello, L., Orvieto, S., Rueca, F. Are horse owners able to estimate their animals' body condition score and cresty neck score? Vet. Sci. 2022 (9) 544
8. Daradics, Z., Crecan, C.M., Rus, M.A., Morar, I.A., Mircean,M.V., Catoi, A.F., Cecan, A.D., Catoi, C. 2021 Obesity-related metabolic dysfunction in dairy cows and horses: comparison to human metabolic syndrome. Life (11) 1406
9. Cerón, J.J., Contreras‑Aguilar, M.D., Escribano, D., Martínez‑Miró, S., López‑Martínez, M.J., Ortín‑Bustillo, A., Fernadez-Real, J.M. Genetic predispositions to low-grade inflammation and type-2 diabetes. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2006;8(1):55-66
10. Mark Ebert, Meriel J S Moore-Colyer (2020). The energy requirements of performance horses in training Translational Animal Science, Volume 4, Issue 2, April 2020, txaa032. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txaa032
But there’s always a common denominator in a Haygain Hay Steamer, ComfortStall Flooring or a Forager Slow Feeder --- sometimes all three – that have been key to the horse’s happy, healthy state.
We’re horse people and these stories make our days.
Here’s three of our favorites.
Starfish Equine Rescue founder Abby Revoir was delighted when a Haygain Hay Steamer showed up at her barn door in New Jersey. She knew it would help the program’s horses directly and indirectly in the form of stretching the rescue operation’s budget for their care.
Fletcher, a then-24-year-old Warmblood with Severe Equine Asthma, was first in line for Steamed Hay. Snap, the lesson pony who coughed immediately and excessively when exercising was next.
"Fletcher couldn't even eat hay when he first came two years ago," explains Abby. "The instant he got near hay, he started to wheeze." To get him off long-term steroid treatments, Abby and her team soaked his hay cubes and kept emergency nebulizer treatments at the ready.
Fletcher had to have his bottom incisor teeth extracted, making it even harder to eat. From the moment Abby presented the first batch of aromatic, freshly steamed hay, Fletcher "eats it all up... no problem."
"Knock wood, he's not having any incidents of difficult breathing," says Abby. "We haven't needed the inhaler."
Steamed Hay has been a "game changer" for, Snap, too. In his case, it was wracking coughs as he began even the mild exercise required of an "up-down lesson” pony.
"We had tried allergy supplements, but they didn't do anything and he was just getting worse."
Preventative measures to keep horses comfortable and healthy without medication are always the desired goal for long-term well-being. Going without steroids, inhaler treatments and allergy supplements also stretches Starfish's budget, which is critical to continuing its good work.
"I always try to prevent those bigger medical expenses," says Abby of the money management side of the charitable 501c3 endeavor she founded in 2016.
High-quality forage and grain are staples of Abby's belief that "not taking shortcuts with horse health benefits the horses and the bottom line in the long run." Haygain Steamed Hay fits that approach and "magnifies" it, she adds.
Enjoy the full story of Starfish Equine Rescue and Haygain here.
A Thoroughbred/Shire cross, Rocko was an easy-keeper family pony except in one mysterious area – bouts of diarrhea that were sometimes accompanied by squirting liquid. His diligent owner Teresa Wilson dove deep into equine digestive issues in hopes of helping him. She learned more than she might have wanted to know about diarrhea and fecal water syndrome until eventually landing on a diagnosis of colitis – inflammation of the colon.
Corticosteroids got the colitis under control as Teresa researched ways to prevent a recurrence. That's when Haygain Steamed Hay crossed her radar screen.
She realized that Rocko's issues corresponded to switches from mostly grass to mostly hay diets. "My thought process was that steaming softens the hay and gets it back to a state nearest to grass, so that it's easier to digest and break down. I had to do it."
"Within 24 hours of getting steamed hay, he was passing better droppings," reports Teresa. A little longer on steamed hay and Rocko went from better and better to best. "Steamed hay has made a massive difference for him."
Teresa also learned that Rocko’s tummy did not have a lot of the bacteria needed to break down the woody structures in hay. She believes that the softened steamed hay helps him compensate for that. She also started hand grazing him in hopes of bringing more bacterial diversity to his diet.
Horses were designed to wander for most of the day, eating bits and pieces along the way, Teresa notes. That lifestyle results in a healthy, diverse balance of bacteria in the gut.
"Now we put the horses in the stable, or in the 2-acre field with lush grass,” Teresa observes of modern horse management realities. “If we see a weed, we spray it. Hence, we have all these problems because horses are not eating the right plants or a diverse range of different plants."
That can degrade the diversity of the microbiome in the horse’s gut.
Teresa’s hunches were validated by a 2020 PLoS ONE paper, The Hay Biome. It found that Haygain steaming had the healthiest effect on maintaining a balanced biome – compared to other pre-feeding treatments.
Read more about Rocko’s condition and Teresa’s impressive efforts to solve them here.
There were no signs of equine asthma when Missouri trail rider and horse camper Jane Doskal purchased the dappled, chocolate brown mare, Roxy Ann. There was no wheezing or coughing. But there was a trickle of mucus coming out of Roxy’s nose and Jane knew that could be an early indicator of respiratory trouble.
Jane took Roxie Ann to Dawn Mrad, DVM, at Mid-Rivers Equine Centre in Wentzville, MO, to get a full work-up on her respiratory system’s status. An endoscopy exam revealed the telltale asthma sign: inflammation in the respiratory tract.
She’d caught the condition in its earliest and most treatable stage, and she knew that reducing dust in Roxy’s environment was her best chance to reverse the inflammation.
After a month on Haygain Steamed Hay, Roxy returned to the veterinarian, who could clearly hear the improvements in the mare’s breathing. Jane became a believer. Ever since, her HG 600 Hay Steamer keeps Roxy healthy on dust-free hay whether they’re at home or off camping in the Missouri’s beautiful parklands.
Read Roxy’s full story here.
What’s your horse health story? We’d love to hear it! Email us at info@haygain.com.
In horses I realized a long time ago that I will never stop learning. I’ve probably forgotten more than I would like to admit after 25 years in the industry, but I know that some of the things I’ve learned will stick with me forever. Unfortunately, that means that some of these lessons have been learned the hard way. But I always strive to educate others to my experiences in hopes that they won’t make the same, avoidable mistakes.
I learned a long time ago that safe handling and paying attention to small details are very important in the moment and in the long run. I’m sure several of the working students I’ve had over the years were annoyed with me staying on them for paying attention to small details, but I try to have a reason behind everything.
Simply making sure that all snaps are turned “in” can save a horse from putting themselves in a very difficult situation. I had buckets hung in my barn with double ended snaps for years without paying attention to which direction the snaps themselves were facing.
I was in the barn one afternoon and suddenly there was banging and panic coming from a couple of stalls over. My young horse had rubbed his face on a bucket and gotten his nostril caught on the exposed part of the snap which was facing away from the stall wall. Thankfully he only needed some stitches for a nasty cut -- six inches difference and I could have been treating major eye trauma instead.
I’ve seen horses get themselves caught on fences, gates, hay nets and more because of snaps facing out. From blankets to halters, if they can find some way to attach themselves to a stationary object, our horses will.
I have also been in dangerous situations when inappropriate equipment has been used to tie a horse up. It can be incredibly annoying to have your horse break a nice halter or get loose from the trailer because they pulled back, but it’s better than them injuring themselves because nothing gives when they do.
If you are going to tie up your horse, make sure to use something that will break if an emergency arises. Lead ropes will tighten to an impossible point if the right pressure is put on them, and don’t rely on quick release knots.
Having a halter with a leather breakaway point, or full leather, is one way to be safe because the leather will break. Another is to make sure the point where you tie to is breakaway material such as string, a zip tie, or a safety trailer tie that can be purchased from a tack shop.
No matter how many safety measures you put in place though, horses will find a way to hurt themselves eventually. If something does happen, having a first aid kit that is stocked and accessible will help you control the situation until you can get help.
Having a plan is another very important lesson I learned. Know which veterinarians near you works emergency hours - not all vets are on call overnight or on holidays. If you don’t have full time access to a truck and trailer, then make sure that you have an emergency vet who can come for a farm call.
I compare these plans to fire drills - I thought those were silly for us to do in school as a kid until there was an emergency and we needed to evacuate. You don’t want the first time you call a vet to be in the middle of an emergency and they tell you that their services are only for existing clients, or that they don’t do ambulatory services.
Horses are all different, they have individual needs nutritionally, physically, and mentally. Recognizing this and not attempting to fit every horse into the same mold is an important part of caring for them. Researching products and treatments when you’re seeing a new development is one way to help your horses be their best.
I purchased many Thoroughbreds off the track throughout my high school and college years. These horses spent their early years in shed row barns with hay nets in their faces. I had one specifically who struggled with respiratory issues at the upper levels. I wish I had known to research options such as the Haygain Hay Steamer for this horse instead of just increasing his fitness, even though that had worked for previous horses. I think back to what his career could have been for me had I utilized these resources earlier in my career.
I’ll leave you with one last piece of advice -- Listen to your gut when it comes to your horses and yourself. Both our horses and us as riders are allowed a bad or an off day. If you find yourself in that position, where either you or your horse don’t quite feel in the right spot, don’t be afraid to take that day easier or off altogether.
There will be more days to ride, more competitions or clinics available. If you feel something is not right with your horse, even if it doesn’t outwardly appear to others, consider checking in with your vet. Don’t ever let someone pressure you into something you feel deep down is wrong.
I’d rather be safe than sorry. I would much rather walk away for the day or stop a thousand jumps too soon than one jump too late.
Remember that we can’t prevent everything from happening in horses. I’m sure I’ll make a million more mistakes and learn a thousand more lessons, but I hope that some of these tips above help prevent a few of the mistakes I’ve made or seen from happening to someone else.
Courtney Carson is a lifelong horse person who has competed at the upper levels of three-day eventing and moved into grooming for U.S. Olympic eventer Doug Payne in 2016. Throughout her career she tended to top event horses and show jumpers, travelled the world for competitions, and was a part of the Tokyo Olympic team as groom for Vandiver.
Courtney prides herself on always advocating for the horses and good horsemanship. Since retiring as a full-time groom she works in a small animal veterinary hospital, serves on the board for the International Grooms Association, freelance grooms, and teaches grooming clinics.
“She inhaled those cubes so fast she had nothing to eat when the rest of horses were eating their hay," says Whispering Grace's Bill Shearer. "And she had nothing left in her stomach for too long, so she was hungry.”
Haygain is proud to announce the contribution of 2.5% of all sales to World Horse Welfare, from Dec. 1 – Dec. 31, 2023. The contributions will come from the sale of Haygain’s Hay Steamers, Forager Slow Feeders, ComfortStall Sealed Orthopedic Flooring and accessories during that period. To sweeten the deal, a free Starter Pack will be included in all hay steamer purchases.
“We are excited about this second year of our fundraising campaign for World Horse Welfare,” notes Haygain Ltd CEO Edzo Wisman. “Most recently, we attended the organization’s conference in London, focusing on the critical issue of horses and the environment. That just scratches the surface of the good work World Horse Welfare does for horses throughout the world and in promoting responsible horse-human partnerships in all types of equestrian activities.
“As a company driven by the desire to help horses, Haygain aligns very closely with World Horse Welfare’s important mission,” Wisman concludes. “World Horse Welfare’s work is very close to our heart and we are honored to continue supporting it.”
Headquartered in the U.K., World Horse Welfare is a charity that works to improve the lives of horses and the horse-human partnership in all of its guises. Its vision is a world where every horse is treated with respect, compassion and understanding.
Pragmatism and compassion guide the non-profit association’s international work. Its efforts involve horses, owners, communities, organizations, and governments to help improve welfare standards and stamp out equine suffering the in the UK and worldwide.
The organization was founded in 1927 by Ada Cole, who was outraged by the export of British horses for slaughter. Since then, World Horse Welfare has taken on a remarkably wide scope of work. Recent endeavors range from helping working equids, and their owners, in Haiti, to helping four severely obese ponies at their Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Aberdeenshire. World Horse Welfare staff has seen the heartbreak of a day-old foal abandoned in a ditch and the joys of helping that foal, Charley, find a loving home after nine months in their care.
Currently, World Horse Welfare leads the global equine industry in promoting the importance of earning the public’s trust for the enjoyment of horses in sport and recreation. Its research and education regarding the equestrian industry’s social license to operate set a high standard.
World Horse Welfare describes its work in this way:
By Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA
Want to know how to manage laminitis, what causes cribbing, when to wean a foal, why your horse bucks, or whether nutritional supplements work?
Well, sort of. Certainly, within seconds, you’ll find plenty of horse health information. So much, in fact, that it’ll suddenly be raining information all over your screen, keyboard, lap, and floor, to the point that you’ll almost wish you’d brought some kind of virtual umbrella to shield yourself from the deluge.
Never in the history of horsemanship have horse owners had a greater wealth of horse-related information at their fingertips. While that sounds exciting—albeit a bit overwhelming—the reality is that more information does not necessarily mean more good information.
We’ve all had the experience of finding conflicting information online, often accented with particularly lively (to put it nicely) debates among social media users. Indeed, the internet is fraught with contradictions, especially when it comes to horse management.
With the seemingly endless choices of articles and videos begging to be viewed following every keyword search—not to mention the onslaught of information being thrown at us every time we open Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok—it can be challenging to decide what to click on, and what to skip.
Fortunately, readers can make good decisions about which resources can be trusted, provided they have some basic knowledge and skills about the world of equine resource publishing, for both scientific readers as well as non-scientific (lay) readers.
This article provides you with those basics so that you can navigate the internet more efficiently as you focus on quality, reliable sources that will ultimately lead to better health and welfare for your horse.
Both good and bad resources can come across as knowledgeable, confident, and authoritative, making it potentially difficult to call out the bad resources. Fortunately, though, there are some simple green and red flags that can help you make those distinctions.
In my experience, I’ve found that good sources have at least three of the four green flags listed below—and they usually have all of them. By contrast, the presence of even a single one of these red flags always sheds considerable doubt on the trustworthiness of the publication.
• Credentials. The majority of reputable science-related posts and publications—whether they’re meant for lay readers or professionals—include what sometimes looks like a whole slew of abbreviations after people’s last names, like PhD, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, and many more.
Some—especially in the U.K.—use degree titles like Dr. and Prof. in front of the name instead. That’s not to show off; they’re meant to be a testament to the person’s qualifications for providing reliable information about the topic [1]. Granted, there are some serious media outlets that don’t use the titles since they bog down the text—but in that case they usually include a link to the speaker’s professional website, where you can find all those titles and a whole lot more.
(Note: Serious science journalists don’t always have degree titles after their names, but they always include interviews with knowledgeable people—and most of those people do. And while some speakers can be experts without academic titles, that’s rare, and titles really add weight to credibility.)
• References. Good information builds on previous good information; it’s the basis of making reliable conclusions. A solid media report often provides at least one reference to an academic publication to support the claims made in the report.
Solid academic publications provide a list of references [2]. Importantly, all those references should also be reliable! They should stand up to the same criteria for robustness as described in this list. A notable exception to the need for references is the case of feature articles in magazines and e-zines based on interviews with experts—but in that case, both the journalist and the experts should have a strong track record of reliability.
• Peer-review / editing. Even experts can say things that are unintentionally misleading, or even make mistakes sometimes. That’s why peer review is so crucial. Peer-review means that other experts have looked at the report and have given critical feedback for improvement before publication [3]. A peer-reviewed paper is one that appears online or in print after it’s been revised following peer review. Peers can be scientists or editors with science journalism experience.
• Photo credits. A really simple way to feel more confident about a media report is to see that line under the photo giving name credit to the photographer. Photos are artistic work that is protected under copyright law in most countries. But even when it’s not, it’s still good practice to acknowledge the contribution of the photographer [4]. Media sources that acknowledge the photographer are giving a clear sign of professionalism.
• Multiple pop-up ads. If you have to close three or four windows to get to the text, there’s a problem [5]. Reliable media may have advertisers, but their ads are more discreet.
• You have to keep clicking “next” to finish reading an article. Online pages that require multiple clicks to read the full text, page after page, are using you to refresh pages that multiply their page views and offer more advertising placements, increasing their incoming from paying advertisers hoping to sell you something.
• Poor writing style. Questionable reports often lack professionalism and good editing in their writing style. This one can be hard to spot for non-writers, but such articles might use lots of emotional language and dramatic claims, like “You’re not going to believe this!” and “This is just insane!” Or they can beat around the bush in the first several paragraphs, taking a long time to get to the point.
• Sentences in Bold, Words in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. It’s normal to put headings and even subheadings in bold, because they work like chapter titles to divide up sections of an article. But when writers put certain whole sentences in bold (or highlighting, or underlining, or different colors) throughout their text or use phrases in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS to try to draw attention to them, this suggests sensationalism, and hence less professional writing [5]. (Of course, this does not apply to hyperlinks, which usually appear underlined and in blue.)
• AI-generated error messages. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a highly competitive writer in the online world, but its work is highly unreliable. A new report reveals that there are at least 25 new websites per week that are entirely written by AI, to draw in revenues from advertisers. These “junk websites” can be very convincing and even have fake bios of fake writers. Fortunately, they also tend to bug sometimes, revealing their true artificial nature. Since they are largely written without human intervention, their AI-generated messages—like, “Sorry, I cannot fulfill this prompt”—get mixed into the text [6].
• Absence of any of the green flags above. Some publications might lack one of the green flags and still be reliable due to unusual circumstances—for example, if a known expert is the author. But if it’s missing all these points, it’s highly unlikely to be a reliable source.
Science-Speak vs Lay-Speak
Most reliable articles aimed at horse owners are written by journalists and equine behavior practitioners, and occasionally by nutritionists and professional trainers. It’s important to understand that in the vast majority of cases, these are not the people who carried out the research they’re writing about.
That’s not a bad thing. On the contrary, it’s a very good thing because these writers are usually quite skilled in interpreting complex science-speak.
Scientists generally communicate with each other in a way that’s, frankly, practically a language of its own—even with different organizational thought processes. That’s not so they can feel high-and-mighty; it’s just part of their profession and field, and it’s very important for the scientific method.
Researchers publish the reports of their work in academic journals like Journal of Equine Veterinary Science and Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. The articles are long, complex, often in very small print, usually lacking in attractive photos, full of numbers, charts, and figures, and of course written in heavy science-speak.
That’s not to say that horse owners and other lay readers aren’t capable of reading these academic articles. Of course they are. But doing so well requires patience, training, and experience [7]—just like learning French, Chinese, Java, equine body communication, or any other unfamiliar language.
Regardless of whether or not owners read academic journals, it can be helpful to know a bit about how research publications work. Most journals have a fairly pricey paywall—although many are accessible through libraries and academic institutions like universities. However, some journals offer scientists the option of paying a fee—usually several thousand dollars—to make their papers open-access, meaning it’s free for readers. It’s a hefty price tag, but scientists sometimes choose this option to make their work more visible and share their findings more broadly.
PLOS ONE is one popular free-access academic journal that provides high-quality research papers on such a system [8].
Unfortunately, however, the scientist-pays-the-fee system has opened the door to other publishers eager to respond to a high market demand to publish. Some academic journals have gained a reputation for churning out scientific publications in high numbers with little to no peer-review process.
Lacking peer review and editing, the papers published in these journals can lack the rigor of higher-quality publications and have been the subject of a growing amount of criticism. In March 2023, the Web of Science delisted dozens of such journals from its Master List of quality research publications [9].
Where to Find Good Horse Science for Lay Readers
A good way for owners and other lay readers to get clear, reliable, accessible information is to subscribe to reputable equestrian and horse health magazines and online content. The Horse: Your Guide to Equine Healthcare is a top resource that offers a significant amount of free content online with simple registration, and additional paid content with a subscription.
Horses and People, based in Australia, is another strong resource with primarily behavior content written in a friendly way with direct collaboration with researchers. Online content is free, and the paid print edition provides additional articles.
Fran Jurga keeps a very good, free-access, science-based hoofcare website called The Hoof Blog, and behaviorist Justine Harrison provides reliable, evidence-based news and discussion on her Facebook page.
Certain horse-industry companies also offer good scientific content, written by independent journalists, available as free online or downloadable resources. Providing owners with reliable, helpful information is part of a marketing plan that draws readers to their websites as an honest and knowledgeable resource, and much of their content is not directly related to the products and services they offer.
Haygain, for example, provides well-documented equine science papers about horse health and welfare on a variety of topics, written for lay readers. Scoot Boots publishes blogs and articles specifically about hoof care, featuring input from independent experts.
In general, of course, it’s always important to watch out for bias (see below).
Bias occurs when information is slanted to promote a product or an idea. When there’s bias, the real scientific results are likely to get construed, making any claims or conclusions in the content unreliable.
A common example is “research” that’s published on websites for equine nutritional supplement companies. A site might state that 95% of horses fed that supplement had improvement in their hooves/coat/digestive health/energy levels/behavior/etc within 4 weeks of supplementing and then refer to a study that was carried out to prove it. But was that study published in an independent academic journal, or only on the company’s website? Was the research performed by the company’s employees, or by researchers from other institutions? It’s important to find out where these kinds of claims come from, and how biased the research behind them is.
Identifying bias can be pretty easy—starting with company websites like the example above. If the website doesn’t list independent references for claims that make their product or service look good, it’s safe to assume it’s biased.
Bias is also easy to spot in reputable consumer magazines. It’s important to understand that these magazines themselves are not biased. However, they are usually financially supported by advertisers who provide their own, paid content in the magazine. By nature, advertising content is biased—because the point is to convince people to buy the product or service. But because these magazines are unbiased and reputable, they make it easy to distinguish between their own, independent content, and the advertising content.
Advertising content generally has a different look compared to the other articles in the magazine, with different font, columns, layout, and coloring. And if it includes a lot of text to sort of look like an article, there will be a phrase somewhere on the page specifically stating that this is advertising—helping readers identify potential bias.
In scientific publications in reputable academic journals, potential biases are always declared at the end of the text, usually just before the references.
Not all potential bias leads to true bias, though. For example, an employee of a nutritional supplement company might be one of the five researchers collaborating on a study about the effects of a supplement. Or the company might have provided partial funding for the study. If the majority of the researchers are not associated with the company, though, bias is unlikely. Even so, the researchers will be transparent about declaring the potential bias in their publication.
Biases might be more difficult to spot in unreliable information sources (see above), however. That’s because such sources don’t usually have much transparency. Avoiding unreliable sources will help prevent accessing biased material.
Wrapping Up
Opening up your internet browser can lead to a tremendous downpour of horse-related content online, but that doesn’t mean you have to get swept up in the flood. With good basic knowledge about the online publishing world, you can equip yourself with a virtual “umbrella” to keep you from getting drenched with bad information while selecting a handful of good information sources.
These few tried-and-true reliable resources will certainly offer you the quality information you need to manage your horses with their optimal health, welfare, and happiness in mind.
About the Author - Christa Lesté-Lasserre has published more than 2000 articles about the science of horses’ health and behavior based on the latest information in reliable equine research. Having learned to develop the horse-human relationship and horse training with her own pony and, later, her own horses at home in Texas, Christa acquired undergraduate and graduate degrees in journalism and writing, with focal studies in advanced sciences from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, the University of Mississippi at Oxford, and the Université René Descartes in Paris, France.
Christa currently owns a Trakehner mare, Sabrina, foaled in Germany, and her 13-year-old son, Solstice, foaled in France. Together, the trio have worked in dressage and eventing but found that they prefer traveling together, discovering the world through long-distance adventures.
When Christa isn’t writing about horse science, she’s writing about the science of dinosaurs, insects, humans, and even buildings. Otherwise, she’s raising her three kids, or she’s working on the various fiction and non-fiction books she plans to publish in the near future. Follow Christa at www.christalestelasserre.com.
References
[1] University of Washington University Libraries, "FAQ: How do I know if my sources are credible/reliable?," 31 March 2023. [Online]. Available: https://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/faq/reliable.
[2] University of Birmingham, "Why reference?," 2023. [Online]. Available: https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/library/referencing/icite/why-reference.aspx. [Accessed 25 August 2023].
[3] S. T. A. K. Kelly J, "Peer Review in Scientific Publications: Benefits, Critiques, & A Survival Guide.," EJIFCC, vol. Oct 24;25(3), pp. 227-43, 2014.
[4] C. Newberry, "Image Copyright on Social Media: Everything You Need to Know," 19 July 2022. [Online]. Available: https://blog.hootsuite.com/understanding-image-copyright/. [Accessed 25 August 2023].
[5] C. G. S. o. Journalism, "Misinformation and Disinformation: Thinking Critically about Information Sources," 23 January 2023. [Online]. Available: https://library.csi.cuny.edu/c.php?g=619342&p=4376665. [Accessed 23 August 2023].
[6] T. Ryan-Mosley, "Junk websites filled with AI-generated text are pulling in money from programmatic ads," 26 June 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/06/26/1075504/junk-websites-filled-with-ai-generated-text-are-pulling-in-money-from-programmatic-ads/. [Accessed 25 August 2023].
[7] J. Kelly, "ScienceSpeak: Common vs Technical Science Language," 20 August 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.phoenix.edu/content/dam/edu/media-center/doc/whitepapers/082023-science-speak-jkelly.pdf. [Accessed 25 August 2023].
[8] PLOS ONE, "Journal Information," [Online]. Available: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/journal-information. [Accessed 25 August 2023].
[9] J. Brainard, "Fast-growing open-access journals stripped of coveted impact factors," 28 March 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.science.org/content/article/fast-growing-open-access-journals-stripped-coveted-impact-factors. [Accessed 25 August 2023]
From Monday, Nov. 20-Monday, Nov. 27, we have some remarkable deals for your horse!
Haygain’s Hay Steamers (Save up to $159.50 + a Free Starter Kit valued at $150)
• Reduce up to 99% of the breathable dust in hay – a major cause of respiratory disease.
• Boost moisture content of forage
• Boost appetite with proven appeal, even for even picky eaters.
• Preserve hay’s important nutrients.
The Forager Slow Feeder (Save $39 or $312 on pre-orders for individual Foragers or an 8-pack bundle that will ship March 10)
Let your horse…
• Eat slowly, in small bites over several hours for optimal digestion.
• Eat in a natural head-lowered position for healthy spine and neck alignment.
• Have respiratory particles drain naturally from the upper airways.
ComfortStall Sealed Orthopedic Flooring (Save an unprecedented 10% on orders fully paid by midnight, Nov. 27)
• Built-in cushion for joint support and deep rest.
• Save big bucks on bedding – it’s not needed for comfort.
• Less bedding = less bedding-related dust in your horse’s breathing zone.
• Fully-sealed surface is easy to clean and sanitize. No more hauling out heavy, gunky stall mats.
• No more seepage of urine through flooring seams, so no harmful ammonia odors emitted from urine accumulation.
Hand the BFCM reins to your horse this year. He’ll love you for it and you’ll reap rewards in the form of his improved health and well-being.
Her horses all get hay grown in high-altitude meadows in Central Colorado. The region, Park County’s South Park, was reported to be the source of hay the Queen of England insisted be sent across the sea for her own horses in the late 1880s.
Those meadows are Erin’s backyard – 3,000 acres that comprise her family’s Eagle Rock Ranch in Jefferson, Colorado. Meticulous attention to every detail of the Timothy hay’s planting, growth and harvest results in pristine forage that is high in protein, low in sugar and certified “weed free” by the Colorado Department of Agriculture.
“You might wonder why I steam hay when we know our hay is so high quality,” Erin acknowledges.
Reducing dust is the main reason Erin added Haygain Hay Steaming to the daily care of her family’s Quarter Horses. And that makes Erin like thousands of owners whose horses’ hay comes from much less familiar and reliable sources.
Harnessing The Sun
“Make hay while the sun shines” is more than a motto at Eagle Rock Ranch. “We cut in the sunshine, the hay is ‘tedded’ in the sunshine and baled in the sunshine,” Erin explains. Doing these steps in dry, sunny weather is all about reducing moisture and the potential for mold growth that comes with it. “We are sticklers about moisture content!”
That leaves just dust to contend with.
“All of our hay is stored and that’s where the dust comes in,” says Erin, a second generation cattle rancher, western performance equestrian and busy mother of three.
“Our hay is naturally more dry when we harvest it, and it’s grown in dirt,” Erin notes. “So, even though we don’t let it sit in the field, after it’s baled, it does get dusty. When you open the door to the hay barn, the wind kicks up, a car backs up to pick up a load, etc.”
Erin’s “heart horse,” Mr. Chocoholic, got her thinking about hay steaming initially. “He’s a hay soaker,” she says of her retired reiner by the famous AQHA sire Chocolate Chic Olena. Erin wondered if “Troy’s” habit reflected his body’s desire for more moisture in his forage. With up to three times the moisture content of dry forage, Haygain Steamed Hay is ideal for helping ensure adequate water in the diet to support healthy digestion and year-round hydration.
Since the family’s horses started getting Steamed Hay, Erin noticed another older horse was coughing significantly less than when he’d been eating unsteamed hay.
Quality Counts
Above all, hay steaming simply made sense to Erin.
Quality is a core value in everything Eagle Rock does. The Black Angus cattle they raise is known for top quality beef, distinguished by ample marbling, fine texture and unique flavor. The cattle all thrive on “horse hay,’ not lesser quality “cattle hay” that is often fed to beef cattle. Part of this philosophy is that, “If we are eating beef from our cattle, they need to be getting the highest quality diet.”
Hence, Erin’s intrigue at the prospect of enhancing already high-quality hay by steaming it to reduce dust and add moisture.
Erin is equally thrilled with the Forager Slow Feeder as the ideal way to feed Steamed Hay. Her first Forager arrived as the family was heading to the Colorado State Fair Horse Show earlier this summer. Erin threw the box in the trailer and reports the Slow Feeder was easily assembled while settling their barrel racers and ranch versatility horses into their show stalls.
“The difference between how the stall with the Forager looked compared to the stall without the Forager was night and day,” she shares. “I’d say we saved at least a flake of hay every day using the Forager. That really adds up.” There was less of the family’s precious hay wasted, and less time spent picking it out of the bedding.
With the summer gymkhana season and haying time behind them, Erin and the Eagle Ranch team are settling in for winter. The high country’s low temperatures give her another reason to love their new Hay Steamer – “I love being able to give our horses something warm when it’s cold outside. When I haul the wheelbarrow in, they dive right into it!”
A Stickler For Clean
Keeping things clean is part of Tammi’s control freak nature. “I just love how sterile and clean you can get this flooring. It’s really amazing to get in there and scrub it down. The maintenance aspect and savings on bedding were not deciding factors for me, but ComfortStall has made cleaning the stalls a lot easier.”
The smell of ammonia in other stabling situations always nagged at Tammi’s mind. “I know how bad that is for horses’ hooves and their general well-being. With ComfortStall, we just don’t get that smell.”
That’s because the durable rubber TopCover atop the medical grade orthopedic foam is a single piece sealed to the stall wall. Urine cannot seep through to the subfloor. The familiar smell of ammonia in many stables is the result of urine accumulating at the subfloor. These ammonia-smelling urea off-gases are irritants to horse and human respiratory systems. ComfortStall’s sealed surface prevents this seepage. Instead, urine is absorbed in small amounts of bedding, then easily removed.
Although ComfortStall’s dense foam means that bedding is not needed for cushion, Tammi still likes to provide a deep layer of shavings for her horses. After experimenting with different bedding materials, she found that pelleted products are ideal for absorbing urine and are easy to remove from ComfortStall’s smooth surface.
Bacteria are the most abundant microorganisms in the environment, and we can use their behaviour as a guide to how all other microbes (fungi, yeasts and microscopic insects) populate the grass and thus form a particular phyllosphere microbiome.
Bacteria, the most numerous colonists of plant leaves, often form large heterogeneous aggregates, constituting 30 to 80% of the total bacteria on the plant surface. Many of these aggregates, which can be as numerous as 108 cells/g of leaf 1, also harbour fungi 2,3,4 particularly spores from the filamentous fungi.
The fungi spores are more transient occupants than bacteria, while yeasts are also active and effective colonizers. The actual microbial profile on the leaf will be influenced by the leaf surface characteristics -- like glossiness and amount of crystalline wax, which is determined by grass species.
Perennial rye grass, for example, has a glossy underside to the leaf and this is a less effective host for epiphytic bacteria than the less shiny cuticles found on meadow and fescue grasses4. Furthermore, more mature grasses tend to have an increased microbial load than younger grasses5.
Diverse Microbiome
All of this adds up to a highly diverse microbiome, which is further influenced by external factors such as climate, daily weather patterns, soil conditions, nearby crops, trees, buildings and roads. The final profile that ends up on the conserved hay is also influenced by harvesting conditions, which determine whether certain microbes will die, survive or proliferate in storage.
Climate change has a role to play here and will likely pose an increasing challenge for hay producers. Warm-wet growing seasons, while producing good yields of leafy green growth also cause proliferation of microorganisms on the growing plant. Trying to conserve hay in these conditions is particularly difficult, as 5 consecutive dry warm days are needed to ensure proper drying before storage.
Barn-drying is an option, but it is expensive and uses fossil fuels so not an ideal answer.
All of this means that the hygienic quality of hay is hard to predict, because it is determined by a wide variety of continually changing factors. These factors will determine whether the microbiome contains high or low numbers of potential pathogens and whether these present challenges to the respiratory health of humans handling it and the animals consuming it.6
Factors that Reduce the Hygienic Quality of Hay
The main challenge to horses from poor hygienic quality hay, is that of air borne respirable dust (ARD), which causes allergic respiratory disorders in horses. Many of the fungi -- most notably Aspergillus, whose spores are known respiratory allergen -- are strongly implicated in severe equine asthma (sEA).
Aspergillus are ubiquitous fungi and populate the leaf in the field, but mainly proliferate during storage when hay has not reached the desired 85% dry matter before storing.
As well as Aspergillus spores, hay dust contains high levels of bacterial spores, plant fragments, pollen and mites -- the latter are an indication of high fungi and poor nutritional quality.
A high pollen count often indicates a mature, highly fibrous hay (and therefore less digestible) as most of the grass has matured into flowering heads.
Bacteria such as Thermoactinomycetes vulgaris, Sacchropolyspora rectivirgula and their cell walls i.e.lipopolysaccharides, along with beta glucans (components of cell walls) and numerous fungi including Aspergillus, Alternaria, Putrescentiae, Cladosporium, Geotrichum and many more, are all prevalent in hay.
More recent work has added tree and grass pollens and numerous arthropod species, such as mites, midges and cockroaches to this list.
While the factors listed above will determine what is prevalent in any particular hay in a given season, all of the above have been identified in young-nutrient dense hay and mature fibrous hays from USA, Canada, France and UK.
So, hygienic quality must be considered separately from nutrient content when purchasing hay.
Bacterial Profiles & Digestive Health?
Ericsson et al.7 reported the equid gastric microbiome is composed of a core of multiple small bacteria groups which may be easily influenced by feed. Although the four major phyla which represent 96% of those present, namley Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes, are also present in the gastrointestinal tract, they are in different proportions and that could pose a challenge to digestive function.
In a recent study8 where the bacteria profile of 3 different hays, i.e., 2 x meadow hays and a perennial rye grass hay were mapped, the profiles were 81-87% similar in the genera present but proportions were different.
The meadow hays showed more similar profiles to each other compared with the perennial rye grass hay. This may be due to the plant factors mentioned above (glossy leaf and cuticle wax content) which favour some bacteria over others. However, overall the total bacteria numbers were similar and ranged from 6.66.to 8.06 log10 CFU/g.
Some researchers have reported quite high levels, 4.9 log10 CFU/g, of Enterobacteriaceae in PRG hay and this could be concerning as this family of bacteria contain known pathogens such as E.coli, Salmonella and Klebsiella, which are undesirable in large quantities in feed.
Although these bacteria are present, they are not normally a problem in well-conserved hay. However, when hay is stored at too high a moisture content, the warm damp conditions favour bacteria growth, and this causes a rapid proliferation of these potentially pathogenic bacteria.
Although the low pH in the pyloric region of the stomach may neutralise many of the bacteria in feed, the fact that animals commonly suffer gastrointestinal upset after eating contaminated foodstuffs suggest that bacteria load does have a major impact on gut health.
Ensuring Hygienic Hay
The best way to ensure that you choose the most appropriate hay for your horse, is to:
1. Ensure it is 85% dry matter
2. Check for poisonous weeds
3. Open a couple of bales and check that no mould is present
4. Check the colour (should be greenish) and the smell from a distance, which should be sweet. (Please don’t put your nose in it and sniff as you can also become dust sensitive!)
5. Ideally send a sample off to a lab and ask them to measure the ARD, total bacteria and mould contents
When feeding any hay to a horse in a confined space, I suggest you pre-treat by steaming.
Prevention is always better than cure and even nutritious, well conserved hay can contain significant amounts of airborne respirable dust. Avoid setting up an allergic respiratory disorder by separating the horse - dust interaction.
Work9 has shown that steaming is a much better method for dealing with pathogens in hay than soaking. Furthermore, filling hay nets with dusty hay before soaking exposes you to significant levels of potentially allergenic airborne respirable dust, whereas steaming a bale removes the dust from your breathing zone and ensures you are feeding clean hay to your horse.
About the author - Meriel Moore-Colyer is a Professor of Equine Science in the UK and runs her own company: Equine Nutrition Research and Consultancy. She can be reached at merielenrc@gmail.com.
Cited References
1. Beattie GA, Lindow SE (1995) The secret life of foliar bacterial pathogens on leaves. Annu. Rev. Phytopathol. 33, 145–172 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.py.33.090195.001045 PMID: 18294082
2. Lindow S E and Brandl MT (2003) Microbiology of the Phyllosphere. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 69, 1875–1883. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.69.4.1875-1883.2003 PMID: 12676659
3. Morris C E, Monier J-M, Jacques M-A (1997) Methods for observing microbial biofilms directly on leaf surfaces and recovering them for isolation of culturable microorganisms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 63, 1570–1576. PMID: 16535579
4. Beattie GA (2002) Leaf surface waxes and the process of leaf colonization by microorganisms, p. 3–26. In Lindow S. E., Hecht-Poinar E. I., and Elliott V. (ed.), Phyllosphere Microbiology. APS Press, St. Paul, Minn.
5. Muller CE. (2009) Influence of harvest date of primary growth on microbial flora of grass herbages and haylage and on fermentation and aerobic stability of haylage conserved in laboratory silos. Grass and Forage Science 64, 328–338.
6. Couetil LL, Cardwell JM, Gerber V. Lavoie J.-P. Le´guillette R. Richard E.A. (2016) Inflammatory airway disease of horses revised consensus statement. J. Vet. Intern.Med. 30, 503–515. https://doi.org/10. 1111/jvim.13824 PMID: 26806374
7.Ericsson AC, Philip J, Johnson M, (2016) A Microbiological Map of the Healthy Equine PLoS One Nov. 2016
8. Moore-Colyer M, Annette Longland, Patricia Harris, Leo Zeef , Susan Crosthwaite. (2020). Mapping the bacterial ecology on the phyllosphere of dry and post soaked grass hay for horses. Plos One. Jan 27, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227151
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For Reducing Sugars in Your Horse’s Diet:
If your horse:
o Needs to lose weight, or easily gains weight
o Suffers from metabolic conditions like insulin dysregulation
o Has laminitis or is at high risk for it
Reducing the sugar content in his diet is critical.
Any method of treating forage to reduce sugars has variable results. Forage type and location and time of harvest affect sugar content.
Ideally, you can have your horse’s forage analyzed before and after treatment to determine the initial sugar content and the extent to which the treatment reduces it. Forage with 10% to 12% sugar content per dry matter is a general recommendation for horses with weight, insulin and metabolic concerns.
Your veterinarian will determine the best approach for your horse.
Having said that, these generalities can help you help your horse.
Haygain High Temperature Hay Steaming will reduce sugar content but to degrees that vary widely: Study results have ranged from a 2% to an 18% reduction in sugars.
Soaking Hay for 30 minutes in hot water or 60 minutes in cold water will significantly reduce sugars. The extent of reduction varies widely with soaking, too, but studies consistently demonstrate soaking results in the most significant reductions.
But There’s A Catch: Soaking Hay Has Many Drawbacks
o It also reduces important nutrients: especially phosphorus and magnesium.
o A 10-minute hay soak can trigger an 150% increase in bacteria growth. For example, enterobacteria is commonly found in hay and its related endotoxins are linked to laminitis.
o Soaking requires 60 to 100 liters of water and the effluent is 9X more polluting than raw sewage, based on its oxygen demand. It is environmentally unfriendly!
o Soaking hay is a mess and hassle, especially in cold weather
o Many horses don’t like the taste of soaked hay.
For Reducing Sugars & Protecting Respiratory and Digestive Health
Ideally, have your hay analyzed before and after Haygain steaming to determine if the sugar reduction meets your veterinarian’s recommendation for your horse.
Or…
Soaking hay for nine hours, followed by Haygain Hay Steaming, ensures lower sugar in your horse’s diet and forage that is clean, healthy and appetizing.
To start with, exposure to inhalable irritants increases by 50 percent compared to living outdoors. Respirable irritants are the main cause of conditions on the Equine Asthma Spectrum that affect over 80 percent of active sport horses.
Sometimes the symptoms can be as subtle as a sporadic cough and sometimes there are no obvious symptoms.
Although dehydration is often considered a hot weather concern, it should be in winter, too, along with related impaction colic.
The good news is that our horses' environment is something horse owners can control or, at least, significantly improve by reducing these risk factors. We spoke with top sport horse veterinarian Emmanuelle Van Erck-Westergren, DVM, PhD, ECEIM of Equine Sport Medicine Practice in Waterloo, Belgium, for tips on healthy indoor horsekeeping.
"Sick Building?"
"Dust" is the innocent sounding description for the main causes of equine asthma. There's the dust you can see, and the dust you can't see -- under 5 microns in size and invisible to the naked eye. Horses' natural respiratory defense mechanisms can usually handle larger particles. They are escorted out by tiny hair-like particles, cilia, naturally when the horse eats with its head in a lowered position.
It's the invisible particles that are problematic. They can evade these defenses and deliver tiny bits of mold, bacteria and other irritants and allergens deep into the respiratory tract and lungs, triggering inflammation and increased mucus production. This can constrict airway passages and impede the transfer of oxygen from the lungs to the bloodstream that carries it to all points in the body.
Unfortunately, even a meticulously maintained stable has loads of microscopic irritants, much of them from forage. That's true even when the forage has high nutrient value and looks and smells fresh and clean to a knowledgeable horseman.
That's why Dr. Van Erck-Westergren includes barn visits in caring for her patients, many of whom are referred for further study when respiratory challenges persist after traditional treatments.
"I look at the horse and his environment," she explains. "We do measurements of dust levels and samples of contaminants. Some are easy to see. Have you seen someone sweep dust from the barn aisle, then stash that in the horse's stall? Or seen mold stains on barn walls or ceilings?"
Or, the pet peeve of Dr. Van Erck-Westergren and many of her colleagues: blowers in the barn aisle that stir dust up into the horse's breathing zone?
"A condition called Sick Building Syndrome exists in human medicine and it can apply to horses, too," continues the veterinarian. "They may not be coughing or having nasal discharge, but they clearly don't feel well. That can often be linked to the amount of contaminants growing inside the building.
"Horses were designed to live outside, but many horses spend 23 hours a day in the barn. Living inside, they're exposed to 50 times more inhalable irritants! Even if they live outside, if they're getting hay with contaminants, it's still a problem."
Preventative Measures
"Assess and improve your horse's environment," Dr Van Erck-Westergren asserts, offering these four tips for horse owners -
• Ensure ventilation. That means circulation and renewal of the air. If there's no renewal, moisture will accumulate and foster contaminant growth. Cobwebs indicate there isn't enough ventilation because spiders won't make them where there's any breeze.
• Reduce dust: the fine dust that can be inhaled and lodge in the airways and deep in the lungs.
• Look for signs of mold on walls, everywhere and especially on walls near stored hay.
• Look at floor mats -- specifically, what is growing between and underneath them. Urine accumulation can make it really dangerous and gross. It's awful for horses and people. Stables don't have to be sterile, but they do need to be clean.”
Hay & Bedding
Forage and bedding are major contributors to conditions on the Equine Asthma Spectrum. The Spectrum ranges from mild, reversible Inflammatory Airway Disease to Severe Equine Asthma that's gone so far it can only be managed, not cured.
Dr. Westergren "strongly advises" all her clients to get a Haygain High Temperature Hay Steamer because it reduces up to 99% of the fine, respirable particles and kills mold, bacteria and yeast in hay. Ample scientific studies demonstrate the benefits of killing the mold that cause irritation and inflammation in the respiratory system.
"When it comes to preventative medicine, high-temperature steaming is something that speaks for itself over time," she continues. "That's why you don't see many Haygains for sale second-hand. Once horse owners adopt it, they don't go back."
As for bedding, first consider flooring that can be disinfected. ComfortStall Sealed Orthopedic Flooring, by Haygain, is an ideal option that comes with built-in cushion so that bedding is only needed to absorb urine.
Less bedding equals less respirable dust.
For what bedding is needed, wood shavings are good because they contain terpene, a natural anti-septic. Cardboard and paper shavings are cleaner options. Straw, however, can foster bacteria and fungal growth.
Hydration
Hydration is often associated with hot-weather horsekeeping, but it's equally important in the cold season. Colic is the most common non-infectious health risk for horses and impaction colic is the form most often seen in winter.
Decreased water consumption is the most common culprit and it's the worst in cold weather because horses often drink less. A study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania showed that horses drank more water if it was heated to 66°F, but only if that warmed water was the only source. If there was cold water available, too, the horses drank mostly from that chilled source, but consumed less water overall. The ideal was a single source of warm water.
Most importantly, horses intake the majority of their water within three hours of eating. Providing adequate quantities of water during that window of time is key.
An average 1,200-pound horse drinks seven to 10 gallons of water a day. That varies with activity and it's helpful to monitor intake and know your horse's baseline.
Indoor living often means more forage consumption, which requires more water consumption to facilitate digestion.
In-the-stable mineral blocks and oral electrolytes can help prompt thirst in many horses. Haygain can help there, too, because it increases the moisture content in hay by up to 3X.
Here’s to healthy, happy winter for all our horses!
Numerous terms and abbreviations have been used over the years describing a variety of inflammatory and hyper reactive airway conditions which cause coughing in horses. Two people can be talking about the same condition but under different names resulting in much confusion so this article aims to pick through the names and terminology used and explain the latest terminology.
In 2016 a panel of respiratory experts got together to discuss this very conundrum and review what we know and areas of further research that are needed. The group of specialists led by Laurent Couëtil, DVM, PhD, head of Large Animal Internal Medicine at Purdue University, released a new consensus statement which proposed that these various syndromes are characterized under the umbrella term Equine Asthma.
The term COPD is no longer used to describe this condition in horses because many aspects of the disease are different from human chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In humans, COPD is mainly a consequence of cigarette smoke and is characterized by structural changes within the lung that are absent in the horse.
Dr Laurent Couëtil explains “While the terms ‘recurrent airway obstruction’ and ‘inflammatory airway disease’ are descriptively accurate, they are not necessarily terms that immediately help the horse owner to understand the disease process and so ‘equine asthma’ has been adopted.”
Like human asthma, equine asthma is triggered by inhalation of dusts that contain allergens and other irritants, and like human asthma, the cough and difficulty breathing can be reversed in the short-term by medications, often delivered by inhalers, or in the long-term by removal from the offending dusts.
Dr Laurent Couëtil
The new classification implies that horses with similar clinical presentations (such as chronic cough, excess mucus, poor performance) can vary widely in terms of disease severity. However, horses with IAD/mild Equine Asthma do not necessarily develop Severe Equine Asthma over time. Although Bosshard and Gerber (2014) found horses with mild respiratory clinical signs have an increased risk of developing Severe Equine Asthma it is not always the case.
What were previously referred to as Inflammatory Airway Disease are known as Mild-Moderate Equine Asthma while the classic RAO/Heaves horse is described as Severe Equine Asthma.
The Haygain method of high temperature steaming is scientifically proven to reduce respirable dust by up to 99% and kills bacteria, mould, fungal spores and yeast. Where does your horse spend the majority of his time in the stable...eating…with his nose in his hay!
Providing steamed hay will minimise exposure to respirable dust including mould, fungal spores and bacteria from one of the major sources of the stable environment. Whether you are managing an existing case of Equine Asthma or your horse is healthy they would all benefit from less exposure to these allergens, irritants and dust particles.
Remember they would not encounter, certainly not in such high concentrations these while outside of the stable, eating grass.
In a recent study horses fed steamed hay from a Haygain hay steamer were found to be 65% less likely to develop IAD!
Ventilation- make sure the stable is well-ventilated with open windows or doors (with a chain across) and openings at the roof.
Storage- store hay and straw as far away from horses as possible (especially if they have Equine Asthma) preferably in a different building.
Cleanliness- use a low dust bedding option and avoid straw if possible. Hoover cobwebs and clean/disinfect regularly. A sealed, padded rubber flooring will allow less bedding to be used, more regular cleaning and prevent ammonia build-up seen in stables with traditional style mats or deep litter bedding.
So, you just need to use the term Equine Asthma to be correct but be aware of the spectrum and different variances on the condition.
References:
Bosshard S, Gerber V. Evaluation of coughing and nasal discharge as early indicators for an increased risk to develop equine recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). J Vet Intern Med 2014;28:618–623.
Couëtil, L. , Cardwell, J. , Gerber, V. , Lavoie, J. , Léguillette, R. and Richard, E. (2016), Inflammatory Airway Disease of Horses—Revised Consensus Statement. J Vet Intern Med, 30: 503-515. doi: 10.1111/jvim.13824
]]>Total turnaround for equine asthma case after 10 days on Haygain steamed hay.
Kim F Miller
Equestrian writer, Mar 11, 2020
Margot McNally is an elementary school music teacher who loves the sound of her pupils raising their voices in song. When she's off duty, however, music to her ears is the silence of her 18-year-old mare not coughing. The British Columbia resident started riding two years ago, essentially as a beginner after a 40-year break from horses. First, she leased the Thoroughbred/Hanoverian mare from her coach, then fulfilled a childhood dream of owning her own horse by purchasing Runic a year ago. Margot knew of Runic's history of an occasional cough that had rarely interfered with her well-being or activity.
That sporadic cough came and went with the seasons and different batches of hay. As Margot spent time with the mare as her owner, however, she witnessed things get worse in the last year. Initially the problem arose only during exercise and was eased to some extent by soaking the mare's hay. Then it progressed to coughing even while at rest. By December of 2019, "It became a daily thing that was painful to listen to," Margot recalls.
Runic's veterinarian diagnosed Equine Asthma, which affects a surprisingly high percentage of active sporthorses -- often with no obvious symptoms. The vet recommended the bronchodilator medication, Respipulmin, to ease Runic's breathing. That helped, but at $15 a day for the rest of Runic's life, the cost would have added nearly $5,500 to her annual care.
Runic had a break from work while she was kept comfortable on the preliminary medication and Margot went to work researching equine respiratory issues and treatments. That led her to Haygain hay steamers.
Developed 11 years ago in conjunction with The Royal Agricultural University in the U.K., Haygain high-temperature steaming rids up to 99% of the dust, mold, fungi and bacteria found in even top-quality hay. These are the biggest contributors to all conditions on the Equine Asthma Spectrum. The most common of those conditions, Inflammatory Airway Disease, affects over 80% of all horses. Haygain has been proven to reduce by 65% the risk of contracting IAD and has years of research and anecdotal evidence of helping manage conditions at every point on the spectrum.
Riding on the flat and advancing her horsemanship and bond with Runic is her daily reward and ideal therapy, she laughs. "It's better therapy than any counselor could give!"
Runic lives "six driveways down" from Margot's home, at the Westbrooke Equestrian Center in Pt. Alberni, British Columbia. Margot steams Runic's hay in a shed at her home. She tosses the net full of freshly steamed hay into a Rubbermaid container in the back of her truck. "By the time I get to the barn, it's the perfect temperature for her."
The big mare eats the steamed hay with gusto and her stablemates, and their owners love the smell. In addition to being a better method for improving equine respiratory health, steaming beats soaking hay in the hassle department. "I soaked her hay through last spring, and it was such a mess," Margot reports. "I'd wondered how the heck I could keep soaking hay through the winter. It's really cold here and sometimes we don't have running water outside." When temperatures drop below freezing, she brings the steamer's boiler unit inside and ensures that the thermal chest and connecting hose were properly drained to prevent leftover water from freezing.
While Runic provides Margot a cherished, unofficial form of therapy, Margot's gift of steamed hay provides her mare a therapy with extensive science proving its effectiveness. Having her horse at ease and back in work is all the evidence Margot needs, however. "I am 100% a believer in Haygain and Runic will be on steamed hay for the rest of her life!"
Haygain is committed to improving the respiratory and musculoskeletal health of horses through research and innovation. Numerous scientific trials have shown that Haygain's high-temperature steaming eliminates 99% of dust, mold, bacteria and fungi in hay; effectively removing the health threat from respirable dust.
Developed by riders, for riders, we understand the importance of clean forage and a healthy stable environment for maintaining the overall well-being of the horse. Our hay steamers are recommended by many of the world’s leading riders, trainers and equine veterinarians. Find out more by clicking on one of the links below.
]]>People and horses are living longer. As the population gets older, we also now see more older horses; its not unusual to see horses in their twenties being ridden and even competing. These horses are essentially the equivalent of human retirees. Dr Marlin discusses the main health issues associated with older horses.
Dr David Marlin
Scientific & Equine Consultant, 18/02/2020
We are all now used to the idea that life expectancy has increased dramatically in the past 100 years, from 52 years for a man and 57 years for a woman to 79 years and 83 years. The human population is getting older and there are now around 18% of people over 65 years. We also now see more older horses; its not unusual to see horses in their twenties being ridden and even competing. These horses are essentially the equivalent of human retirees. This higher number of older horses in the horse population in general may be due to a combination of many factors including increased disposable income, better scientific knowledge and improvements in veterinary medicine, nutrition and dentistry.
We also need to mention terminology. In human medicine, “geriatric” is generally used for anyone over 65 years. In horse age, that’s probably equivalent to around 22 years. A variety of terms of often used, including aged, senior and geriatric. The most common definition of a veteran in competitions are horses 15 years or over. And any horse over 20 is thought to be “old”. Senior is another term we often see used.
As with people, ageing eventually leads to deterioration in physical condition and health. Stiffness, respiratory disease, colic, liver disease, decreased ability to digest food, weight loss, loss of muscle, changes in coat, dental problems and hormonal related diseases such as Cushings.
As horses get older we also find that they have an increased need for certain Vitamins, especially Vitamins C and E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant vitamin and important for muscle, respiratory health, skin and immune function. Horses can only get Vitamin E from the diet and horse diets are generally low in Vitamin E, especially forages. As a result a supplement is usually warranted in older horses. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant vitamin that works in conjunction with Vitamin E. Vitamin C is the most important antioxidant protecting the lungs of horses. It is also involved in immunity but also important for healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and joints and wound healing. Horses can make vitamin C; something humans can’t do. For younger horses therefore the fact that forages are low in Vitamin C does not matter.
However, as horses get older they use more Vitamin C but also their capacity to produce Vitamin C decreases. This is especially true for horses with respiratory disease and or Cushings. So, older horses will usually benefit from a Vitamin C supplement. However, this should not be in the form of ascorbic acid (the form of Vitamin C in fruits and vegetables) as horses do not absorb this very well – when young and healthy they have no need to.
Digestion suffers in older horses for many reasons and this can be behind a loss of muscle and condition.
Dental problems can lead to decreased mastication (chewing) of food which can lead to an increased risk of impaction colic and reduced digestibility and an increased risk of Choke. Soft forages or feeds high in moisture are likely to reduce the risk of Choke. Reduced digestibility means although the horse eats the same amount he doesn’t get as much energy from it . So unless he eats more, he will loose weight.
Regular dental check-ups are therefore critical in older horses. Feeds such as micronized linseed are a great option for older horses as they are low in starch, provide energy in the form of oil and also provide quality protein but at the same time the fine ground meal requires less chewing and is easier to digest.
Forage should still of course form the basis of the diet of the older horse. However, reduced ability to chew and high dry matter can be risk factors for impaction colic. Soaking and steaming hay are ideal ways to promote water intake. Soaking does however result in the loss of energy in the form of water soluble carbohydrates and minerals. Older horses may also be more susceptible to poor hygienic quality forages and so vessels used to soak hay should be kept scrupulously clean.
Steaming hay increases digestibility and moisture content and improves hygiene without nutritional compromise and is ideal for the older horse.
For the older horse that struggles to maintain condition, feeding a high dose protected live yeast probiotic is also a good option. This has the advantage of improving hind gut function and increasing the amount of energy the horse can extract from its forage without any major changes to the diet or any need for increased forage intake.
Respiratory health is often compromised in older horses. Years of breathing in stable dust takes its toll and the proportion of older horses that have equine asthma (RAO, COPD, heaves, broken wind) is much higher than in young horse populations. Low grade long term inflammation from breathing in dust in forage and bedding (molds, bacteria, mites, physical dust, etc) can lead to chronic (ongoing) inflammation leading to mucus, cough and increased respiratory effort. Inflammation uses up Vitamin C and low Vitamin C leads to inflammation; a viscous cycle. Combined with a reduced capacity to make Vitamin C, this explains why older horses suffer more with respiratory disease. Whilst feeding a Vitamin C supplement to older horses is an important management step, ensuring good air quality is critical.
This many mean turning out as much as possible or stabling at time of low environmental air quality e.g. when tree, grass or flower pollens are high or when ozone or other environmental pollutants (e.g. PM10) are high. When stabled, using a low-dust bedding is essential (there is no such thing as “dust-free”, except in factories making electronic components 12 ) and feeding low-dust feeds and forages. Feeds can be damped. With forages there are three options: haylage, soaked hay and steamed hay.
Colic is one of the most common problems of the older horse. Both ability to digest food and the ability to absorb nutrients are decreased in older horses. Gas colics can occur as a result of poor hygienic condition of forages. Impaction colics can result from poor chewing and low moisture content of forages. Reduced appetite and forage intake combined with a decreased integrity of the gastric mucosa (lining) are just two factors leading to an increased risk of gastric ulcers in older horses. Pain and discomfort from gastric ulcers may in turn lead to an increased risk of colic
This becomes more common in horses from 15-20 years onward. Classic signs include a thick and rough coat that is slow to or fails to shed in Spring, increased thirst and water consumption along with more frequent urination and lethargy. Laminitis and weight loss may also occur. If you suspect PPID/Cushings then its essential to contact your vet for advice on diagnosis, treatment and management.
Ageing inevitably results in decreased athletic ability and an increase in certain health problems. Avoiding obesity or low body condition are important. Good quality forage is the basis of any diet and ensuring good hygienic quality is important to avoid challenging the horses GI, respiratory or immune systems. Forage with a high moisture content such as haylage, soaked or steamed hay is also important due to the increased risk of Choke and impaction colic in older horses. Older horses often have impaired digestive function and probiotics can be effectively used for GI support. Finally, older horses have an increased need for some vitamins and minerals, particularly Vitamins C and E and these can be supplemented to good effect.
Haygain is committed to improving the respiratory and musculoskeletal health of horses through research and innovation. Numerous scientific trials have shown that Haygain's high-temperature steaming eliminates 99% of dust, mold, bacteria and fungi in hay; effectively removing the health threat from respirable dust.
Developed by riders, for riders, we understand the importance of clean forage and a healthy stable environment for maintaining the overall well-being of the horse. Our hay steamers are recommended by many of the world’s leading riders, trainers and equine veterinarians. Find out more by clicking on one of the links below.
]]>David Marlin
David holds the academic position of Professor in Physiology at Oklahoma State University. He is the author of over 200 scientific papers and book chapters. David’s other affiliations and positions include past Chair of the International Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology (ICEEP) and editor of Comparative Exercise Physiology.
In human sport recovery from exercise is often viewed as being nearly as important as training or competing itself. In fact there are nearly 25,000 scientific papers that have been published on the topic of recovery from exercise in people. In contrast, there are only a handful of papers on recovery from exercise or competition in horses. So does that mean that recovery is not so important in horses? I would suggest it’s highly unlikely and it’s just a case of the fact that at this stage we have not focused on recovery in horses to the same extent.
Recovery has many different components. Some of these can be very rapid, for example recovery in breathing may take place in less than 15 minutes whereas some aspects of recovery may take days or weeks, such as effects on the immune or orthopedic systems. While a huge amount of effort and concentration usually goes into preparing a horse to compete, travelling to a competition and competing, it’s very rare to see the same amount of thought and effort being directed at recovery. So let’s look at some different components of recovery either from training or from competing.
One of the first things that we usually do with a horse after exercise whether it’s training or competition is to allow it to cool down. In cool weather this may just involve a period of walking. In warmer weather it may be necessary to help the horse cool down by using cold water from a hose or in the case of hot horses at competitions, water and ice.
Cool down allows the heart rate, breathing rate and body temperature to gradually return to normal. It also allows the muscles to return to their normal resting length and tension which has been suggested to help reduce soreness or the risk of injury. For horses from a behavioral aspect it is also likely to be important that they associate a gentle transition from intense exercise before being put back in their stable or field. One of the important things we can do to promote recovery is to allow horses to drink. It’s clear from a number of studies that horses have an increased desire to drink immediately they finish exercising. We also know that allowing them to drink at this time, even while they are still hot and blowing hard, does not carry any risks contrary to old wives tales but still circulate concerning the risk of colic or laminitis. Another important reason for cooling horses down before they are returned to their stable field is that if they are still too warm they will continue to sweat and lose both water and electrolytes unnecessarily. Again, horses that are returned to their stables before being cooled down may also become agitated and unsettled when confined in their
A vital part of recovery for horses as for people is being able to rest and sleep. While horses are able to sleep standing up due to their specialized stay apparatus in their legs, they are only able to enter deep REM sleep when lying down. Horses are more likely to lay down when they have sufficient space, a comfortable bed and a quiet environment. After hard exercise many horses may experience some degree of musculoskeletal soreness and again a soft and comfortable bed is likely to encourage them to lay down.
The importance of proper rest was recognized many years ago in three-day eventing. Originally the stables were open all night and there were people coming and going all night working on horses to ensure they passed the trot up the next day. However it was recognized that this activity disrupted the horses rest and access to stables overnight is now restricted.
As for people, rehydrating as quickly as possible should be the aim. We’ve already mentioned allowing horses to drink as soon as they finish exercise. Once back in the stable it’s important that they have access to both forage and water. Just like us horses cannot rehydrate on water alone. The horse needs water and electrolytes and of course there are plenty of electrolytes in forage. Dehydration carries two risks for horses. The first is that dehydration slows the clearance of mucus from the airways and can exacerbate conditions such as equine asthma.
The second is that dehydration and the consumption of dry forage and feeds can increase the risk of an impaction colic or choke. An alternative approach of course is to either provide soaked or steamed hay. However, the downside of soaked hay when it comes to rehydration is that a large amount of the electrolytes will have been lost in the process of soaking whereas these will be retained in steamed hay.
Dehydration and the consumption of dry forage and feeds can increase the risk of an impaction colic or choke. An alternative approach of course is to either provide soaked or steamed hay. However, the downside of soaked hay when it comes to rehydration is that a large amount of the electrolytes will have been lost in the process of soaking whereas these will be retained in steamed hay..
To optimize recovery it’s important that horses get to eat as soon as possible after exercise, but not before they have been cooled down and heart rate and breathing and body temperature are close to resting. They can and should however be allowed to drink unlimited amounts water as soon as they finish exercising. Contrary to some myths this is not harmful: it used to be said that this would cause laminitis or cause the stomach to burst. Horses have an increased thirst immediately they finish exercise and may not drink as much later on if water is withheld in this period. Dehydration also slows down recovery of muscle energy (glycogen) stores. As far as temperature, studies show horse prefer (will drink more) cool-warm water over cold or very warm water. It’s important not to give horses a large hard feed on its own early in recovery. Forage and then a medium sized hard feed would be preferable. As far as energy sources, while high starch diets can cause problems if fed incorrectly, they become increasingly important the harder a horse trains and competes. If you are unsure how to manage starch then consult an experienced nutritionist.
During exercise the body changes its physiology and metabolism significantly. While this can happen in a matter of minutes it can hours, days and even weeks for different body systems to recover and recovery will be different for endurance compared with sprint type exercise. As a rough guide, it may take the lungs 1-2 days to recover, 2-3 days for the GI tract and muscle and liver energy stores to recover, 5-7 days for electrolyte balance and stores to recover, 7-10 days for muscles to repair, up to 2 weeks for the immune system to recover and 3-4 weeks for bone, tendon and joints to recover (assuming no actual injury). This raises an interesting question – if it takes days or weeks for full recovery, what happens when we are training daily or at a competition where we compete over 2-3 days? Well the simple answer is that we only get partial recovery and our horses are in a constant state of trying to recover. This is why it can be extremely rewarding to use recovery weeks in training where you reduce the horses workload by say half every 3 weeks. This allows a greater degree of recovery to take place.
As a general rule, the harder/more intense and/or longer the exercise, the longer the recovery period needed. For example, an endurance horse would likely need at least a month to recover from a race whereas a showjumper could easily compete again the next day. That isn’t to say that a showjumper would always be able to perform the same over consecutive days of competition. The main problems with competing over several consecutive days are decreased muscle energy stores and accumulating muscle damage. A small amount of muscle damage happens whenever a horse exercises. This is normal but it can lead to muscle soreness and decreased muscle strength. In healthy horses without a muscle problem such as tying-up, it likely that muscle energy stores are the biggest limiting factor in performance. The main energy source that horses use in any discipline is glycogen.
Glycogen is simply lots of glucose molecules linked together in chains. Glucose on its own can move in and out of muscle cells but when its linked up in chains it can’t. This keeps it in the muscle where it is needed. Plants store glucose in the same way although the structure is slightly different and we call it starch. With disciplines where there are multiple days of competing such as dressage, showjumping and eventing, it’s essential to try and preserve muscle glycogen by avoiding unnecessary exercise or riding styles that are very costly on days 1 or 2. This is because muscle glycogen restores very slowly and low muscle glycogen leads to reduced performance.
Perhaps surprisingly, one of the best things you can do to ensure as fast a recovery as possible is to ensure horses start as hydrated as possible with maximized energy stores and good electrolyte balance. For electrolyte balance, feeding a complete and balanced electrolyte supplement daily according the time of year and the overall level of work (e.g. light, medium, hard, competing) rather than just for a few days before competing will reduce the risk of any deficiency or imbalance. Tapering before competition is another extremely beneficial technique used extensively in human sport but rarely in equestrian. Tapering simply involves gradually reducing the duration of exercise/training each day over 7 days but maintaining the intensity. This maximizes muscle energy stores and increases muscle strength. Cooling down quickly after competing, allowing unrestricted access to water immediately on completion of exercise and providing forage and then hard feed as soon as possible are also important.
The other essential component of recovery that is sometimes overlooked is undisturbed rest, especially after intense exercise (e.g. cross-country in a three-day competition) or after each day in multi-day competition. Horses can only achieve proper rest-full sleep (REM sleep) when lying down and generally only lay down when undisturbed. So resist the urge to go into the stable every hour unless you have a good reason.
More on Haygain Hay Steamers More on ComfortStall Flooring System
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The school holidays are underway and many owners will be looking forward to a well earned break. Who looks after your horse in your absence? The livery yard? A house sitter? A friend or partner? Are they horsey or being roped in for horse duties? In the summertime caring for a friend’s horse can seem a bit more appealing, with less rain, mud and mucking out to worry about and no doubt you’ll be looking after someone elses horse for a night or two at some point.
Whether you are leaving your horse in the hands of an experienced owner or rider or drafting in a less horsey friend here are six things you should do before you go away. These will help your horse and the person that you’ve left in charge.
No horse owner wants to get into the holiday spirit by thinking about injuries or illness which could affect their horse while they are away. However horses are horses, and they always seem to know when you are running late (the only time you can’t catch your horse), have limited time (they are extra dirty) or have an important competition (they lose a shoe or won’t load). It is really sensible to consider what you would like to happen in your absence in the event of a serious injury, a wound on a joint (which may need flushing out) or colic.
Would you like your horse hospitalised? Do you have insurance or financial reserves to cover surgery or extensive veterinary fees? Perhaps you feel strongly that you wouldn't want your horse to have an operation?
It is worth checking through the small print of your insurance policy and being very clear about what treatments your horse is and isn’t covered for. Colic surgery can cost between £4000 and £10,000 depending on where you are located in the UK, the complexity of the surgery and length of hospital stay. You should also consider the aftercare, which will involve 8 to 12 weeks of box rest and very careful management before a gradual return to turnout and exercise. It is essential that you make an informed decision, and have thought about the implications of surgery for your horse, rather than a spur of the moment decision at 2am.
Livery yard staff, friends, family and the vet themselves would make every effort to contact you, but sometimes even modern technology fails. You might have no signal, or forget to pack your phone charger and it could take time to reach you. It is essential that you have thought about some of these worse case scenarios and discussed this with the horsey holiday cover, which leads nicely to my second point.
Having a clear emergency plan in place could be very helpful if your horse was unfortunate enough to become injured or unwell whilst you are away.
Talk through your decisions for hospitalization or surgery and leave a copy of your insurance policy with your friend or yard owner.
What about transport? Can the person caring for your horse get the horse to a hospital if necessary? If they don’t have transport themselves, do research an alternative for them. Where is the horse’s passport? This would be required by a veterinary hospital and should be with the horse whilst it is transported.
Some owners like to let their vet know who is in charge of their horse whilst they are away, and this can be a sensible step to take.
In the event of your horse needing hospitalisation or surgery someone will be responsible for signing the consent forms, so it can be useful to have let the practice know who will be making decisions for your horse in your absence.
We are all so used to having every contact number at our fingertips stored in our phones that busy owners often forget to write some of these numbers down.
Create a list including numbers for your veterinary practice, their out of hours number, your farrier, a transport company and perhaps another friend who could be contacted in an emergency.
Should any of this information be required your friend will have it easily available, and in an emergency situation time is of the essence.
As a horse owner you are the expert on your own horse, and it is helpful to explain what is normal for your horse to the person you are leaving in charge.
Establishing a baseline respiration rate, heart rate and temperature for your horse are all sensible steps to keep your horse healthy. The more you know ‘normal’ for your own horse the quicker you can spot ‘abnormal’ and take action. You might like to also detail the amount of droppings that your horse usually produces when stabled, as a change or reduction in fecal output can be an early sign of colic.
If you haven’t done so already do take a few minutes to record these vital signs for three days and work out an average normal reading for your horse. Remember to measure these parameters at a quiet time of day, and assess respiration rate first as this is most easily affected. Add this information to your emergency plan as it could be very helpful in the event of your horse being unwell.
Changes in management can be a common cause of colic, so make life as easy as possible for the person you are leaving in charge by making up dry feeds or haynets in advance. Not only will this save them time (they will be most grateful), it will provide consistency for your horse.
Ensuring that your horse keeps to it’s regular quantities of hay and feed is so important for your horse’s waistline, particularly if they are having a holiday and not being ridden whilst you are away.
Clearly labelling feed bins will prevent a mix up, or any unsoaked food being fed in error, very important if you are leaving your horse with a less experienced friend or family member to care for your horse. If you are away over the summer months I hope you have a lovely break. Actioning the steps outlined in this article could really help your horse, the person looking after them and your vet in the event of an emergency situation or sudden illness. I truly hope that you don’t need to use your emergency plan, but over the years horses have certainly taught me that it’s best to be prepared.
If you are going away and leaving someone else in charge of your Haygain steamer, make sure they know exactly how it works so that your horses don't miss out on that all important steamed hay! Why not contact us and get some quick reference posters sent out to stick on the wall :)
]]>A “360-degree turnaround” was triggered within two to three days of starting on steamed hay, Alexis reports. “His coughing completely disappeared.".
Kim F Miller
Equestrian writer, 10/02/2020
The 23-year-old Mustang, Legend, had a bargain basement price tag when his plight came to Alexis and Sam Conte’s attention. Removed from Bureau of Land Management Land in Nevada as a yearling, Legend was adopted by a West Virginia horseman who was 60 at the time. Twenty years later, the man passed on and Legend’s life was in limbo.
He was given away, then landed in an “unfortunate” situation, Alexis recounts: a sales lot where trucks bound for slaughter houses in Mexico left every week.
She learned of the chestnut gelding who hailed from the White River Herd Management Area through friends and couldn’t turn away -- even when told of Legend’s Recurring Airway Obstruction and that “there wasn’t much that could be done about his breathing.”. Even if it turned out Legend could never be ridden, “We decided that he was going to have a good ending.”.
"Good ending” is a gross understatement for the nearly two years since the Contes took Legend on.
As predicted, riding him wasn’t in the cards because his breathing was so bad when he arrived. Respiratory issues affect a huge percentage of all horses and their most extreme manifestation, RAO, usually dictates life as the pasture ornament Alexis expected Legend to be.
She assumes that his RAO was never treated. Veterinary exams confirmed extensive and irreparable damage to his airways, one of the horse’s most delicate and vulnerable systems. But things turned around when Alexis found Haygain USA while searching for ways to make him more comfortable. She describes the Flexineb Equine Nebulizer and Haygain Hay Steaming as “game changers”.
The Flexineb nebulizer aerosolizes medications and saline solutions for easy delivery and maximum absorption in the respiratory tract. Legend was treated with EquiSilver Respiratory Solution, a chelated silver solution that kills infectious microorganisms by preventing the uptake of oxygen. The anti-inflammatory cortisone steroid, dexamethasone, was also delivered through the Flexineb to good effect.
Combined with soaking Legend’s hay to dampen dust, Legend was breathing much easier.
That is until a new batch of hay arrived and he “had a super big crisis,” Alexis relays. “We thought, That’s it! We’re going for the hay steamer.”. A “360-degree turnaround” was triggered within two to three days of starting on steamed hay, she reports. “His coughing completely disappeared.” High temperature steaming eliminates 98 percent of breathable participles found in even top quality, most expensive hay. Eradicating dust, fungi, mold and bacteria is good for all horses and can be a life changer for those with existing respiratory issues.
The steamed hay diet combined with Flexineb treatments and respiratory supplements, Lung EQ and EquiPulmin, brought Legend back to a rideable state. Alexis and her husband enjoy trail riding near their East Putnam, Connecticut home, and Legend has become a star in this happy chapter of his life. Even at 23, “He has much more go than whoa!”
Legend’s respiratory rate is a brag-worthy point of pride. Before receiving steamed hay, he took between 28 and 36 breaths a minute while at rest: considerably more that the 10 to 24 considered normal. Since adding steamed hay, that’s dropped to 16. “I’ve posted that news all over the place!”, Alexis reports.
Using the Flexineb after a ride as needed and providing daily steamed hay are steps Alexis is happy to take, even though they have to fit into a schedule busy with full-time careers. On top of that, Alexis and her husband board their horses at a public stable while they finish construction on their own home barn. With the stable owner’s cooperation, the couple picks up Legend’s hay at the barn, brings it home and steams each day’s batch after work while getting ready to ride. “We throw it in our Haygain hay bag, bring it to the barn and the stable owner feeds it for us.”.
Legend is likely thankful Alexis found him, too. She has a soft spot for all horses and especially Mustangs. She’s a proud member of the Mustang Heritage Foundation that promotes adoption and lifelong good care of these American Wild Horses removed from public lands. “Everyone should adopt a Mustang!”, Alexis asserts.
For more information on adopting, visit www.mustangheritagefoundation.org.
Haygain is committed to improving equine health through research and innovation in the respiratory and digestive health issues. Developed by riders, for riders, we understand the importance of clean forage in maintaining the overall well-being of the horse. Our hay steamers are recommended by many of the world’s leading riders, trainers and equine veterinarians. Click on one of the links below to find out more information.
]]>Laminitis is a systemic disease, which manifests as a condition in the foot. It is a painful condition of the tissues (lamellae) that bond the hoof wall to the pedal (coffin) bone in the horse’s hoof. (Image credit: World Horse Welfare.)
There are three recognised types of laminitis, each with a different cause: Endocrinopathic Laminitis (EL) is the majority of laminitis cases. This is laminitis caused by Equine Metabolic Sydrome (EMS). Endocrinopathic laminitis includes Pasture Associated Laminitis (PAL). This form of laminitis is commonly seen in obese horses and probably horses and ponies in light work, that have unrestricted grazing or a high sugar/starch diet.
Sepsis Associated Laminitis (SAL) occurs secondary to a primary illness, such as colitis, acidosis (from starch overload), infection from retained placenta. SAL is essentially laminitis in an already very ill horse and makes up less than 10% of laminitis cases.
Supporting limb laminitis (SLL) is rare, and usually seen in horses with a serious lameness such as a fracture or septic joint, and after at least a few days of non-weight-bearing on the injured leg, laminitis develops in a supporting leg.
A prevalence of 7.1% was found in a large-scale UK study (Hinckley et al 1996). It was estimated that approximately 8000 horses suffered from laminitis each year; of these, about 600 were euthanized because of this condition and 1300 horses were left permanently unsound.
According to a general survey in the United States, USDA-NAHMS Lameness and laminitis in US horses) apart from colic, laminitis is the most common reason for a horse or pony to be presented for veterinary treatment.
The same survey revealed Pasture Associated Laminitis accounts for 54% of cases of equine laminitis and for the purpose of this article will be the focus.
The results of the aforementioned surveys relay that 61% of the horses and ponies that suffered from laminitis attacks were out on grass prior to the attack; 30% lived both on grass and in a stable; and only 9% were stabled. This corresponded with the second survey (U.S.) which revealed that about 45% of laminitis cases were linked to pasture turnout.
The main cause of PAL is thought to be because the horse does not have the necessary enzymes to digest particular grass fructans (carbohydrate) directly within the small intestine. Grass fructans, therefore, pass relatively unchanged into the hindgut where they are readily fermented, in a similar manner to starch or other sugars that escape digestion in the small intestine." This process contributes to the development of laminitis in the same way as feeding too much hard feed.
The illustration below is from a veterinary nutrition journal which proposes 7 key countermeasures horse owners can take for Pasture Associated Laminitis and the possible sequence of events in cereal overload or grass-associated laminitis highlighting the potential influence of insulin resistance and raised cortisol levels. The illustration demonstrates the complexity and intricacies of PAL.
From: Countermeasures for Pasture-Associated Laminitis in Ponies and Horses
J Nutr. 2006;136(7):2114S-2121S. doi:10.1093/jn/136.7.2114S J Nutr | © 2006 American Society for Nutrition
Acute laminitis symptoms generally come on very suddenly and are severe.
A horse with chronic laminitis will show signs of ongoing symptoms that are generally a result of a relapse from previous attacks. The horse’s hoof will have the appearance of growth rings around the hoof wall, which generally indicates that it has suffered from laminitis in the past.
Signs are predominantly pain and lameness usually in all 4 limbs, but often appear worse in the forelimbs. In acute laminitis the pain can be so crippling that the horse will stop moving but in milder chronic cases a shuffling, short, gait, which is worse on hard surfaces, and usually with an obvious head nod on turning is typical. They can take on a laminitis stance where they lean backwards so their front feet are ahead their body. Additional signs include hot, painful hoof, with bounding pulses felt in the digital arteries down the back of the fetlock and pastern region.
When a horse is suffering from laminitis it is important to make them as comfortable as possible and give them a soft bed to stand and lie down on. Comfortstall orthopaedic flooring system is padded providing an idyllic floor for horses suffering from sore feet and laminitis. It is non-abrasive which also helps to avoid “bed sores” or “hock sores” from lying down for long periods or continual getting up and down off the floor.
⦁ Turn horses out to pasture when fructan levels are likely to be at their lowest, such as from late night to early morning, removing them from the pasture by mid-morning.
⦁ Consider maintaining turnout by using grazing muzzles that still allow horses easy access to water.
⦁ Consider a zero grazing environment, such as a turn out pen of wood chip or similar flooring or an arena if it is essential that the horse ingests minimal levels of sugar, starch, and fructans or if the horse is obese and on a strict weight management program.
Alternative forage must be provided, a hay with a water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) level of less than 10% (contains <100g WSC/kg DM) or processed to reduce the sugar content via soaking and steaming is ideal. When fed slowly through a Haygain Forager it will last them longer allowing a natural trickle feeding system.
⦁ Never graze them on pastures that have not been properly managed by regular grazing or mowing. Try to maintain an expanse of grass, as mature stemmy grasses contain higher levels of stored fructans.
See Laminitis Part 2 - causes and prevention - which looks at different treatments.
References:
Bailey SR, Marr CM, Elliott J. Current research and theories on the pathogenesis of acute laminitis in the horse. Vet J. 2004;167:129–42.
Harris, Patricia & Bailey, Simon & Elliott, Jonathan & Longland, Annette. (2006). Countermeasures for Pasture-Associated Laminitis in Ponies and Horses. The Journal of nutrition. 136. 2114S-2121S. 10.1093/jn/136.7.2114S.
Hinckley K, Henderson I. The epidemiology of equine laminitis in the UK. 35th Congress of the British Equine Veterinary Association. Warwick, UK; 1996. p. 62. IN Harris, Patricia & Bailey, Simon & Elliott, Jonathan & Longland, Annette. (2006). Countermeasures for Pasture-Associated Laminitis in Ponies and Horses. The Journal of nutrition. 136. 2114S-2121S. 10.1093/jn/136.7.2114S.
USDA-NAHMS Lameness and laminitis in US horses. Fort Collins, CO: National Animal Health Monitoring System; 2000.
Husbands aren't usually the ones pleading for another horse-related expense. But it was Tim Coleman urging "Just buy the Haygain!" when his wife Melissa worried yet another day about Loyal, her beloved senior citizen pony who was struggling with heaves.
"Heaves" or COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is the most severe condition on the Equine Asthma Spectrum and it was getting worse every day for Loyal. Like most equine respiratory problems, Loyal's condition first manifested with subtle symptoms: in his case, an occasional cough. That was about three years ago and it didn't interfere with his active, happy life as a trail-partner-turned-dressage mount.
By the summer of 2019, however, it was much worse, possibly attributable to Midwest weather extremes that badly affected the quality of hay accessible to the Colemans in Northfield, Minnesota. The vet diagnosed heaves and prescribed the corticosteroid dexamethasone. Melissa didn't like the diagnosis or the treatment proposed, but she started Loyal on the anti-inflammatory medication as directed. "I used it sparingly because there is a risk of laminitis," she explains. On days when Loyal coughed so badly "he wouldn't even move," Melissa saw the medication as the lesser of two evils.
She also tried soaking Loyal's hay, which she hated, too. "It takes a ton of water, it's a big process, it weighs a ton and then what do you do with all that water?" Indeed, effluent from hay soaking can be more toxic to the environment than raw sewage. Plus, soaking leaches nutrients from hay, and many horses don't like the taste and soggy texture.
"I was going back and forth, back and forth about what I should do," Melissa reflects of her agonized mental state early this year. That's when Tim spoke up. "The Haygain will solve all your problems," Melissa recalls him telling her.
At $1,749, the purchase of the medium-size HG600 Haygain Hay Steamer represented a significant chunk of Melissa's horse keeping budget. She bit the bullet, hit the "buy" button on SmartPak.com and waited anxiously for the delivery.
One of the benefits of at-home stables is the chance to gauge the horses' well-being first thing in the morning. "He's the little guy who, when he sees that you're awake and are having your cup of coffee, he starts talking to you and requesting attention." Prior to getting steamed hay, Loyal hadn't been doing that: he just wasn't himself, Melissa recounts.
Delivery delays due to COVID-19 issues gave Melissa extra time to worry whether this latest effort would help. Those vanished shortly after the steamer's arrival. "After not even three days on steamed hay, he was not coughing," Melissa reports. "He's back in normal work. He's peppy, happy, and talking all the time again. He's ready to go to work. "
Loyal is in his early 20s and Melissa believes steamed hay has given him several more years of happy, healthy, useful life. "I believe we owe our animals more than just riding them. I want to give my pony the best life I can."
An initial thought of building her own hay steamer was ruled out when she learned how Haygain's patented process reduces up to 99% of the dust, mold, bacteria and other allergens found even in hay of top nutrient quality. High temperatures are required to reduce those dangerous breathable irritants and Haygain steaming accomplishes that by reaching approximately 212°F in steam that is evenly distributed throughout the hay inside the thermally-sealed chest.
Worries about ease of use went by the wayside, too. "It's easy to set up, to get started and to clean. You just hose it out."
Melissa is not sure where she first heard about Haygain, but she's making sure her friends hear about its benefits from her. "It's a piece of equipment that everyone should own at some point in their lives." She won't stew over the vet and medication expenses that might have been saved had she heeded her hubby's advice sooner, but she can help her friends avoid that by spreading the word far and wide. "I'm telling every single horse person I know about Haygain. It is a game changer!"
]]>Writer and photographer specializing in the equine industry. A lifelong hunter/jumper rider, Kim’s understanding of the broader equestrian landscape comes from several years as editor of California Riding Magazine and freelancing for various outlets. She and her family live in Southern California.
Georgina Bloomberg is a well-known and long-time advocate of horse welfare. Her receipt of the 2019 EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award is the latest acknowledgement of the many good works the international Grand Prix rider and daughter of presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg has done for horses and other creatures in need.
Her current and retired competition horses enjoy more fortunate circumstances than those Georgina is famous for helping, but she’s equally determined to help them feel good and thrive. When she and her team noticed that a few of her show jumpers occasionally had a random cough, they wisely didn’t dismiss it.
Even random and sporadic coughing in a horse can be an early indicator of Inflammatory Airway Disease. Multiple studies indicate IAD affects a surprisingly high percent of active sport horses – as high as 88% according to a recent three-year study of 730 horses published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
“We have had a horse or two develop a cough from time to time over the years,” Georgina says. “Stopping a horse from coughing is not always an easy thing to obtain.” Since putting her horses on Haygain steamed hay last fall, the coughs went away.
The only good thing about coughing in a horse is that it may turn more attention to equine respiratory health. “That’s not widely talked about unless an issue arises,” comments Georgina. “We believe being proactive toward our horses’ respiratory health is far better than waiting for that problem to arise. Haygain has played a crucial role in this.”
In the Haygain process, high temperature steam is evenly distributed through hay in a thermally-sealed chest. Temperatures that rise as high as 212*F kill fungi, bacteria and mold found in even top-quality hays. Steaming also reduces 95% of the breathable dust particles found in hay. Because respirable irritants of any kind are the major cause and exacerbator of Inflammatory Airway Disease, Haygain steaming is key to preventing and managing this common and often undiagnosed condition.
Steamed hay offers additional benefits. Georgina likes Haygain’s ability to maintain hay consistency for the horses, at home in New York State, in Florida for the winter or anywhere in the world where they are competing.
The typically one-hour steaming process adds water to the diet, supporting healthy digestive function. Its proven palatability makes it a hit with even the pickiest eaters and helps horses get the quantities of forage and nutrients necessary for optimal health.
Adding steamed hay is a fit with today’s highest-level equine athlete management practices, notes Georgina’s stable manager Richard Padilla. “As the international sport of show jumping gets more specialized, I think everybody wants to cover every angle. Everyone is doing everything in their power to do what’s best for their horses.
Richard first noticed Haygain steamers on the European circuit. The Haygain steaming process was developed in Europe, in conjunction with the Royal Agricultural University in England, and European riders were quick to recognize and incorporate its benefits. “They are always at the vanguard of new methods, so I knew it was a good testimony for Haygain to see so many steamers over there,” notes Richard. Current #1 in the world ranked rider, Martin Fuchs, for example, is one of many steamed hay believers.
American equestrians are catching on quick. Jumping alongside Georgina are Haygain users Beezie Madden, McLain Ward, Margie Engle and Jessica Springsteen, just to a name a few. All are now ensconced in Wellington, Florida, for the Winter Equestrian Festival, where Haygain will be on site with a vendor booth during weeks #5 (Feb. 5-9) and #7 (Feb. 19-23).
Haygain congratulates Georgina on her well-earned honors and accomplishments, in and out of the show ring, and is proud to be part of her own horses’ care routine.
Haygain is committed to improving equine health through research and innovation in the respiratory and digestive health issues. Developed by riders, for riders, we understand the importance of clean forage in maintaining the overall well-being of the horse. Our hay steamers are recommended by many of the world’s leading riders, trainers and equine veterinarians. Find out more by clicking on one of the links below.
About Haygain hay steamers Haygain Testimonials
Photography credits: Thank you to MacMillan photography for the wonderful images.
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“He grabbed the bit and ran!” is Lauren Billys’ description of how Castle Larchfield Purdy attacked the final uphill stretches during his most recent Advanced cross-country course. That might be expected from her 2016 Rio Olympics partner and hopeful for the 2020 Games, but instead there have been some dark months when Lauren wasn’t sure what the future held for him. He’s 17 and first had to recover from a severe colic last fall.
He did that, but in the process presented more clear symptoms confirming something Lauren had long suspected: respiratory issues.
“I always knew that his breathing was the limiting factor in his fitness,” she says of the big Irish Sporthorse. It became more pronounced as she began legging him up this past spring, after he had fully recovered from the colic. Prior to that, the main hint of breathing challenges was that Purdy’s respiratory rate was slow to recover after exertion, especially compared to that of lighter Thoroughbreds and other breeds who excel in the rigorous discipline. However, Purdy hadn’t been coughing or having any nasal discharge, common signs of respiratory tract issues. And he was otherwise performing at his peak.
As he regained fitness this year, the symptoms were more obvious. On conditioning gallops, he hung his tongue out the side of his mouth – “we think to get more air’’-- and the effort to inhale was audible. “It wasn’t like he was roaring, but you could just hear him struggling to inhale,” explains Lauren, who is based in California and represents Puerto Rico in international competition.
Purdy was referred to Phoebe Smith, DVM, DACVIM, an internal veterinary medicine specialist with Riviera Equine in California’s Santa Ynez Valley. An extensive respiratory exam included the use of the relatively new dynamic respiratory endoscope while Purdy was galloping, and a cytology report drawn from a bronchoaveleor lavage. The exam confirmed Lauren’s fears: Purdy, indeed, had respiratory challenges.
The dynamic endoscope revealed some functional instabilities in his upper airway that only occurred under exertion. The BAL revealed a moderate level of Inflammatory Airway Disease (now often referred to as a condition on the Equine Asthma Spectrum) and a mild case of Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage. The functional instabilities occur in the upper airway, and the IAD exists in the lower airways. For Purdy, it was likely that each condition affected the other, though it’s not possible to say in what way or to what extent.
Multiple studies estimate that over 80% of horses have IAD to some extent, often without symptoms that even a conscientious owner would detect. It occurs when irritation causes inflammation and constriction of airways, impeding the transfer of oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body and further stressing an already delicate system. It is not curable, but it is manageable.
EIPH is a condition common in racehorses and others who exert themselves to the extreme for short bursts. It occurs when tiny blood vessels in the lung – 1/110th the width of a human hair -- burst. In mild cases, like Purdy’s, the amount of bleeding is so small it can only be detected in a microscopic evaluation of a bronchoalveolar lavage.
A Flexineb Portable Nebulizer was the first step to bringing Purdy immediate relief, delivering the bronchodilator medication, albuterol, and the corticosteroid, fluticasone. An intensive, initial 90-day course of treatment with these aerosolized medications brought the IAD under control and enabled Purdy to gradually build up his fitness.
But Lauren wanted long-term solutions and to keep Purdy at his peak without medications that are not allowed in competition. With the help of the Purdy Syndicate, Lauren imported him in 2013 and galloped on to fulfill a lifelong Olympic dream. His well-being is Lauren’s top priority, but with him so fit, capable and willing, she believes the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are fully within reach so long as his respiratory conditions can be controlled.
On Dr. Smith’s recommendation, she started Purdy on Haygain high-temperature steamed hay in April of this year. “With IAD, we know it’s inhaled particulates they are reacting to, so the overarching goal is always to reduce that,” the veterinarian explains.
Haygain hay steaming rids hay of 98% of the breathable dust, mold, fungi and bacteria found in even top-quality hay. In California’s dry climate, hay is often dustier than that found elsewhere in the country, while mold spores may be less of an issue.
Lauren’s team had been wetting hay to dampen dust and appreciates the switch to steaming. Purdy loves it and it’s much less of a mess, she notes. At home in the Carmel Valley area, Purdy spends more hours on grass pasture to avoid barn dust and his paddock is sprinkled regularly to further minimize breathable irritants. (Dr. Smith cautions that conventional wisdom regarding the respiratory benefits of an outdoor life don’t always apply. “Sometimes it’s dustier outside, especially if it’s windy or there are fires in the area. It should really be considered on a farm by farm basis.”)
Monitoring Purdy’s respiratory recovery rate after workouts with similar levels of exertion over these last four months, Lauren says the new routine is improving that once weak metric of his fitness. That and his performance, energy and attitude suggest that the mild EIPH and IAD are well controlled.
In mid-July, Purdy went off the nebulized albuterol and fluticasone. Instead, he’s getting nebulized saline solution and EquiSilver, a chelated silver product that kills infectious microrganisms: both are competition “safe.”
Based on how Purdy was feeling early in his steamed hay-powered routine, Lauren was optimistic as they headed to the Rebecca Farm CCI4*-L in late July. “Honestly, this whole process has given him a new lease on life,” she explains. “I never thought about how this could affect him.” Even in the dressage phase of spring competitions, “He had so much energy and perk,” she reflects. “And it carries from one day to the next.”
Speaking of the Spring Event at Woodside in late May, where she and Purdy finished second at Advanced as a warm-up run, Lauren recalls, “I’ve run Woodside I don’t know how many times… Every time, I’ve always had to kick him when we get to that last uphill stretch. This time, he grabbed the bit and ran. He’s never felt like that before!”
There’s a lot riding on their Rebecca Farm performance. To represent Puerto Rico at the Olympics again, Lauren and Purdy need to be the #1 or #2 ranked pair in Latin America. Right now they are #1 and Lauren believes a top 3 finish at Rebecca Farm will lock up the Tokyo track. “If that happens, I think it will be hard for someone to knock us off.”
Tokyo or no, Lauren has already realized one Olympic dream with Purdy. Two would be amazing, she acknowledges, but having a healthy, easy breathing horse is even more important.
Currently sixth-ranked U.S. show jumper Margie Engle is having a 5* summer, as in top placings at CSI5* competitions throughout Europe with Royce, Dicas and USA Normande. Such summers, or, in fact, entire years, are nothing new for Margie, one of the show jumping world’s winningest riders for over 35 years.
What is new is the incorporation of Haygain Steamed Hay in her horses’ routine. When one of Margie’s top horses was determined to be “allergic to everything” last summer, Margie and her well-known veterinarian husband Steve Engle, DVM, discovered steamed hay.
A popular practice with top competitors in Europe, where hay steaming was developed 10 years ago, the concept made immediate sense to the show jumping power couple.
The horse they started steaming hay for attained optimal breathing and no longer had trouble getting enough air for show jumping’s rigorous demands. “It has so many benefits for horses with allergies,” Margie explains. Along with better breathing, that horse’s allergy-related skin conditions cleared up, too. Soon, Dr. Engle suggested that all Margie’s horses start getting steamed hay as an all-around preventative measure for their respiratory health.
Margie gained peace of mind knowing her horses are getting the cleanest hay possible. “It’s so good for getting rid of toxins, dust, bacteria, and the different weeds that can be in hay but you don’t always see.” Galloping down to fences that are sometimes taller than her 5’1” frame, that kind of confidence is key. Clean hay equals better breathing, which is critical to sailing over the huge courses Margie and her horses navigate nearly every week of the year. Margie is a veteran of the elite competition circuit governed by the International Equestrian Federation and its Anti-Doping & Controlled Medications regulations. She notes that hay steaming is a good way to reduce the risk of unknown substances in hay, which can come from weeds and other environmental sources. “Because we can’t always bring our own hay in, this is a good way to get rid of as many things as we can.”
Better diagnostics, such as bronchial alveolar lavage, help us determine if inflammatory or infectious airway disease is present. With more knowledge comes more awareness.” explains Steve Engle, DVM
Dr. Engle describes an increased awareness of respiratory issues among his veterinary peers. “This has been largely due to all the research that is being done in performance horses, especially in the racehorse industry, where optimal performance is equated to optimal return on investment.” One example is fiberoptic endoscopes that allow visualization of the upper respiratory tract while the horse is fully engaged in exercise. “That wasn't possible before,” Dr. Engle explains. “Better diagnostics, such as bronchial alveolar lavage, help us determine if inflammatory or infectious airway disease is present. With more knowledge comes more awareness.”
In his view, inflammation throughout the horse’s body is the biggest performance limiter in otherwise sound horses. “This is what we seek to control in all aspects of health and disease and ultimately (and hopefully) improve performance in our sport horses.”
Haygain is doing its part. According to an independent study published in the December 2018 Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, feeding high temperature steamed hay reduces the risk of Inflammatory Airway Disease by 65%. A condition on the Equine Asthma Spectrum, IAD is surprisingly prevalent in horses, often with no obvious symptoms. Past studies indicated that 80% of horses have IAD to some degree: The recent JVIM-published research reported an IAD diagnosis in 88% of the 731 horses studied over three years in Europe.
Since adding steamed hay to her horses’ program, Margie is breathing easier while continuing her storied career. She has over 210 Grand Prix victories to her name, the most recent being mid-June’s victory in the CSI5* Villach, Treffen, with Dicas. She’s a 10-time American Grand Association Rider of the Year, a member of over 20 winning U.S. Nations Cup teams, a medalist at the Pan Am and World Equestrian Games, and a 2000 Olympian, finishing sixth in Sydney with the team and 10th individually with Perin.
Haygain is thrilled to count Margie Goldstein-Engle as a member of the “steam team”, our affectionate term for those that have discovered the respiratory benefits of steamed hay for their horses. Also members of our honorary "steam team", fellow top ten Rolex/USEF show jumpers; Beezie Madden, Jessica Springsteen and McLain Ward.
Haygain is committed to improving equine health through research and innovation in the respiratory and digestive health issues. Developed by riders, for riders, we understand the importance of clean forage in maintaining the overall well-being of the horse. Our hay steamers are recommended by many of the world’s leading riders, trainers and equine veterinarians. Find out more by clicking on one of the links below.
]]>It is very common in my practice to be evaluating a horse for performance or lameness and hear a few coughs when the horse first begins exercise. Typically, the owner will note that the horse often does this, but only at the beginning of a ride and they do not consider it a problem. However, a horse with a healthy respiratory tract rarely to never coughs. So, even though it is infrequent, if a horse will consistently exhibit a cough, it is something that may need further investigation.
Stephanie Davis DVM
Veterinarian, 22/02/2020
If a horse has a cough absent of any further indicators of significant illness (fever, profuse nasal discharge, abnormal biochemistry values, and inappetence), the presumptive diagnosis would be inflammatory airway disease (IAD). IAD is typically diagnosed with clinical signs (cough and poor performance) and evidence of inflammation on endoscopy (discharge noted in trachea or nasopharynx and lymphoid hyperplasia). Lymphoid hyperplasia is a fancy word for “bumps” that can be seen in the upper airway indicating inflammation of the lymph tissue (tissue responsible for producing white blood cells and antibodies). Essentially, that tissue is activated because of inflammation. So, just taking a simple look with the scope of the upper airway gives a lot of information on the state of the horse’s airway.
Now that we understand that although the cough seems benign, there can be an active inflammatory process going on, what do we do about it? The first thing to consider is the environment that your horse lives in. How much turnout does the horse get? What is the ventilation like in the barn? How dusty is the bedding? How are you feeding the hay?
The first three questions have simple answers. If the horse has more turnout, he will have less inflammation in the airway as there are typically less respiratory insults for them outside. It seems obvious, but important to mention that the stables they are kept in need good air circulation and ventilation. Dusty bedding will only contribute to inflammation in the airway. It is recommended to discuss options from your supplier for low dust bedding. Once all those factors have been considered, we get to the issue of the hay.
Hay is usually the most influential factor in creating inflammation in the airway. Horses spend hours and hours a day with their noses and breathing zone buried in hay. As we have discussed in the past, no matter the quality of hay, it is filled with allergens, mold spores, dust, and particulate matter that can activate and irritate the airway. In the past, it was recommended to soak the hay to essentially attach the dust and allergens to the hay itself and therefore become ingested versus inhaled.
Soaking hay can be helpful, but steaming the hay is superior in several ways. Most importantly, the mold spores and bacteria will not be attached to the plant to prevent inhalation as with soaking but will actually kill the mold spores and bacteria so that there is not affect from inhalation or ingestion.
A recent study presented at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) in June 2016, has found that steaming hay with Haygain reduces the factors responsible for Inflammatory Airway Disease (IAD) in horses by an impressive two-thirds. Additionally, the study found that after analyzing all the forage options (dry hay, soaked hay, haylage or Haygain steamed hay) steamed hay not only had the lowest risk but was the ONLY method which significantly decreased the risk of IAD. So, if your horse has a cough, he likely has some degree of IAD and the most effective way to reduce symptoms and need for medication is to steam the hay.
Haygain is committed to improving equine health through research and innovation in the respiratory and digestive health issues. Developed by riders, for riders, we understand the importance of clean forage in maintaining the overall well-being of the horse. Our hay steamers are recommended by many of the world’s leading riders, trainers and equine veterinarians. Click on one of the links below to find out more information.
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Weight gain and adipose deposition occurs when a horse’s nutritional intake exceeds his physical output. Growing affluence in developed countries has increased the time and money available to spend on leisure activities such as horse riding. Low to moderate physically-demanding lifestyles and the availability of affordable, energy-dense (high carbohydrate) foods as well as increased productivity of grass crops composed of plants intended for cattle and too rich for horses, has led to an increase in the incidence of obesity. When horses are obese and overweight they are less capable of performing as expected to “do their job” and coping with the physiological stresses of being ridden. As seen in other species including humans, obese horses may also be more likely to develop osteoarthritis.
Until recent years the prevalence of horse obesity was mostly unknown but several studies have investigated the incidence of obesity in horses. The first study to look at the prevalence in the UK was published in 2008 and examined the incidence in pleasure horses in Scotland and most interestingly the association between body condition score and the owners perception of body condition score. The researchers found that 45% of 319 riding horses were considered “fat” or “very fat,” with 10% of those horses in the “very fat” category (Wyse et al 2008).
This is supported by a study in the U.S. which examined 300 horses and found that 51% of them were overweight and 19% (of the 300 horses) were considered obese (Thatcher et al 2007). A similar second study in the U.S. this time in North Carolina examined 366 horses and found that 48% of the horses scored a 6 or higher on the Henneke scale and 20% scored a 7 or higher (Owens et al 2008).
An analytical clinical study on the prevalence of and risk factors for equine obesity in Great Britain (Robin et al 2015) found that compared to competition horses, horses used for pleasure or not ridden were more likely to be obese.
Although there is little published data to support the concept of “easy keepers” or “good doers”, a study found Icelandic horses gained weight whereas Standardbred horses lost weight when they consumed the same diets and the same amount of digestible energy (Ragnarsson et al 2011).
There are two easy to use systems to assess Body Condition Score (BCS) in horses. The nine point system, developed by Dr Henneke and a simplified five point scoring system. The Henneke system assesses six areas of the body - neck, withers, shoulders, ribs, loins and tailhead. Each area is given a score from 1 to 9, with a BCS of 5 being considered ideal for pleasure horses, and a BCS over 7 indicating obesity.
The five point system divides the horse into 3 sections – neck and shoulder, back and ribs and bottom. Each section is given a score between 0 and 5, where 0 = emaciated, 1 = poor, 2 = moderate, 3 = good, 4 = fat and 5 = obese.
Both systems are based on visually assessing the horse and feeling for fat deposits/bones as described by the system. A basic description and rule of thumb described by the laminitis site to follow is: If you can feel and see bones, the horse is too thin, if you can neither feel nor see bones, the horse is too fat, If you can feel but not see bones, the horse is just right.
One of the problems with these body condition or fat scoring systems is they are subjective and arguably not all horse owners can assess their own horse or pony accurately.
The same Scottish study cited above identified that many of the horse owners taking part were not able to correctly identify their horse’s body condition score. Misclassification by owners was most commonly due to them underestimating their horse’s body condition; the owners of fat horses were most likely to score their horse incorrectly, and only 50% of the owner estimates for fat horses agreed with the expert classification.
This finding indicates poor ability among horse owners to assess body condition accurately, and a tendency for owners of obese horses to underestimate their horse’s condition.
Adipose (fat) tissue is now regarded as a highly active metabolic organ that secretes hormones that play a major role in energy balance for the body and satiety (feeling full). Furthermore, adipose tissue produces inflammatory proteins called cytokines. In fact, in humans, obesity is considered an inflammatory state due to the amount of inflammatory compounds produced by the adipose tissue. It is also believed that these cytokines play a role in causing oxidative stress, damaging tissues, and affecting metabolism.
Metabolic causes of laminitis are associated with obesity, but they are poorly understood. It is believed there is a complex interaction between cytokines and the vasculature (blood vessels within the hoof), resulting in inflamed laminae.
Normally the hormone insulin functions to move glucose from the bloodstream into tissues such as skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Insulin does this by triggering the movement of specific insulin-sensitive glucose transporters (called GLUT4) from within the cell to the cell membrane. Once these transporters are at the cell membrane, glucose can move from the blood into the cell. Insulin resistance occurs when the hormone insulin does not effectively regulate blood glucose.
Research has shown feeds higher in starch and sugar (and resulting in higher glycemic indices) lead to reduced insulin sensitivity compared to hay alone or feeds higher in fat and fiber (with lower glycemic indices) (Hoffman et al., 2003, Pratt et al., 2006).
The treatment for obesity is calorie deficit through dietary management and appropriate exercise. It is important to maximize chewing time for the food obese horses consume to mimic their natural feeding behaviour. The use of a slow feeders such as the Haygain Forager can help with this. See how the Forager helps with obesity.
It’s important to feed plenty of forage, about 1.2 to 1.5% of the horse’s body weight daily in forage. Never feed less than 1%, as this can lead to problems including hindgut dysfunction, gastric ulcer formation, and stereotypic behaviour development. However, obtaining forage with a low nutritional value for obese horses to reduce the amount of calories they consume. Typically these hays are more "stemmy" and fibrous but getting the forage analysed is advised.
Ideally forage fed to obese horses should contains <100g WSC/kg DM which is the equivalent to <10% or be processed to reduce the sugar content.
If finding a high-fibre hay with a low WSC content is not possible then the latest published research suggests a combination of both soaking and steaming is the next best option. Moore-Colyer et al 2014 recommends a 9 hour soak followed by a 50 minute steam for reducing WSC.
One of the key benefits of steaming hay with a Haygain hay steamer is you will improve the hygienic quality even after a soak-induced increase in bacteria.
Read more about equine obesity
References:
Moore-Colyer M., Lumbis K., Longland A. and Harris P. (2014). The Effect of Five Different Wetting Treatments on the Nutrient Content and Microbial Concentration in Hay for Horses. PloS one. 9. e114079. 10.1371/journal.pone.0114079.
Pratt-Phillips SE, Owens KM, Dowler LE, Cloninger MT. Assessment of resting insulin and leptin concentrations and their association with managerial and innate factors in horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 2010;30:127–133.
Ragnarsson S, Jansson A. Comparison of grass haylage digestibility and metabolic plasma profile in Icelandic and Standardbred horses. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 2011;3:273 –279.
Robin C.A., Ireland, J.L., Wylie C.E., Collins, S.N Verheyen K.L.P., Newton, J.R. Prevalence of and risk factors for equine obesity in Great Britain based on owner‐reported body condition scores. 2015: 47:2
Thatcher, C.D., R.S. Pleasant, Geor R.J., and F. Elvinger. Prevalence of Overconditioning in Mature Horses in Southwest Virginia during the Summer. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 2012; 26:1413–1418
Wyse CA, McNie KA, Tannahil VJ, et al. Prevalence of obesity in riding horses in Scotland. Veterinary Record 2008; 162:590–591
Kim Miller - Equine Writer
29th January 2020
Haygain customer Carline Bronk tells us why she installed ComfortStall at her yard for retired horses and how much better she sleeps knowing her horses are too!
Carline Bronk is the kind of former TV junkie fellow horse owners can relate to. It wasn’t sitcoms that mesmerized the Chicago-area horsewoman late into the wee-hours: it was the closed-circuit TV screens monitoring the horses in her 8-stable yard.
The residents at her Silver Stack Farms are retirees. One has severe arthritis; another has a leg held together with pins. All night, Carline worried they’d lay down to rest and not be able to get up again or, worse, cast themselves trying to get up.
She has her two competitive dressage horses on livery at a nearby friend’s stable and had seen how those horses benefited from the innovative flooring. At her own yard, Carline was thrilled to see it be equally beneficial for her beloved retirees. “The way it’s constructed, the horses don’t slip or slide on it,” she explains of the reassuring scenes now transmitted by the barn camera. “The horses are so comfortable on it, and they do lay down because they know they can get up easily.”
Carline sleeps much easier since installing ComfortStall Sealed Orthopedic Flooring in four of her stalls last year.
The arthritic mare Ellie now emerges from her stable relatively agile, rather than “nearly tipping over out of stiffness,” Carline reports. The horse with pins in its legs is also much looser and fluid in her joints when she comes out of the stable.
The horses are sleeping much better – and more. The 18 hand Oldenburg, “Grasshopper,” who lives at the friend’s stable added extra daytime naps to his routine. Before ComfortStall, hock sores and shoe boils were an everyday reality. As a supersized steed, getting up and down from his naps on previous flooring left him with banged up from the scramble.
Not anymore. “He seems a heck of a lot happier now,” Carline explains. “He stretches out in his stable and naps so deeply that he’s scared a few people who thought he was dead!”
When the weather thaws and the show season begins, Carline plans to compete Grasshopper at Second Level dressage and is thrilled to do so without the uncomfortable and unsightly sores he used to get.
Cost and labor savings are another reason Carline is “blown away” by ComfortStall. The 100 bags of shavings she previously used every month for eight stables now lasts much longer, approximately 50 percent longer. Mucking out time is lower, too: typically eight minutes per stall using a broom and a shovel.
Longer stretches between maintenance visits from the chiropractor are yet another improvement Carline attributes to ComfortStall. That one doesn’t surprise her because she’s felt the benefits in her own body since she switched to a good mattress, in her case a Sleep Number bed. “ComfortStall does for my horses what my Sleep Number bed does for me. It supports you where you need to be supported. I don’t see my chiropractor as often anymore either, and I feel good.”
Since installing ComfortStall, Carline no longer watches the yard monitor in fear :
The partnership, which will provide products and support for US Equestrian’s High Performance Teams, will also benefit members through the Member Perks program, with specified discounts on Haygain products.
“We consider US Equestrian the perfect partner for the American market,” said Edzo Wisman, CEO of Haygain, which has distributors in over 20 countries. “The idea followed Haygain being asked to provide hay steamers for the U.S. teams for the Pan American Games. When they came home from Lima, Peru with gold, silver, and bronze medals, we recognized the seeds of what will be a much broader partnership.
We’ve now donated steamers to the US Equestrian Teams to make sure team horses have healthy hay wherever they are representing the red, white and blue. Equally important, we are thrilled to offer a discount on all our products through the Member Perks program. At Haygain, it’s our priority that all horses be healthy and performing at their peak.”
Research on reducing equine respiratory risks at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, England, was the catalyst for Haygain’s formation in 2009. Our research led to the development of high-temperature hay steaming, which drastically reduces the dust, mold, bacteria and fungi found in even top quality hays around the world. Those breathable irritants are largely responsible for the respiratory problems that affect over 80 percent of active sport horses, often without obvious symptoms.
Haygain’s three hay steaming models reduce breathable irritants by 98 percent and have become must-haves for horse owners all over the world – from elite international competitors to all riders and owners who want the best care for their horses.
“We always strive to provide our athletes and members with access to the best products and technology available in the equestrian market and we are proud to announce this new partnership with Haygain. The research and data supporting the success and importance of this product, both in overall performance and general care, made this brand an important one for us to bring into the US Equestrian fold." states Bill Moroney, Chief Executive Officer, US Equestrian.
The US Jumping Team dominating the podium at this year's Longines FEI Nations Cup, held at Deeridge Farms in Wellington, February 16th, have more than girl power in common. Three of them, including the third-round jump-off closer, Beezie Madden, count on Haygain steamed hay to help maintain their horses' peak performance. Click HERE to read their story.
Haygain is committed to improving the respiratory and musculoskeletal health of horses through research and innovation. Numerous scientific trials have shown that Haygain's high-temperature steaming eliminates 99% of dust, mold, bacteria and fungi in hay; effectively removing the health threat from respirable dust.
Developed by riders, for riders, we understand the importance of clean forage and a healthy stable environment for maintaining the overall well-being of the horse. Our hay steamers are recommended by many of the world’s leading riders, trainers and equine veterinarians. Find out more by clicking on one of the links below.
]]>Legs are wrapped, hay net is full, water is easily accessible, and the
window is open so he can freely watch the countryside pass by. The horse seems all set for the long haul across a few states. Or is he really all set? It is true that most horses travel well long distance without much incidence but a horse is a horse and owners should always be alert of the unexpected. The longer the distance traveled, the greater the chance of shipping fever creeping in even under the seemingly most ideal traveling conditions. This nasty sickness settles into the horse’s respiratory system and can stay there for several weeks, even long after the horse is done traveling. With such a long recovery, it is exceedingly crucial that preventative measures are applied with precision and care, especially for performance horses.
Pleuropneumonia is the medical term for shipping fever and it involves fluid build up between the lungs and pleural cavity. The cavity itself is the space in between the two pleural sacs of continuous membrane that wrap around the lungs. In a normal, healthy pleural cavity, there can be found a small amount of serous fluid which provides ample lubrication for the lungs rubbing against the chest wall. When extra fluid enters this cavity that wraps around the lungs, large amounts of stress is placed on the horse’s lungs and breathing becomes very difficult and painful. The lungs are weighed down by the extra fluid and the lubrication has been disrupted.
One of the main contributors to horses developing shipping fever is the horse’s vulnerability to increased dust particles due to traveling. A horse’s respiratory system is highly sensitive to dust so its important that the horse is able to drain these particles from their system via their nostrils. Unfortunately, because horses are kept tied during the long ride, their heads are prevented from dropping so that the mucous catching the extra dust can drain from their nose. Coupled with a hay net chock full of dusty forage right next to their face and bedding that kicks up dust from stomping hooves, this is a recipe for a shipping fever disaster. The bacteria from this dusty environment is inhaled through their nose and is allowed to make its way further down the respiratory system until it finally lands in the pleural cavity around the lungs.
It’s never smart to make a horse travel without the bedding and the hay. When they are standing for long periods of time, the bedding provides extra cushion for their joints. Because horses need to forage continuously, hay is vital to have available for their digestive systems, especially while they stand with little to no movement for their digestive tract. Eliminating even one of these two things is never a good option but a couple of measures can be taken to prevent the onset of shipping fever arising from the use of hay and bedding.
A common way to address the issue of dust particles
from the hay is to soak the hay before transporting the horse. While this sounds like a good solution, research has shown that soaking the hay takes away the nutrients, increases chances of bacterial growth, and only dampens the dust particles. Steaming the hay at high temperatures, on the other hand, helps retain the nutrients in the hay, reduces the amount of water used, and reduces both bacterial and dust particles. To take this a step further, it’s better to avoid homemade steaming the hay as it only creates an equally viable atmosphere for bacteria as if the hay was simply soaked. Because commercial-grade Hay Steamers penetrate the hay itself, the heat is harnessed and directed only at the hay therefore the hay is prevented from becoming a harboring site for more bacteria build up.
While it does not always indicate shipping fever, mucus build up blocks the
path for air to pass through to the horse’s lungs and needs to be cleared. This is especially important for horses prone to travel sickness and performance horses as their ability to compete directly correlates with how well they are able to take in oxygen. Owners concerned about their horse’s well being after a long haul on the road can utilize a nebulizer with a saline solution. The nebulizer straps around the top of the horse’s head and allows the horse’s nose to sit comfortably inside while it uses a mix of natural and medicinal substances to break up the mucus in the airways.
While it is true that most horses can travel without much of a problem, special care should be taken the longer the distance traveled to avoid the onset of shipping fever. Old methods such as soaking hay only put a damper on the dust particles that trigger shipping fever while steaming the hay reduces them dramatically. Once the trip is over, rounding off all preventative measures with a Flexineb nebulizer to clear the airways and your horse stands a better chance at beating his odds against this nasty sickness.
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