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faq

The Solution

Haygain Hay Steamer

HAYGAIN Hay Steamers... they're all about your horse's health!

1. The Prevention of Respiratory Disease

Exposure of horses to mould and fungal spores can induce allergenic responses which may develop into permanent respiratory disorders.

While horses vary in their sensitivity to fungal spores, including Aspergillus spp, environmental conditions can sometimes lead to the production of fungal mycotoxins.

These fungal toxins not only challenge the respiratory system of your horse, but may also induce serious digestive and reproductive problems if left untreated.

2. Helps Manage an Existing Respiratory Condition

Respiratory diseases can be successfully managed by minimising the level of dust and fungal spores in the horse’s environment, particularly in the animal’s breathing zone. Since hay may contain high concentrations of spores and the horse’s nose is in the hay, it is vitally important to reduce this form of contamination by careful husbandry and management.

Click here for a range of useful tips

Ensure the stable is well ventilated to allow good circulation of fresh air. Air should enter the stable through open top doors, windows and vents. As the air warms from the horse’s body heat, it will rise and leave the stable at the highest point, creating a circulation of air.

Stored dry hay is an obvious source of fungal spores and dust so avoid storage too close to where the horse is stabled.

Good drainage within the stable will prevent the build-up of urine which contains ammonia, a respiratory irritant.

Dust-extracted large wood shavings, paper or cardboard are the most consistent types of bedding for containing minimal dust and fungal spores.

Concentrates fed in buckets may contain dust, which can be inhaled as the horse eats, amplified by the confined space of the bucket. This can be resolved by dampening down the feed with some water.

Move the horse out of the stable during mucking out as this generates a lot of airborne particles. Whenever possible, allow the dust to settle before the horse is put back. If the hay and feed are to be put in the stable after mucking out, then again this is best after the dust has settled.

Grooming generates dust and should ideally be carried out outside to avoid it accumulating in the stable.

Sensible stable and yard management, along with feeding HAYGAIN-steamed hay, will substantially reduce the conditions predisposing to respiratory disease.

3. Improves your Horse’s Performance

The ability of a horse to perform to its full potential is in part a reflection of the efficiency with which oxygen is transported from the lungs to the bloodstream and the muscles. Obstructed or otherwise unhealthy airways, usually resulting in laboured breathing, mean that the horse cannot take in enough oxygen for optimum performance.

4. Provides a Palatable Forage Complete with Essential Nutrients

Haygain Hay Steamer

HAYGAIN- steamed hay is a highly-palatable product and has been proven to be favoured by most horses over other forages. Unlike soaking, steaming ensures that the profile of essential nutrients is retained within the hay. Steaming, moreover, increases the palatability of hay of relatively low nutritional value thereby commending its use for horses with low nutrient requirements or for those with laminitis and other metabolic disorders.

Although of varying nutritional value, hay is always a valuable source of fibre which, besides providing slow-release energy, satisfies the physiological need of the horse to chew. This can help in preventing the development of “vices” among horses which have to be stabled for long periods. Typically containing 6-8% protein and a variety of minerals in readily-available form, hay, especially when steamed, can make an important contribution to the daily nutritional requirements of horses at various levels of work.

and Haygain Hay Steamers also benefit YOU by......

Save effort and sweat and breathe clearly

Ergonomically-designed and easy to use, HAYGAIN steamers deliver considerable benefits beyond those directly related to the horse’s health and nutrition. For those whose backs creak and ache as they drag nets of soaked hay from yard to box, welcome relief is at last at hand. Meanwhile, as their HAYGAIN steamer works to destroy moulds and spores, hay fever sufferers snuffle and sneeze that little bit less!