17/08/2021
Seeing these equine stars dance, gallop and soar on the world's biggest stage was ample reward for Haygain's contributions. And we can't help but brag a bit and recap the stories behind why a few of these athletes rely on Steamed Hay.
By Kim Miller | Equestrian Writer
Haygain is all about helping horses be healthy and capable of performing at their peak. Steamed Hay-powered equine athletes did exactly that in dressage, eventing and show jumping competition at the Tokyo Games. Several earned medals and many more did their riders, support teams and countries proud by giving their all and finishing strong.
Along with lavishing praise on their equine partners, Olympic equestrians were universal in sharing credit for their success with those behind the scenes. Haygain is proud to be among them.
“There are so many variables we worry about when traveling to overseas championships with our team horses," says Susan Johns, DVM, the USET Land Rover Eventing Team Veterinarian, of Haygain's help.
"In addition to the different allergens and dust they encounter in a foreign country, often we have to switch them to a different forage entirely. Haygain helps alleviate the stress that comes along with changing a significant portion of the horse’s diet so we can concentrate on other things — like making sure they’re feeling and performing at their best on the world stage.”
In helping several riders and teams have access to High Temperature Steamed Hay in Tokyo, Team Haygain surmounted several hurdles of its own -- most of them logistics related to COVID and the unique electricity supply in Japan. (Haygain also helped teams have Steamed Hay in the pre-export quarantine in Aachen, Germany).
Seeing these equine stars dance, gallop and soar on the world's biggest stage was ample reward for Haygain's contributions. And we can't help but brag a bit and recap the stories behind why a few of these athletes rely on Steamed Hay.
Eight of the top 10 show jumping teams had an assist from Haygain Steamed Hay. That includes the Gold Medal Swedes and the Silver Team USA. Both thrilled the world with their remarkable performances throughout the competition and especially in a jump-off that all came down to speed.
While the USA's Jessica Springsteen attracted legions of new fans to the sport, the rider and Haygain ambassador herself was laser-focused on the huge hurdles she and Don Juan van de Donkhoeve faced in the arena.
“With Haygain’s help, I can make sure the hay wherever I go is never dusty," noted Jessica early in her embrace of Steamed Hay. "It’s bacteria-free, so my horses don’t have any issues during competitions.”
Team USA's anchor pair, McLain Ward, and Beechwood Stables' Contagious, laid it all on the line in the Friday night jump-off. Knowing their time, Sweden's anchors, Peder Fredricson and All In, continued their remarkable Olympic streak with a gold-clinching time. Contagious doesn't have All In's backstory (yet!) but he has overcome some challenges to get to the top.
A few years ago, Contagious had a classic example of subtle respiratory challenges that can easily go unnoticed. "Even when he was fit, he'd sometimes lose steam at the end of a course," noted his at-home groom, Owen Rogers. It did not present as any kind of major health issue, but the meticulous care team at Ward's Castle Hill Farm wanted to address it. They turned to Steamed Hay for its ability to reduce respiratory irritants and allergens in his hay. Over three rounds of team jumping, there was certainly no hint of respiratory limitations.
This discipline's team and individual podiums were heavily stacked with Haygain Hay Steamers. Team Gold and Individual Silver Medalist, Germany's Isabell Werth, leads that list.
She's followed by fellow Haygain believer Charlotte Dujardin, Team and Individual Bronze Medalist. "We like to keep things as simple and natural as possible, and feeding clean hay is a great way to do that," explains the triple Olympic Gold medalist from 2012 and 2016.
USA Team Silver medalist Steffen Peters is relatively new to Haygain. His partner, Suppenkasper is now the world-famous #RaveHorse thanks to TikTok fame generated by his lovely Freestyle performance. Suppenkasper never had any health issues that led to adding Steamed Hay, but Steffen considers it an "integral part of our health program for our horses," he said during a spectacular string of successes in Florida early this year. "We have seen great improvements in their performance and overall wellness!”
In eventing, at least half of the top 10 teams included devout Haygain Hay Steamers, including members of the Gold British and Silver Australian teams.
Britain’s Team Gold and Individual Silver medalist Tom McEwen, in fact, recalls Haygain "making immediate sense to me." As one of Haygain's earliest adopters, he only recently replaced the original Hay Steamer he purchased shortly after its 2009 commercial debut.
We steam as a preventative measure," Tom explains. "I think the Haygain Steamed Hay seriously helps them. It's especially important because they do such strenuous activity. Haygain, for us, is really about peace of mind: knowing that we are surpassing the requirements for our horses."
For the humans in the equestrian partnership, that peace of mind may be Haygain's greatest benefit: knowing they've provided their horse every health advantage possible
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22/07/2021
Hay Steamers, The Forager and ComfortStall are entry points for path to well-being and peak performance.
By Kim Miller | Equestrian Writer
Mother Nature and modern science inspire The Haygain Way. It's a proactive approach to modern horse management that addresses multiple aspects of the horse's health, well-being and performance -- without medication.
The method arose from analysing how horses were designed to breathe, eat, rest and play in their natural state. Next, Haygain worked with university researchers, nutritionists, veterinarians and horse owners to design and extensively test stable equipment that supports natural states within the modern horse-keeping environment.
High Temperature Hay Steamers, The Forager slow feeder and ComfortStall Sealed Orthopaedic Flooring play related roles in The Haygain Way.
Hay Steamers produce irritant-free forage. The Forager enables that clean forage to be consumed slowly and in small quantities to suit how the horse was designed to digest it. When eating and between meals, the horse enjoys deep rest and muscle and joint recovery while living on ComfortStall.
By reducing breathable irritants in hay, Hay Steaming reduces them in the horse's breathing zone. ComfortStall does the same by minimizing bedding needs and unhealthy ammonia odours that come with urine accumulation.
Along with forage, traditional bedding and ammonia build-up are top contributors to unhealthy barn air that jeopardizes respiratory health.
The Haygain Way protects and promotes optimal respiratory, digestive and joint function, while boosting overall health and well-being. This is true for elite equine athletes, horses engaged in purely recreational pursuits and all the variations in between. Horse owners all over the world are embracing The Haygain Way.
Introduced in 2009, Haygain's flagship product was designed in conjunction with the Royal Agricultural University in the United Kingdom. The idea came from owners concerned about their horses' occasional coughs and compromised breathing. They suspected that forage was the problem and years of research results proved them right.
Even hay of ideal nutrient content is loaded with microscopic bits of dust, mold, bacteria and other allergens. These are main causes of irritation and inflammation in the upper airway and lungs, constricting airflow and the passage of oxygen from the lungs into the blood stream. Haygain High Temperature Hay Steaming eliminates up to 99% of the dust, mould, bacteria and other allergens commonly found in forage.
Steamed Hay helps prevent respiratory problems and helps manage them in horses with existing conditions. Unlike soaking hay to reduce dust, High Temperature Hay Steaming does not leach nutrients.
Haygain Steamed Hay has nearly triple the moisture content of dry hay, making it ideal for hydration and healthy digestive function. It's appealing scent and taste improve appetite in even the pickiest eaters.
Forage fresh from the Hay Steamer stays clean when fed in the Forager. The 28" tall slow feeder keeps hay off the floor, while allowing the horse to eat with its head down. This natural grazing position lets tiny particles drain from the respiratory tract while eating.
Regulator grids slow consumption pace and require the horse to pull small bites of hay over a long period of time. Because horses had to run from predators on a heartbeat's notice, their digestive system was designed for small quantities of forage consumed over 12 to 16 hours of the day. Ten hours is considered the minimum time horses should spend eating, and the Forager makes that possible for stabled horses. Horses on restricted diets do better eating more slowly, too.
More time eating means less time for pawing, weaving, cribbing and engaging in other boredom behaviours.
Whether eating or resting, horses benefit from time spent on this third component of the Haygain Way. A layer of proprietary orthopaedic foam provides built-in cushion for deep rest, sleep and joint recovery. The foam is covered by a single-piece, durable rubber TopCover™, which is sealed to the stall wall to create an impermeable surface.
Along with providing virtually no cushion, traditional stall mats allow urine and other fluids to seep to the stall base. The resulting accumulation of ammonia odours is a respiratory irritant. ComfortStall prevents these harmful accumulations. It also minimizes respiratory risks by minimizing the need for stall bedding, another major source of inhalable particles in the breathing zone. Because of its built-in cushion, ComfortStall only requires enough bedding to absorb and easily remove urine.
Because it addresses a wide range of horse health conditions, The Haygain Way is often discovered by horse owners seeking a solution for a specific challenge. Respiratory, joint and digestive function, and allergies, are common entry points to The Haygain Way.
Whether a horse owner comes to the Haygain Way through Hay Steaming, The Forager or ComfortStall, the benefits to their horse tend to make clear the synergistic benefits of its companion products.
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24/06/2020
Hot weather horse management keys on hydration, smart scheduling and maximizing breezes
By Kim Miller | Equestrian Writer
Nobody told the weather that summer didn't officially start until Sunday, the 20th of June. As of mid-June, a heatwave was predicted to scorch Britain through July. The CCI5*-L international eventing competition in Luhmühlen Germany kicked off in searing heat, and parts of California saw the mercury shoot above 43°C.
Almost everywhere, hot weather is arriving more often through the year and the "summer" season -- weather wise -- starts earlier and sticks around longer.
Whenever summer temperatures arrive, a simple statement applies: If you're hot, your horse is hotter!
Here's some tips for keeping your horse comfortable and healthy in the heat.
1. Schedule Smart: Gauge ride times and intensity to the temperature. Exercise in cooler parts of the day and choose a shady trail stroll over a jump school if it's excessively hot.
2. Maintain fitness & weight: As with people, a horse in good fitness and weight for its life stage and workload is best equipped to handle the extra physiological stresses that come with high heat.
3. Hydrate: Provide cool, clean water at all times, including during breaks in sustained exercise sessions. Monitor intake to prevent dehydration: the average horse drinks between five and 10 gallons of water a day, more with exertion and hot weather.
Normally enthusiastic drinkers might be less so while travelling or at competitions. Know their baseline intake at home and experiment to determine what additives -- electrolytes or honey, for example -- your horse seems to like and travel with them to whet his thirst.
Welcome ways to get more moisture into the diet. Haygain Steamed Hay, for example, has nearly three times the water content of dry hay.
4. Provide Shade: Ideal pasture shade includes trees and open-sided shelters, so breezes help keep things cool. If no shaded paddocks, schedule turn-outs during the coolest time of the day.
5. Provide Ventilation for Stabled Horses: Capitalize on the fact that heat rises, which draws in air. Open windows, doors, skylights. Fans are good if cords and blades can be secured out the horse's reach. Maintain a low-dust stable environment so that airflow does not stir respirable particles into the horse's breathing zone: heat and humidity are hard enough on the respiratory system!
6. Stable Smart: Flooring that does not absorb heat is ideal. The foam used in Haygain's ComfortStall Sealed Orthopaedic Flooring, for example, is a closed-cell structure that prevents heat from passing through it.
Further, bacteria flourishes in hot weather, especially when combined with moisture. Regular stall cleaning and flooring that prevents the accumulation of urine at the stall base are smart steps in minimizing bacteria growth and maintaining good barn air quality to support respiratory health -- for horses and their people.
7. Careful Cooling: Horses cool down more slowly than people. That's partly due to a higher percentage of heat-producing muscle mass and a less-favourable ratio of body mass to surface area through which heat escapes.
After exercise, keep walking long enough for muscles to recover and respiratory rate to return to normal: typically between 10 to 24 breaths a minute. Hose down with cool water and scrape off excess water. Repeat. As happens when horses sweat, the evaporation of water from the skin helps lower body temperature.
8. Dress for Success: Heat usually escalates along with the annoyance of flies and other insects. Mesh blankets and masks can reduce that without making the horse hotter. Non-breathable materials -- on backs, bodies and legs, do the opposite, so pick summer horse wear carefully.
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16/06/2020
Dressage superstar and horse health company team up over shared priorities.Ingrid Klimke is a German eventing rider and has attended five Olympics from 2000 to 2016, and has won two gold medals in team eventing, at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. At the 2016 Summer Olympics she won a team silver with Hale-Bob. In January 2012 she was appointed to the position of "Reitmeister" (Riding Master, a special title of the German Equestrian Federation). Klimke is the second woman ever to be appointed as "Reitmeister".
What Ingrid says about steaming hay with a Haygain Hay Steamer -
“Not only I like Haygain very much, but especially the horses. They all love to eat the hay from the Haygain and I found out in Tryon at the World Championships that my favourite hero Bobby really likes it a lot. So we decided we would take it at home and we take a Haygain to the shows, it’s dust free and so it is very good for the breathing and especially they keep eating all the show long.”
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2/05/2021
By Kim Miller | Equestrian Writer
Horses in their natural habitat spend over half their day eating. Between 12 and 16 hours are spent with their head lowered, grazing forage that ranges from easy-to-get grasses to blades and stems that are hard to extract and often contain very little caloric energy.
It’s a way of life that leads to virtually zero colic, ulcers, excess weight and metabolic imbalances. Cribbing, weaving and other boredom behaviours are non-issues.
Very few horses live that way these days.
Most riding horses live in settings where stable management realities dictate feeding schedules and methods. Delivered only two or three times a day, meals often consist of high-energy concentrate processed feeds with little to no forage available throughout the day. Most horses spend only 10 percent of their day eating, versus the eight to 10 hours considered a minimum for physical and mental well-being.
Receiving only intermittent, small meals alerts the body's food-scarcity mechanisms, including stress over the whereabouts of their next meal. The gaps between meals trigger fat storage, increasing the chance of obesity. And, less time spent chewing throughout the day means less production of saliva that protects against gastric ulcers. Unlike the human digestive system, the horse's gut produces acid all the time and it is only neutralised by saliva.
Haygain’s Forager brings nature’s genius to healthy horse management. Designed in conjunction with the Royal Agricultural University in the U,K., the Forager has unique features that resulted from extensive research – Haygain’s hallmark. These make it an ideal stable management solution for many reasons.
Holding approximately 12kg of hay, the 72cm tall Forager enables the lowered-head eating position nature intended.
A regulator grid with holes of different sizes sits on top of the hay. The horse pulls hay through one bite at a time, ensuring slow consumption and smaller bites. The extra chewing that is required maintains saliva flow which becomes a buffer between the stomach lining and the naturally-occurring acids waiting there to digest food. Saliva is a good natural defence against ulcers that affect one in three leisure horses
Boredom Busting: Pulling pieces of forage through the regulator grid is a natural, healthy and more fulfilling pastime than cribbing, stall weaving and other vices.
Extended mealtimes are especially helpful for horses on restricted diets. Measuring heart rate and eye blink frequency as stress level indicators, the aforementioned study showed metrics that were very close to each participant's baseline when eating out of the Forager.
Respiratory Health: Haygain's Forager keeps the hay separate from stall bedding, a huge source of dust, mould, bacteria and other inhalable particles that can irritate and harm the respiratory system. The Forager’s 72cm height facilitates a natural, lowered-head eating position used by grazing horses. This allows for exhalation and drainage of breathable particles present in all hay.
Inviting Design: Four openings between the side walls of the circular shaped Forager allow ventilation and light that encourages the horse to delve deeply into their forage. Even the top ring’s light colour was chosen for its proven appeal to horses.
Less Waste: Separating forage from the floor eliminates waste of hay that otherwise gets walked into the bedding, manure and urine. It also reduces the risk of ingesting sand and dirt.
Safety: The regulator is constructed of sturdy, durable, yet flexible engineered plastic. The Forager grid slows the horse without frustrating it. Dental damage that can occur with metal grids is not an issue.
Convenience: The Forager's exterior grey ring lowers as the horse eats down his hay supply, providing an easy-to-see consumption level. The regulator’s click-and-secure system allows effortless filling of the Forager and grid swapping.
The unit’s base can be filled with sand for stand-alone stability in the stall or outside. It can also be secured to a wall using built-in fixing points. Drains at the base ease cleaning and let out rainwater. Assembly and disassembly are easy for travel and cleaning.
Haygain is proud to include the Haygain Forager in its roster of science-backed horse health products. Along with Haygain Hay Steamers and Haygain ComfortStall Sealed Orthopaedic Flooring, the Forager is an important part of natural, healthy horse care.
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14/04/2021
Breakthroughs in equine allergy research confirm that allergen avoidance remains the best horse health strategy.
By Kim Miller | Equestrian Writer
While much of the world only recently learned the health hazards of microscopic airborne particles, horses have been struggling with their impact for eons - whether their owners know it or not. Allergic reactions that manifest as compromised respiratory function, skin problems, general malaise and poor performance start as tiny airborne particles that infiltrate, irritate and trigger inflammation inside the horse's body.
As with people, inflammation anywhere in the horse's body is bad. In the equine respiratory tract, it impedes the flow of oxygen needed for all cells to function, especially muscles. Deep in the lungs where gaseous exchange transfers oxygen to the blood stream and removes lactic acid from the muscles during exertion, inflammation restricts both these critical processes.
Equine nutritionist and digestive physiology expert Meriel Moore-Colyer, PhD, is excited about new findings regarding allergens that affect horses. As a graduate dean and professor at the Royal Agricultural University in England, she supervised a recent breakthrough study that evaluated almost 400 potential allergens from a blood sample.
Bronchoalveolar lavage (a lung wash) has been the standard for identifying allergens in the respiratory system. But this procedure is invasive and requires the horse to rest for a week or so afterward.
Conducted by Samuel White, PhD candidate, MSc, BSc, the study included 12 equine subjects with Severe Equine Asthma, a condition at the most extreme end of the Equine Asthma Spectrum. Each was exposed to the same potential allergens in a controlled environment, and blood samples revealed which triggered a reaction represented by antigens.
This was the largest scale allergen assessment in Severe Equine Asthma horses to date. The results established a wide range of previously unidentified allergens and highlighted fungi and mites as the main reactants. Pollen and latex were newly identified as a problem for horses, as they are for many people. At an average size of 6-8 microns, pollen had previously been thought to be too big a particle to infiltrate the lungs. They've now been identified as extremely potent allergens.
This initial study established a sound platform for future diagnostics by providing a reliable, fast, repeatable method for screening of potential allergens. Crucially, it enables targeted allergen-avoidance regimes, which are the cornerstone to treatment.
The results of White's study and the fast-evolving body of knowledge on allergens speak to the complexity of the subject. For example, it's known that repeated exposure to an allergen will cause a progressively more severe response, whether that's coughing, wheezing or decreased capacity to use oxygen at lower levels of exertion.
It was generally thought that horses with hypersensitivy to insect bites were more likely to be vulnerable to various allergens, but that's now in question. "A horse that is a generally allergic character will probably have a heightened reactivity to all sorts of things, but that's not always the case," explains Moore-Colyer. "Determining if one reaction can predict another is one of many areas we are looking into."
Scientists thrive on these questions, but horse owners only need to know one thing regarding allergens. "Allergen avoidance is the cornerstone to effective prevention," asserts Moore-Colyer.
The easiest and most effective way to do that is using a Haygain Hay Steamer, which Moore-Colyer helped develop and tested extensively before the product's commercial launch in 2009. Using steam heated to 212°F (100°C) and injected evenly through hay in a thermally sealed chest, this process reduces up to 99% of the dust, mold, fungi, bacteria and other allergens found in hay.
While affordable, commercial applications of White's discoveries are a ways off, hay steaming gives horse owners immediate access to the best way of reducing allergy risks in the horse keeping environment.
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30/03/2021
Five weeks after EHV-1 took its first horse at Venturing Hills Equestrian Farm, another two had been lost despite remarkable efforts to reverse the highly aggressive and infectious virus' course. Staff and volunteers at the Luskville, Quebec boarding, training and lesson facility are living at the barn to monitor and care for the horses.
Taking temperatures every two hours, administering anti-viral medications and implementing extensive biosecurity measures have been round-the-clock endeavors since the first victim, Eddie, was lost on Feb. 3.
By Kim Miller | Equestrian Writer
As of March 16, one horse believed to be recovered had spiked a new high temperature and was fighting for its life. That further extended the horizon on which a sigh of relief could confidently be taken.
"It was like watching a drunk person try to walk a straight line," Venturing Hills' Rae Anne Becke told webcast host Laura Kelland-May in describing Eddie's "out of the blue" symptoms that afternoon of Feb 3.
From that incident around 4:30 in the afternoon, and even with the support of emergency veterinary care, he was gone by 11 pm. Shortly after, tests determined it was the neurological strain of the EHV-1 virus.
EHV, the equine herpesvirus, is endemic to the equine population: it resides in most horses in a dormant state, but can be reactivated and shed in respiratory secretions. The EHV-1 strain associated with neurological disease is rare. It was this variant that showed up at Venturing Hills and led to outbreaks in Europe and the U.S. in February and March.
Although EHV is a respiratory disease, respiratory symptoms including nasal discharge, cough and labored breathing are not always early warning signs. They were, however, for some of the affected horses at Venturing Hills.
In the case of Rae's beloved 6-year-old pony, Winnie, it was a cough. In hindsight, the pony's progressively worse cough was probably the earliest sign of EHV-1, Rae reflects. Initially it presented without a temperature, the more common symptom of the disease. It was disturbing, especially when medications, supplements and other treatments did not lessen it. Yet it did not raise red flags regarding infectious disease. A few days later, a fever caught up to what had progressed to a cough producing "chunks of blood."
In pre-COVID and pre-EHV-1 times, Rae juggles management of Venturing Hills horses, barn and thriving multi-level lesson program with an eventing career in ascent mode. Selena O'Hanlon is one of her coaches and it was through the Canadian Olympic eventer that Rae knew the benefits of Haygain Steamed Hay. On Selena's recommendation, Rae's father, Peter Becke, "being the hero that he is," purchased two full-bale HG2000 Hay Steamers delivered in a rush.
Since early in Venturing Hills' ongoing odyssey, the steamers have been going nearly 24 hours a day, Rae reports. Haygain Hay Steaming rids up to 99% of the dust, mold, fungi, and bacteria found even in hay of good nutritional quality. Any of these microscopic irritants could become a final straw for respiratory and immune systems already burdened by EHV-1 in its respiratory-only form or its more severe neurological manifestation. Even if the tiny particles don't contain pathogens, their presence in the respiratory system can irritate and inflame the surface, restricting airflow and easy breathing.
In Winnie's case, steamed hay was the only measure that reduced the severity of her cough. For the rest of the horses, steamed hay's appetizing smell and taste continue to help with challenges common to any illness: loss of appetite and dehydration. The increased appeal of steamed hay and a moisture content three times that of dry hay address both.
"Another beautiful thing about the hay steamers is that we can share the hay nets because they are safe, clean and ready to go," Rae adds. The highly infectious nature of EHV-1 requires extensive biosecurity measures. These include isolating sick and healthy horses and those awaiting test results, and not sharing any equipment or surface that could be a fomite for the shed virus. What sounds manageable on a list of protocols is a complicated, labor-intensive challenge to enact 24/7 in a barn with 40 horses. Using steamed nets greatly eased the feeding process. "That alone made the hay steamers worthwhile," Rae says.
The loss of any horse is tragic. At Venturing Hills, the three losses directly impact an unusually broad range of people because they were stars of the equestrian center's beginning and introduction-to-competition program. "We wanted to share horses and riding with everyone," says Rae of why they began the inclusive and welcoming riding school several years ago. "Those horses enabled so many people to get involved in the sport."
One of those students co-leases Winnie and has been by the pony's side throughout. "She and her mom and sisters come every night to brush Winnie and walk her and provide that love and care," Rae says. The family's concern is mirrored on a broader level by the community response to a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the enormous costs of round-the-clock care, anti-viral and other medications, extra labor and a long list of additional expenses. These piggyback months of lost income during COVID-19 lockdowns.
Venturing Hills is a family endeavor in the broadest sense. "Yes, we compete in Florida, but we also offer riding in whatever form everybody wants," Rae explains. "Whether we are participating in the Ottawa Valley Hunt or riding out on trail, our team is our family at the farm."
That family has pulled off a remarkable feat in keeping their losses to three horses. Although the road to anything resembling normalcy is long, supporters far and wide hope that the worst is behind them.
Donations to help cover Venturing Hills' extensive costs are greatly appreciated and can be made here.
Photos courtesy of Venturing Hills GoFundMe page.
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27/10/2020
Just as the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to be slightly easing its toll on people, horses fell victim to their own fast-spreading virus with dire health consequences: the equine herpes virus, aka 'EHV'
By Kim Miller | Equestrian Writer
Canadian horses were the first to suffer in the current outbreaks, starting in early February. The "extremely aggressive and infectious" disease continues to be a crisis for Canadian horses and the equine industry. In late February, EHV was reported at a jumping event in Spain. As of March 3, 10 European countries had shut down FEI competition to help contain the spread. In the United States, four EHV-1 cases have been reported, two in Florida and one each in Pennsylvania and California. In the latter two states, both horses were euthanized.
The situation is evolving daily in all affected regions.
EHV is highly contagious. It spreads through direct horse-to-horse contact, usually through nasal discharge. It can also be picked up when shed onto any surface: i.e. feed buckets, grooming gear, tack trunks.
There are several strains of the equine herpes virus. Unfortunately, the current outbreak's source is the most severe and contagious: the EHV-1 that is associated with the neurological disease equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy.
The incubation period for EHV-1 is typically 4-6 days, but can be as short as 24 hours or longer than 4-6 days. A fever is often the only warning sign of the neurological disease, which reaches its peak impact usually within 24 to 48 hours of the initial symptoms. Respiratory infection indicators like discharge from the nose and eyes can, but don't necessarily, precede neurological signs.
Incoordination, hind limb weakness, loss of tail tone, lethargy and leaning against something to maintain balance are among the clinical signs. EHV-1 can also cause abortion, neonatal death and respiratory disease.
Best practices include temperature monitoring for early symptoms and isolation of any horse infected or at risk of exposure to an infected horse or area where the virus might be have been shed. Extensive bio security measures are critical to minimize spread.
While hay is loaded with microscopic, harmful particles, forage is not typically a host for EHV viruses unless an affected horse has touched it. However, forage that is free of those respirable particles can help EHV patients stabilize and recover.
Haygain high-temperature steaming's ability to rid hay of 99% of those particles enables the affected horse's immune system to focus on fighting EHV. The horse's already-weakened state won't be worsened by having to battle the effects of respirable dust, mould, bacteria and other allergens commonly found even in hay of good nutrient content.
Any equine illness is often accompanied by loss of appetite and dehydration. Research confirms that most horses prefer steamed hay over dry, so it helps get patients back on their nutrition plan. The increased moisture content - three times that of dry hay - is beneficial for hydration and digestion.
Since well before this outbreak, prominent European sport horse veterinarian Dr Emmanuelle Van Erck Westergren has insisted her clients feed their horses Haygain steamed hay. It's even more beneficial now, she explains
“We need to keep the airways as healthy and strong as we possibly can. We need to alleviate the microbial burden as much as possible to avoid unnecessary respiratory complications caused by the virus. Potential complications include bacterial or fungal infections."
A history of asthma or other respiratory issues especially warrants the precautionary benefits of steamed hay. "Any noxious stimulation can precipitate the recurrence of an asthma attack," Dr. Van Erck Westergren adds.Incoordination, hind limb weakness, loss of tail tone, lethargy and leaning against something to maintain balance are among the clinical signs. EHV-1 can also cause abortion, neonatal death and respiratory disease.
Best practices include temperature monitoring for early symptoms and isolation of any horse infected or at risk of exposure to an infected horse or area where the virus might be have been shed. Extensive bio security measures are critical to minimize spread.
Haygain's ComfortStall Sealed Orthopedic Flooring aids important stable bio-security measures because it can be disinfected. Its layer of orthopedic foam is covered with a single-piece rubber top cover sealed to the stall wall. In use daily for over 10 years at the Cornell Veterinary Hospital surgery center, ComfortStall is easily cleaned. Fluids don't seep down to the stall base and are easily mopped up, enabling thorough cleaning between residents.
The layer of orthopedic foam provides cushion, support and traction. Bedding is not needed for cushion, reducing the quantity of materials that could retain and spread a shed virus.
Calling your horse's veterinarian is always the first step to addressing concerns: all the more so if EHV-1 exposure is feared because the disease can progress and spread so fast. British Equestrian has extensive resources on preventing and managing EHV and tracking the status of the disease's spread. Click here to access them.
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22/01/2021
David Britnell’s Equine Eventing Partner Overcomes Sinusitis with Steamed Hay & Flexineb's Help.
By Kim Miller | Equestrian Writer
David Britnell and Continuity share the distinction of being the only horse/rider combination to contest both the Badminton Grassroots competition and the Badminton CCI5*. In their so far 12-year partnership, they've learned and conquered each level together.
The happy bookend of a 2019 Badminton CCI5* finish, however, almost didn't happen.
After a terrific 2017 together, Continuity, aka "Brad," was sidelined by a sinus infection in 2018. They had had a solid CCI4* debut and were contesting the Eventing Riders Master series before the issue waylaid them.
Viscous discharge from only one nostril was a clear indicator of the sinusitis that presented most dramatically one morning on return from a conditioning gallop. Additionally, Brad was "uncomfortable and unsettled," that day, David recalls
Diagnosing the sinus issue was relatively simple, but knowing the cause was not. As in humans, a bacterial infection is usually to blame. Often it migrates from an upper respiratory infection or a diseased or broken tooth.
Also as in humans, some horses are more prone to sinus issues than others and Brad seemed relatively susceptible. Preventing a recurrence is a priority in Brad's care.
Two Haygain products have been "100%" responsible for keeping Brad problem free, David shares: Haygain high temperature steaming and the Flexineb Portable Equine Nebuliser.
The horses at David Britnell Eventing in Bedfordshire eat dry hay or haylage, steamed as required. Haygain's high temperature steaming process eliminates up to 99% of the dust, mould, bacteria and other allergens commonly found even in hay and haylage of good nutritional quality. The clean forage that results is important for preventing respiratory problems for all horses. For those prone to sinusitis, steamed hay's hygienic quality reduces the chance of a recurrence.
The Flexineb Nebuliser aerosolizes medications, antibacterial and/or saline solutions and propels them through the upper respiratory system and deep into the lungs. In the off-season, Brad gets three to four sessions of nebulised saline a week. As the competition season gets underway, David plans to add nebulised EquiSilver to the routine. This natural product contains chelated silver with anti-microbial properties.
David credits the one-two punch of Haygain steamed haylage and nebulised treatments with enabling Brad to resume his upward trajectory in international eventing. "It has made a massive difference for our horses' performance," he notes of the products.
Last fall, David moved out of his family's farm onto his own yard in Bedfordshire, with his partner and fellow equestrian Fleur Manyweathers. Expansive off-road hacking, indoor and outdoor schools and spacious stables in an airy American-style barn are among the amenities allowing David to expand his plan for international competition, coaching at all levels and horse development. "It's a big step because we can produce more event horses, run clinics and take on more clients," he explains. "And it's closer to more show venues."
David is a third-generation horseman. His mother, Dawn Britnell, operated a riding school where he learned his craft and also the patience critical to good horsemanship. "I only started riding at 13 when an ex-riding school pony called Timmy came back from being on loan," he explains.
His inherited horse sense merges with an interest in current research into all things that help horses. "I am keen to examine new and innovative products and husbandry techniques," he notes. "It's important to me that there is clear evidence for the way I do things and the products I use."
That's one of the reasons Haygain steaming made sense to him when he learned about while visiting the company's vendor booth at the Burghley Horse Trials.
He and Brad, now 17, are hoping for a Badminton CCI5* return this May. Whenever the pandemic allows their impressive career to continue, David will always be grateful to his special horse and partner.
"Without him, I wouldn't be talking to you now," he notes. He's grateful to Haygain, too, for keeping Brad in and at the top of his game.
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19/01/2021
Amid breakthroughs in equine allergy research, avoiding allergens all together remains best strategy for supporting horse health.
By Kim Miller | Equestrian Writer
While much of the world only recently learned the health hazards of microscopic airborne particles, horses have been struggling with their impact for eons - whether their owners know it or not. Allergic reactions that manifest as compromised respiratory function, skin problems, general malaise and poor performance start as tiny airborne particles that infiltrate, irritate and trigger inflammation inside the horse's body.
As with people, inflammation anywhere in the horse's body is bad. In the equine respiratory tract, it impedes the flow of oxygen needed for all cells to function, especially muscles. Deep in the lungs where gaseous exchange transfers oxygen to the blood stream and removes lactic acid from the muscles during exertion, inflammation restricts both these critical processes.
"Dust" is the innocent-sounding description of the conduit for mould, fungi, bacteria and other allergens that activate inflammation, the body's defense against all foreign matter. Unfortunately, most horses' biggest source of nutrition, hay, is loaded with these allergens. This is true even in hay of good nutrient quality and that looks and smells untainted.
Hay is grown in microbe-rich soil, transported on highways and stored in environments that can often accelerate the growth of whatever contaminants it contained at harvest or picked up en route to the barn. That hazy cloud that emerges from a shaken flake of hay illustrates this dangerous element in most horses' breathing zone.
Equine nutritionist and digestive physiology expert Meriel Moore-Colyer, PhD, is excited about new findings regarding allergens that affect horses. As a graduate dean and professor at the Royal Agricultural University in England, she supervised a recent breakthrough study that evaluated almost 400 potential allergens from a blood sample.
Bronchoalveolar lavage (a lung wash) has been the standard for identifying allergens in the respiratory system. But this procedure is invasive and requires the horse to rest for a week or so afterward.
Conducted by Samuel White, PhD candidate, MSc, BSc, the study included 12 equine subjects with Severe Equine Asthma, a condition at the most extreme end of the Equine Asthma Spectrum. Each was exposed to the same potential allergens in a controlled environment, and blood samples revealed which triggered a reaction represented by antigens.
This was the largest scale allergen assessment in Severe Equine Asthma horses to date. The results established a wide range of previously unidentified allergens and highlighted fungi and mites as the main reactants. Pollen and latex were newly identified as a problem for horses, as they are for many people. At an average size of 6-8 microns, pollen had previously been thought to be too big a particle to infiltrate the lungs. They've now been identified as extremely potent allergens.
This initial study established a sound platform for future diagnostics by providing a reliable, fast, repeatable method for screening of potential allergens. Crucially, it enables targeted allergen-avoidance regimes, which are the cornerstone to treatment.
The results of White's study and the fast-evolving body of knowledge on allergens speak to the complexity of the subject. For example, it's known that repeated exposure to an allergen will cause a progressively more severe response, whether that's coughing, wheezing or decreased capacity to use oxygen at lower levels of exertion.
It was generally thought that horses with hypersensitivy to insect bites were more likely to be vulnerable to various allergens, but that's now in question. "A horse that is a generally allergic character will probably have a heightened reactivity to all sorts of things, but that's not always the case," explains Moore-Colyer. "Determining if one reaction can predict another is one of many areas we are looking into."
Scientists thrive on these questions, but horse owners only need to know one thing regarding allergens. "Allergen avoidance is the cornerstone to effective prevention," asserts Moore-Colyer.
The easiest and most effective way to do that is using a Haygain Hay Steamer, which Moore-Colyer helped develop and tested extensively before the product's commercial launch in 2009. Using steam heated to 212°F (100°C) and injected evenly through hay in a thermally sealed chest, this process reduces up to 99% of the dust, mold, fungi, bacteria and other allergens found in hay.
While affordable, commercial applications of White's discoveries are a ways off, hay steaming gives horse owners immediate access to the best way of reducing allergy risks in the horse keeping environment.
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20/12/2020
In this Q&A, Equine Sports Medicine expert Kate Allen, BVSc, PhD, offers advice on recognising respiratory challenges in their early and most treatable form.
By Kim Miller | Equestrian Writer
The long list of impressive acronyms after Dr. Kate Allen's name reflects her many years of academic study, research and hands-on veterinary experience, all with an emphasis on equine sports medicine that is her specialty and expertise.
She also has extensive saddle time, including upper-level eventing. That gives Dr. Allen a visceral sense of the respiratory system's role in whether or not the large, immovable obstacles are safely sailed over or the timers crossed punctually after a many-mile, high-speed gallop.
Journalist Kim F Miller enjoyed quizzing Dr. Allen on how respiratory problems are detected, prevented, managed and treated and how all that has evolved in her practice of caring for high-end race and sport horses.
Dr. Allen is a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' Recognized Specialist in Equine Sports Medicine. Her degrees and certifications include BVSC, PhD, CertEM, DipACVSRM and MRCVS.
Kim: How did your interest and expertise in respiratory health evolve?
Dr. Allen: I've always dealt with the medicine aspects of treating the horse as an athlete. Respiratory function became a focus because, in racehorses, it is the limiting factor to performance.
Any degree of respiratory disease, even very mild respiratory disorder, is going to impact performance.
Kim: What changes have you seen in recognition of respiratory problems and their role in performance.
Dr. Allen: Going back over a decade or so, when a horse was presented to the vet for respiratory disease, it was often quite obvious symptoms and a severe case of what we now call Equine Asthma. The horses came to us after acute asthmatic episodes: a heaving horse or pony, for example.
We don't see that so much anymore. There's been a gradual transition to seeing horses with mild signs of chronic asthma: like coughing, at rest or exercise. Now, there is such a focus on optimizing performance and the progression of diagnostic testing, I now see horses in which the signs are pretty subtle.
A large proportion of the horses I work with are racehorses and moderate to high level jumping and dressage horses. In those populations, the symptoms are rarely obvious.
Kim: Do the people who care for horses in these groups differ in why and when they suspect respiratory problems?
Dr. Allen: Yes. Some of the racing yards have 100 horses, whereas the eventing rider might have 10. So, the eventing rider probably knows each horse better. The race trainer is more reliant on performance: did the horse perform to expectations on the day? Whereas the event rider might pick up more subtle signs between competitions.
Kim: What are those subtle signs?
Dr. Allen: Even a single cough, at rest or exercise, is something an owner should call their vet about. People cough to clear their throat, but horses don't. It can be an early sign of respiratory disease. Nasal discharge, at rest or exercise, and made worse by exercise, is another. White, frothy discharge is a sign, whereas a clear, dry, small amount of discharge after exercise is less worrisome.
Kim: What about respiratory recovery rate?
Dr. Allen: Prolonged respiratory recovery rate is a big thing I get called about: horses that seem to puff a long time after exertion.
Respiratory recovery rate is more difficult to monitor than heart rate. There is a lack of equipment to accurately measure respiratory rate during and after exercise, so we vets know less about it. It is affected by many factors: fitness, how strenuous the exercise session was, temperature, etc. So, it's difficult for owners to know when respiratory rate recovery is appropriate and what the number might indicate regarding their horse's health.
However, if two similar type event horses did the same work on the gallops, and one had recovered quickly by the time they had reached the stable, but the other was still blowing hard, that would be an indication that something wasn’t quite right – most likely with the second horse's fitness/ training level or with the respiratory system.
Kim: Is knowing and monitoring my horse's at-rest respiration rate useful?
Dr. Allen: Yes. We would normally say 8 to 16 breaths per minute when resting quietly in the stable is the normal range. If your horse's at-rest respiratory rate goes up, that's probably a sign of more significant respiratory disease.
The pattern of the breathing is important, too. In humans, there is something called "breathing pattern disorder" or "dysfunctional breathing." It's early days, but we think something like that exists in horses, too. In addition to the rate of breathing, you should look for regular or irregular breathing patterns and how often your horse is taking big sighs to expand their lungs.
Kim: When would poor performance tip you off to a respiratory issue?
Dr. Allen: Musculoskeletal issues are the #1 cause of poor performance, followed by respiratory, then gastric issues. If I didn't know what was going on with the horse, I'd first look at it from the lameness standpoint, then a general clinical exam, listening to the heart and lungs. Fairly soon after that, I'd scope the airways and, potentially, the stomach.
Kim: What lung sounds indicate a respiratory problem?
Dr. Allen: First, I look at breathing rate, pattern and effort. Then, with a stethoscope, I listen for a normal breathing in and out pattern. With asthma, you start to pick up wheezes, particularly on the exhale. However, the horse can still have respiratory problems that can't be picked up on a stethoscope.
Kim: Why does an asthmatic horse only wheeze on the exhale?
Dr. Allen: Because asthma narrows the airways, so the wheezing comes from more breath moving through a smaller passageway.
Kim: When is a respiratory exam part of a pre-purchase exam or routine wellness exam?
Dr. Allen: With a pre-purchase exam, the complaint that would prompt that tends to be abnormal noise during exercise indicating a structural or functional abnormality in the upper airway. As long as a clinical exam indicates normal respiratory function, it's less likely we'd do further respiratory diagnostic investigations as part of a pre-purchase.
For general wellness exams, that's pretty case dependent. For horses in "regular" work, this will involve annual vaccinations and a fairly simple look at the heart and lungs. For high end eventers and other sporthorses, the end of the season might warrant a thorough exam including a tracheal wash to look for indicators of airway inflammation. And racehorses in the UK have an endoscopy and tracheal wash several times during the season.
Kim: When is it enough to address respiratory concerns by just cleaning up the air in the horse's environment versus going ahead with a clinical exam.
Dr. Allen: That discussion should always be had between the veterinarian and the horse owner. Cleaning up the horse's environment is always a good thing, whether preventing or managing a respiratory problem. As for medications, a vet is unlikely to prescribe any without doing a thorough exam.
Kim: Prevention is always important. Is that even more true with respiratory problems?
Dr. Allen: Yes, and especially because many of the risk factors can be minimized with good stable management. You should never wait for a problem to arise. You want to prevent respiratory problems from the word go and keep the lungs as healthy as possible throughout the horse's life.
Not all cases on the mild end of the Equine Asthma Spectrum progress to more severe respiratory disease, and some more severe cases can be reversed or at least managed. However, the longer it is allowed to progress, the more time and expense will be needed for treatment and, most importantly, there could be some damage to the lungs themselves. And during that time, the horse's well-being and performance will suffer.
Kim: What preventative measures are most effective?
Dr. Allen: You want to look at everything in the horse's environment and how much time does your horse spend in that environment. It's easier to manage horses that live outside, but racehorses and many sport horses spend a lot of time inside.
Start with the ventilation. I much prefer that people put an extra rug on their horse and keep the stable windows open.
Look at the forage. A lot of race yards and a lot of my clients use the Haygain Hay Steamer, which eliminates up to 99% of the dust, mold, bacteria and other allergens commonly found in hay, even good quality hay. These are all microscopic irritants that can get into the airways and lungs, where they cause irritation and inflammation as the main triggers for Equine Asthma. I use a Haygain for my own horses.
Kim: What's going on with your own riding?
Dr. Allen: I have evented up to the old 3* level and I now have a lovely 5-year-old that I hope to begin competing in the spring.
Kim: Thank you!
Dr. Allen: My pleasure.
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January 7, 2021
Creating a truly clean living environment is the best, simplest and most proactive way to protect and improve horse health.
By Kim Miller | Equestrian Writer
Herringbone patterns raked into the barn aisle and an obsessively organized tack room often suggest a clean stable environment. Horses, however, don't give a hoot about that. If your New Year's resolution involves a clean barn, Haygain suggests rethinking what that means from your horse's perspective.
Creating a truly clean living environment is the best, simplest and most proactive way to protect and improve horse health. Stable air quality is important all year and especially in winter, when many horses spend most of their time inside.
Unfortunately, two substantial horse keeping components are the biggest contributors to unhealthy barn air: hay and bedding.
Even hay of good nutrient quality is loaded with dust, mold, fungi, bacteria and other potential allergens. As the horse nudges his nose into each meal, all that is inhaled and can travel through the upper airway and into the lungs. Along the way, these microscopic, invisible particles irritate the delicate lining of the respiratory tract and trigger inflammation. This is the root of respiratory challenges that affect over 80 percent of active sport horses, often without obvious symptoms. Even a single, sporadic cough can indicate a problem.
Clean hay is the key to prevention. Haygain high-temperature steaming is scientifically proven to eliminate up to 99% of the microscopic particles found in hay. Unlike soaking, it does not leach hay's nutrients.
Stall bedding is another major contributor to unhealthy barn air. It's tempting to equate quantity of shavings with quantity of love for our horses, but the opposite is true when considering stable management from a horse health perspective.
Haygain can help here, too. Therapeutic foam that is the core of its ComfortStall Sealed Orthopedic Flooring eliminates the need of bedding for cushion and comfort. Only enough shavings or pellets to absorb urine are needed, greatly reducing the amount of dust in the stall and barn. A small quantity of low-dust bedding is an ideal option.
Photo: Brooke Von Hoffmann
Equally important to barn air quality, ComfortStall's one-piece layer of durable rubber is sealed to the stall wall. This prevents urine from seeping through to the base as happens with traditional stall mats. The unhealthy and unpleasant accumulation of urine and ammonia is a non-issue with ComfortStall.
ComfortStall's unique construction and wall seal facilitates easy cleaning and sanitization. The flooring, in fact, is in daily use at Cornell University's Veterinary Hospital where it was installed in the surgery center over 10 years ago.
It can be hosed down and power-washed without worry of water seeping below the surface. Compared to the process of hauling out heavy stall mats for cleaning and digging and drying out deep wet spots in the stall base, ComfortStall is a low-labor choice for maintaining a truly clean, healthy barn.
Haygain steamed hay and ComfortStall flooring address the root causes of unhealthy barn air. With these proactive and practical steps, neatly raked barn aisles and beautifully hung bridles are icing on the cake for horse keeping that is clean in the ways that matter most.
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6/12/2020
Multi-faceted horseman Paul Gaff instantly recognizes the benefits of hay steaming.
By Kim Miller | Equestrian Writer
As horsemen go, Paul Gaff is a renaissance man. Along with being an international show jumper, he's a UKCC level 3 and BHS accredited coach, a horse breeder and young horse developer and his background includes high-level eventing and dressage competition. Whatever hat he's wearing, there's a common conviction that every horse, in every stage of development, requires the highest level of care and consideration.
"With my training and ridden work, I expect the same quality of work from my young horses as I do with my older horses, just in a lesser quantity. It's the same with feeding. With my 3-year-olds, we have no idea how good they are going to be, but we treat them with the same attention to detail and level of care as my 13-year-old horse that is jumping Grand Prix."
Preventing health issues is a priority in feeding programs at PG Sport Horses, Ltd, and that's why Haygain Steamed Hay has been a staple since Paul discovered it three years ago at the Badminton Horse Trials.
Before that, Paul had been soaking hay for a few of his horses to reduce dust. However, he recognized instinctively that soaking had many downsides. In fact, Haygain research demonstrates that soaking hay for just 10 minutes can increase its bacteria content by 150 percent. "Plus, if the hay is sitting in that water for very long, you know it's not going to be very palatable," Paul notes.
PG Sport Horses keeps its stables clean with help from a Kärcher Steam Cleaner, which is known for combating viruses and bacteria. So, high-temperature hay steaming made immediate sense to Paul as a means of doing the same for hay. Haygain steaming eliminates up to 99% of the dust, allergens, mold and bacteria found in hay and, unlike soaking, it preserves hay's nutrients. "When it was explained how it worked, I had to have one on the yard. I like feeding hay and as much of it as we can. Even with the highest quality hay, though, steaming is still important."
The yard has Haygain's biggest model, the HG2000, going most of the day, and Paul travels with the smallest unit, the HG One, to keep horses on consistently clean hay while away.
Protecting respiratory health and function is a top benefit of feeding clean hay. None of his horses show signs of respiratory problems and Paul trusts Haygain to help keep it that way. Palatability is another benefit the horseman has seen first-hand with a particularly fussy show mare. "Steamed hay is the only way I can get her to eat enough forage so that I'm happy she's getting enough fiber."
While cardiorespiratory performance is a more familiar topic among high performance eventing riders, Paul has an added appreciation for it since he switched to show jumping three years ago. "Even though the horses don't gallop for a long time as they do on cross-country, they've got to stay careful over big fences, and especially in big grass arenas and their natural undulations. You want to feel you can still push the horse in the jump-off. They've got to have great fitness and their oxygen supply has to be clear enough that you can do that."
The importance of peak respiratory function is well grasped at the highest end European show circuit, Paul senses. In other circles, however, it seems less understood. Paul uses Flair Nasal Strips to help his horses keep their nasal passages wide open during exertion for maximum airflow. By eliminating inflammation-inducing irritants from hay, Haygain facilitates full upper and lower airway function and maximum oxygen into the lungs and on through to the bloodstream.
"I'm fairly confident that no horses in my yard have a wind problem," Paul shares. "I just think if you can give them a one percent advantage that you didn't have if you weren't using something, then I want to do it."
The relatively quiet show year of 2020 has allowed Paul more time at home with his growing band of young horses and homebreds who live on a 300-acre farm in Buckinghamshire. The herd includes the first foal from Paul's promising 6-year-old stallion Jonagold (Cidane x Burggraf), and out of a Quidam de Revel mare. Plans are for Jonagold to compete at the 1.30-1.35M divisions in 2021. Meanwhile, the 9-year-old Chacco Boom (Chacco Blue) and Csiko (Douglass) are among horses poised for the bigger divisions.
Paul traces his passion for breeding and developing young horses to his early days as a student of Nick Gauntlett, who campaigned the famous eventing sire Chilli Morning. "Seeing the young stock from Chilli and the good mares he was put to showed me this exciting route to go down. Good horses are so expensive. Breeding is a longer journey but more affordable and I really enjoy producing the horses."
Approaching or in their prime competition years, horses in Paul's program have the best of everything when it comes to their well-being.
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19/12/2020
Groundbreaking research related to equine nutrition began with the premise that bacterial diversity would not differ dramatically between dry hay and hay soaked in water or steamed at high temperatures.
By Kim Miller | Equestrian Writer
Researchers at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, U.K., were wrong about that. It turns out the hay "biome" is affected differently by soaking and steaming, significantly more so than by hay type or where the hay came from. In the course of disproving one of the study's hypothesis, however, much was learned about the treatments' effect on the "good" and "bad" bacteria that constitute the hay biome.
Titled "The Hay Biome: Characterising the viable bacterial community profile of four different hays for horses following different pre-feeding regimens," the study was published this past November on PLoS ONE, the peer-reviewed scientific journal. It's the first study to look at the quantity and characteristics of bacteria in hay subjected to different pre-feeding treatments.
The research was prompted by the reality that soaking and steaming are increasingly common treatments for reducing dust in forage to protect and improve respiratory health. Soaking and steaming are also common for feeding horses that require a diet low in water soluble carbohydrates.
"Hay and the soil it's grown in are organic matter, so it's going to have some bacteria in it," explains Dr. Simon Daniels, a senior lecturer at the RAU and a member of the three-researcher team who designed and executed the study. "But we didn't know what those bacteria would be, whether they'd be viable and how they'd be affected by soaking or steaming." Most of the bacteria found in dry hay are non-pathogenic, he adds. The majority were plant or soil-based and/or those already found in the equine digestive system.
To compare the two pre-feeding treatments' effect on bacteria, four types of hay sourced from two locations in England were used: two mixed meadow grass hays and two of Italian rye grass, a monoculture. Samples were treated by either a 12-hour soak in tap water or one cycle in a Haygain High Temperature HG 600 steamer. The latter method injects steam at temperatures up to at least 100°C throughout hay in a thermally sealed chest.
Steaming proved most effective in reducing the overall bacteria populations in hay and it maintained the diversity of bacteria naturally found in dry hay. Steaming also reduced the bacteria associated with infectious respiratory disease and dental problems. "The dental issue is quite novel," says Dr. Daniels of a possible topic for further study. Additionally, steaming was found to preserve bacteria associated with the process of digesting forage. Steaming "denatured" the proteins of several types of bacteria, rendering them harmless in the horse's digestive system.
Prior to this study, this RAU team's work had clearly established that steaming reduced a substantial amount of problematic particles found in all hay. These include bacteria, fungi and yeast. "We didn't know exactly what was left, and whether remaining bacteria were viable or not," Dr. Daniels explains. "We've now found that most of the bacteria that do survive are not harmful. That was more luck than anything else."
Conversely, soaking was found to reduce the diversity of the bacteria profile in hay, largely because some bacteria thrive in water. Horses are used to eating forage with a diverse bacterial population so reducing the diversity is not necessarily a good thing. Soaking also increases undesirable and potentially harmful bacteria.
One example of these "bad" bacteria are "Gram-negative" bacteria. Most of these carry lipopolysaccharides, aka "endotoxins," that are potentially harmful if ingested. "It's amazing the bacteria that can be picked up in hay," Dr. Simon comments. "Once pathogens get into the body, they pose a potential threat to health." One specific Gram-negative, the proteobacteria, are common in water sources, so the scientists were not surprised to see them in soaked hay.
The study also detected in soaked hay pathogens found in infectious respiratory diseases. There is not yet a proven causal link between the two, Dr. Daniel clarifies, but a connection stands to reason.
Soil, hay and the equine gut are naturally loaded with bacteria. They flourish or fail in different environments and have impacts that range from harmless to dangerous. While there is much to be learned about their impact, this advance in understanding the effects of pre-feeding hay treatments leads to a simple conclusion for horse owners.
"Collectively, these findings add to a body of evidence that suggests high temperature steaming is the most suitable pre-feeding treatment for equine health," explains Dr. Daniels, a horse owner himself. That's true, too, for horses who need forage with low water soluble carbohydrates but don't have access to it. Steaming does reduce WSCs to varying degrees, but when a dramatic decrease is needed, soaking leeches this nutrient more effectively, along with the many beneficial nutrients in hay.
"If you need to long-soak your hay because your horse is obese or prone to laminitis, then it's sensible to pop the hay in the steamer afterwards," Dr. Daniels concludes.
Dr. Daniels conducted the study with Dr. Meriel Moore-Colyer, a Professor and Graduate Dean at the Royal Agricultural University, and RAU student Jacob Hepworth. The study was funded by Haygain, Ltd., which has a long-standing partnership with the RAU. As is typical with university research, funding does not influence findings. "We were left to design and run the study as an independent organization," Dr. Daniels explains. "There was no influence on how we did the study or the results."
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The term colic essentially means abdominal pain, there are four main types: Impaction, Spasmodic, Tympanitic (gas) and Sand colic, episodes of which can range from very mild to life threatening. For the purpose of this article we will be focusing on how feeding forage can affect the risk for all types of colic.
Kim F Miller
Equestrian writer, 22/01/2020
Most risk factors for colic are centred around management and feeding practices. Dietary change tends to be the most commonly reported risk factor which would include changes in batch or type of forage (or concentrate) and management changes, such as time spent stabled vs in the field.
It’s important to note the risk of colic is significantly higher two weeks after a change in forage (or concentrate feed), with multiple changes throughout the year, increasing the risk further.
This emphasises the need to make any dietary changes S L O W L Y to allow the hind gut microflora to adapt. Introduce changes over at least 14 days and think of feeding the bugs of the digestive tract rather than the horse!!
This emphasises the need to make any dietary changes SLOWLY to allow the hind gut microflora to adapt."
Horses evolved as trickle feeders so their digestive tract relies on a steady flow of fibre. Along with fresh, clean water, fibre is a fundamental part of every horse’s diet. Grass and conserved forages such as hay and haylage contribute the largest proportion of fibre to the daily diet and is required at a minimum of 1.5 % live weight to keep the horse physically and mentally healthy and the digestive system working properly. Fibre helps maintain a healthy microbial population and pushes out any excess gas which sits in the gut helping prevent tympanitic colic. Fibre also retains water which will reduce incidence of dehydration, a risk factor of impaction colic.
Consistently feeding plenty of clean, palatable forage can play a pivotal role in helping to prevent colic."
Consistently feeding plenty of clean, palatable forage can play a pivotal role in helping to prevent colic. Poor quality hay tends to be less digestible which can predispose to impaction colic. The hygienic quality is also important. While it is recognised poor hygienic quality forage adversely affects the health of the respiratory tract in horses, research by Kaya et al showed horses fed poor hygienic quality hay are significantly more susceptible to colic than those fed clean hay. Results from Hudson et al suggest that feeding hay from round bales increase the risk of colic in horses which may be because round bale hay is generally of poorer quality.
Purifying forage using high temperature steaming from the inside out will improve the hygienic quality of hay and haylage by killing mould and bacteria. It’s important to note the advantages of steaming are only seen when the process is done properly using the spiked technology as seen in the Haygain hay steamers. Award-winning research first presented at the European Equine Health and Nutrition Congress and then included in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science demonstrated that steaming in a bin by pouring a kettle of boiling water over the hay, or indeed using a wall-paper stripper to produce steam, does not significantly reduce bacteria or mould in the hay but in fact acts as an incubator and increases the bacteria content of the hay, thus reducing the hygienic quality.
Steaming re-hydrates the hay, increasing the moisture content which will help avoid dehydration."
Furthermore, these processes only reduce respirable particles by 30-40%, compared to up to 99% when steamed in a Haygain. In addition, steaming re-hydrates the hay, increasing the moisture content which will help avoid dehydration. Find out more about colic and dehydration here. Some vets find steamed hay useful for post-colic cases. Stephanie Davis explains in more detail in this two part article on colic.
Feeding plenty of good quality, clean forage with no sudden changes to the diet will help reduce the risk of colic. If you suspect your horse has colic, call your vet immediately.
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, mould, 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.
References
Kaya G, Sommerfeld-Stur I, Iben C. Risk factors of colic in horses in Austria. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl). 2009 Jun;93(3):339-49.
Jason M. Hudson, Noah D. Cohen, Pete G. Gibbs, and James A.Thompson, Feeding practices associated with colic in horses Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 2001 219:10, 1419-1425
BEFORE YOU GO
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Get the Haygain Newsletter
Subscribe for the latest news, health advice, special offers and competitions. Fill out the form at the bottom of this page.
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Subscribe for the latest news, health advice, special offers and competitions. Fill out the form at the bottom of this page.
Kim Miller
Equestrian writer | Oct 1, 2020
Haygain is all about horse health and well-being. There's a lot of weighty, serious science that went into developing and refining our products and understanding their benefits. We also have a competitive side. So, we get pretty excited seeing steam-powered horses win weekend after weekend, as reflected in our Monday social media round-ups of ambassador highlights from the competition world.
Training, athletic ability and partnership with their riders deserve most of the credit for these horses' victories, but Haygain Steamed Hay is in that mix, too.
Here's three reasons high-temperature steamed hay improves horses' performance.
1. Respiratory function:
Horses' bodies are over 60% muscle, and muscles are fuelled by oxygen. Even a little bit of inflammation or obstruction in the respiratory tract restricts the flow of oxygen to those muscles, limiting performance. High-temperature hay steaming reduces up to 99% of the dust, mold, fungi, bacteria and other allergens that trigger inflammation.
(The average adult male body is 33-39% muscle mass.)
2. Nutrients:
Unlike soaking, Haygain steaming preserves hay's nutrients. As Olympic show jumper Beezie Madden says, Haygain "...gives our horses what they need from their hay and nothing they don't."
3. Hydration:
Even slight dehydration affects muscle and mental function. Steamed hay has four times the water content of dry hay. More water is great for gut function, too.
Steamed hay gives Charly Edwards' top horse a new start. Signs of Brass Monkey's issue did emerge in the form of coughing when dust from nearby hay harvesting blew in or a batch of dusty bedding arrived.
Kim Miller
Equestrian writer, 30/09/2020
Charly Edward's top horse Brass Monkey has faced some major challenges. Early this year, he sustained a fractured knee along with troubles stemming from the common and often harmless equine herpesvirus. Yet, in his two years as a show jumper, he's never been held back by the one challenge that is responsible for the former eventing prospect coming Charly's way: "wind problems."
"The reason we were able to get him is that we were told he had a wind problem and would not be able to gallop around the high-level eventing tracks," reports Charly, whose Edwards Equestrian training and sales program is based in Hampshire. She had been contemplating a Haygain Hay Steamer for some time and bringing Brass Monkey into the yard was the nudge needed. "It's one of those purchases that you think about for a long time," Charly acknowledges. "And it was because of him that we finally got it."
The source of the "wind problem" was never diagnosed. In all horses, the respiratory system is very delicate. Sometimes it's a conformation issue in the upper airway that restricts the horse's capacity for the air intake required in peak performance. More often it's tiny, inhalable particles found in the horse keeping environment, especially in hay -- even in hay of top nutrient quality.
That's where Haygain's high-temperature hay steaming comes in. Developed in 2009 in conjunction with the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, the patented process reduces up to 99% of the dust, mold, fungi, bacteria and other allergens in hay. Feeding steamed hay is a widely accepted means of protecting horses' respiratory health and preserving respiratory function in horses with conditions on the Equine Asthma Spectrum or conformational issues that exacerbate the risks of airway irritation and inflammation.
Signs of Brass Monkey's issue did emerge in the form of coughing when dust from nearby hay harvesting blew in or a batch of dusty bedding arrived. With steamed hay, however, "We saw a dramatic improvement in his well-being," Charly relays. "We now literally don't feed any horse unsteamed hay."
Young horses are a big part of Charly's program and she sees steamed hay as of special benefit to those transitioning from outdoor living to spending much of the day in the stable. "We had one mare who was really stressed when she first started living inside. We had to take her to the vet, who determined that she had a lot of dirt in her lungs."
In addition to transferring oxygen to the bloodstream to fuel muscle and other cell performance, lungs function as an air filtration system for the horse. Unfortunately, the lungs can't be cleaned as easily as filters in household air cleaners. That's why reducing dirt and airborne irritants is so important. "We saw a huge difference in the mare after a period of getting steamed hay," Charly explains.
Improved appetites and hay consumption are more benefits Charly credits to the tasty forage coming out of Edwards Equestrian's HG2000 steamer, Haygain's largest model. "That alone will save you money in the long term." Even with a horse head count fluctuating between eight and 20 horses, steaming has been easy to incorporate into the routine, she adds.
Brass Monkey's recovery from the issues that really did hold him back came just in time to strut his stuff at early September's 1.35M Douglas Bunn Challenge at the famous All England Jumping Course at Hickstead. It was a dream come true to ride on the Hickstead Derby field, Charly says. Having a terrific trip with Charly made it even more so.
As her top horse, Brass Monkey fits Charly's long-term goal of representing Team GBR in Nations Cup competition. The Valencia Tour in Spain and the Hickstead Speed Derby are goals for next year en route to that. Charly is also shopping for more horses to build her string, along with bringing along the youngsters. Whatever their stage of development, all Edwards Equestrian steeds are assured of Haygain Steamed Hay.
Kim Miller
Equestrian writer | Sept 24, 2020
Young Irish show jumper Nicky Galligan and his own mare, Javas Miss Jordan, tackled some towering Grand Prix tracks at HITS Saugerties throughout the summer. A reserve finish in the $100,000 Wilmington Trust Grand Prix in early August was the third consecutive jump-off and top 5 finish in their first outings after a several-month show break.
Nicky has owned the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse since she was 4 and the two know each other well. From her first lead change to their first Grand Prix together, Nicky has been her partner for the whole ride. He notices every mood shift and subtle indicator that something's not quite right.
He first became aware of the latter after Jordan jumped her first 1.50M track in Florida earlier this year. "I have exercise-induced asthma myself and I noticed, toward the end of the course, that it felt like she was a little out of breath. I could relate to that."
Nicky was involved in high level soccer before switching to horses full time and he recalls the fear and frustration of having to break for an inhaler treatment while his teammates and opponents played on. "I felt as fit as everybody else, except for that."
With Jordan, "I'd always felt that the occasional rails were never the result of her being uncareful or unfit, but of her having the moment of feeling like there is too little oxygen in her lungs." She finished a respectable 12th place in that HITS Ocala Grand Prix, so it hadn't held her back much. But when a bit of a dry cough emerged, Nicky knew the previous routine of soaking Jordan's hay to reduce dust wasn't sufficient.
Many owners dismiss an occasional mild cough as insignificant, which it usually is in people. From Nicky’s own experience, he wondered if it was an indicator of respiratory problems. He got right on working with his vets, Lisa Casinella and Tim Ober, to find a sustainable solution.
Nicky was somewhat familiar with the benefits of steamed hay through friends including Australian show jumper Rowan Willis. As Jordan's owner, Nicky pays all her running costs and the steamer's expense was a stretch. However, "If I only have 50 bucks left in my pocket, I’d spend it on my horse.” He's grateful for Haygain's help in providing an HG600 model, the easily portable mid-size of three steamers.
High-temperature hay steaming reduces up to 99% of the dust, mold, fungi, bacteria and other allergens found even in hay of good nutrient quality. Jordan started on steamed hay in the spring. Even though she wasn't competing during the spring and early summer, Nicky and his team were relieved that the mild cough went away almost immediately, and her breathing seemed improved even while she worked to stay fit at home.
There’s no test like going all-out on a Grand Prix course, and Jordan aced that – three times in a row at HITS Saugerties. "There is definitely a huge change in her, with the addition of Haygain steamed hay," Nicky states. Jordan also gets nebulizer treatments, which are no doubt helping, too. Many horses with mild respiratory issues have been able to go without nebulizer medications once they get steamed hay and Nicky hopes that Jordan will be one of them.
The improvements are subtle, but critical, Nicky explains. "She has always been careful and consistent as hell. But I was finding her a little 'puffed' in the course – it didn't feel like she could jump off the ground. As of her first show back, at Saugerties, she felt more confident. She was better on the back rails and I felt that she trusted herself more. I feel like I have my younger horseback, when the effort was not as big, and her mind is clear because she is getting the oxygen she needs."
Nicky's observations echo those of top sport horse and racetrack veterinarians. Many describe respiratory restrictions as the top performance limiter in otherwise sound performance horses. Prior to hay steaming and the nebulizer treatments, Jordan struggled the most during high heat and humidity. "She hated it," Nicky says. Yet, Saugerties had extremes of both. "She performed great in what would previously have been her least favorable conditions." Steamed hay should be a nice addition at Nicky's new business base in Brookhaven, New York, where summers can be a little hot and sticky, too.
Along with better breathing, Jordan has approximately quadrupled her water intake since starting steamed hay. The steaming process already improves hydration by adding water to the hay, but Nicky notes
increased drinking from her water bucket and he's not exactly sure why. "She's a very sensitive horse, so maybe the dry hay was irritating her esophagus and trachea and steamed hay isn't, so she's happier to drink more." Whatever the reason, the result is great: more hydration helps digestion and improves muscle function, especially when it's as hot as it has been this summer.
Nicky and Jordan's renewed confidence and vigor is a positive prelude to their next challenge on the resumed show jumping circuit. Whatever the upcoming outcomes, however, Nicky is relieved to be able to help his horse cope with a scary condition he's all too familiar with.
Satisfying Appetite: The Facts. Whether you have a horse with a seemingly insatiable appetite or one where every mouthful appears an effort, read on for guidelines on assessing your horse, signs we aren’t getting it quite right and some management tips.
Briony Witherow
Equestrian writer, 30/09/2020
A horse’s appetite changes throughout the year driven by a combination of factors including dry matter, hormones, nutrient content, chew time and passage rate through the gut. While the exact mechanisms may be different between horses and ponies and still require further investigation, we can still use this information to optimise management. Native pony breeds in particular retain strong seasonality with respect to appetite and body condition. This seasonality predisposes them to gain weight through the summer months, where food is plentiful, before losing this weight over the winter months, where food is scarce. Whether you have a horse with a seemingly insatiable appetite or one where every mouthful appears an effort, read on for guidelines on assessing your horse, signs we aren’t getting it quite right and some management tips.
• Fuss feeders and low intake concerns: Over a week, weigh forage in and out of the stable each morning and evening and take an average to assess just how much of the ration they are eating. You can then compare this against their ideal intake as a percentage of bodyweight (dry matter) tailored for workload and body condition. As a guide average intake at rest is around 2% of bodyweight (dry matter) higher for those in more work or requiring more calories or lower for better doers or those in less work. If intake is markedly low (below the minimum 1.5% bodyweight dry matter) it is worth ruling out any potential health issues with your vet, while employing management techniques in an effort to maximise intake.
• Hangry horse concerns: Time how long it takes your horse to eat a set amount of his forage ration (1 or 2kg, depending on how much time you have). Over a couple of days this should give you a rough estimate of how long this set amount is occupying him for, multiply this up so that it gives you an estimate of the whole ration. With this information you can get an idea of how long the ration might be lasting him and whether a slow feeder or some management to extend eating time may be beneficial.
• Look out for the number and consistency of droppings produced, as this can be an indicator of intake – knowing what’s normal can act as an instant indictor if things change. Where appetite is not quite being met, behaviours such as wood chewing, coprophagy (eating droppings) and consuming shavings or soil can indicate that their motivation to chew/eat has not been met (in low fibre diets for example).
- Check minimum fibre requirements are being met. Check you are providing sufficient fibre to meet minimum forage requirements in dry matter. Minimum daily requirements are 1.5% of the horse’s bodyweight in dry matter. Once you have worked out 1.5% of your horse’s bodyweight, you can divide by 0.85 for hay (using a typical 85% dry matter) or 0.6 for haylage (60% dry matter). This will give you their minimum requirement of hay or haylage per day. If you have analysis available, then you can use the actual dry matter of the forage instead of an average. For those where part of the ration is met by grass intake, this is incredibly tricky to quantify but you can estimate by using the following equation. Amount of grass in dry matter = (No. of hours grazing per day/24) x (2/100) x BW. If the grass is particularly sparse or low in quality, this would likely overestimate intake, but it provides a starting point.
- Division of forage ration throughout the day. Consider how the forage ration is split over the day – very often we just split the forage ration in half between the morning and evening feeds when on paper the night-time hours far exceed those needing to be occupied during the day.
- Extending chew time by using slow feeders and/or splitting the placement of forage between different areas in the stable or paddock. This can also serve to enrich the horse’s environment and using a combination of forage presentations may help to encourage natural foraging behaviours and increasing feeding time further.
- Selecting appropriate forage. If you are still struggling to fill your horse’s time and meet his need for fibre, you can try increasing the fibre by selecting higher fibre forage (later cut), or introducing a small amount of straw to the ration (maximum 30%), higher fibre feeds being thought to aid satiety.
- Maximising satiety. High moisture content feeds which essentially dilute the nutrients (like beet) can also be useful to encourage satiety without too many calories – A wet Stubbs scoop of unmolassed beet (roughly 150g dry matter) provides only 1.8MJ of energy but lots of volume.
• Maximise palatability. While the type (hay or haylage) and cut (early or late) can impact the palatability of forage to an extent, this can be manipulated further through management. Research has shown that while soaking hay makes it less palatable, steaming hay improves palatability, multiple studies showing it to be the preferred choice over dry hay, haylage and soaked hay.
• Keep things interesting. For those that perhaps lacking the motivation for slow feeders, consider creating a stable-based smorgasbord of forage. Presenting a selection of forage can help to encourage natural foraging behaviours and in doing so may help to increase overall intake.
- Additional support. In heavily exercised horses, B-vitamin supplementation may help restore appetite and while much of the evidence that supports this at present is anecdotal, it may help to kick start your efforts.
Further reading:
Brown, E., Tracey, S and Gowers, I. (2013) An investigation to determine the palatability of steamed hay, dry hay and haylage. Proceedings of British Society of Animal Science Conference, Nottingham April 2013. p 104.
Dugdale, A.H.A., Curtis, G.C., Cripps, P.J., Harris, P.A., McG. Argo, C. (2011) Effects of season and body condition on appetite, body mass and body composition in ad libitum fed pony mares. The Veterinary Journal, 190 (3): 329-337.
Moore-Colyer, M.J.S. and Payne, V. (2012) Palatability and ingestion behaviour of 6 polo ponies offered a choice of dry, soaked and steamed hay for 1 hour on three separate occasions. Advances in Animal Biosciences. Healthy Food from Healthy Animals. Vol 3 part 1. 127
Owens, T.G., Barnes, M., Gargano, V.M., Julien, L., Mansilla, W.D., Devries. T.J., McBride, B.W., Merkies, K., Shoveller, A.K. (2019) Nutrient content changes from steaming or soaking timothy-alfalfa hay: effects on feed preferences and acute glycaemic response in Standardbred racehorses. Journal of Animal Science, 97 (10): 4199-4207.
Even a few small changes in the way we keep our horses can make a difference to our carbon-hoofprint, and many come with additional benefits to boot.
Briony Witherow
Equestrian writer, 17/09/2020
For many, horse ownership and riding are happily (and unavoidably) much more than just a hobby – it’s a lifestyle, and one that often facilitates many contented hours outdoors. With this in mind, we are well incentivised to do our part in helping to reduce environmental impact and promote sustainable practices. Even a few small changes in the way we keep our horses can make a difference to our carbon-hoofprint, and many come with additional benefits to boot.
Besides the obvious, like energy saving light bulbs and basic recycling, what tweaks can we as horse owners make in the daily care of our horses to be more responsible, that might not only have a positive impact on the environment but also on our horse’s health? Challenge yourself to make just one change in each area of your horse’s management or take an active role in transforming your yard.
• Conserving rainwater is not only is this a tick in the box for sustainability, but your horse will thank you too! Horses (and other animals) often find rainwater more palatable than from the tap. Besides helping to fill water buckets, there are endless applications for rainwater, whether for the shy drinker when out competing or arena surface irrigation. Setting up guttering and water butts is relatively cheap and simple to do and now is an excellent time of year to get started. To ensure water quality remains high, clearing guttering and cleaning water butts or buckets should become part of your yard routine.
• When it comes to sustainable management, both automatic drinkers and buckets have their advantages and disadvantages and while water use is typically lower overall with automatic drinkers, these are not suitable for all. When it comes to buckets, this is where, as horse owners, we can perhaps make some changes. While the provision of clean water is an absolute must for all horses, when it comes to refreshing waters, in some cases we might be a little more discerning. Where water does need refreshing, we can put that water to good use rather than pouring it down the drain. Providing water is not heavily soiled, it can be collected in a centralised trough or bucket (with some chicken wire or mesh across the top to filter out the worst of the debris) and made use of for watering yard plants, soaking hay or washing down horses, buckets or boots. The applications are endless, however, as with all sharing of equipment and facilities, consider yard biosecurity and adapt recycling of water appropriately.
• How many of us turn on the hose and then leave it running while either walking from tap to bucket/horse or from stable to stable? Investing in a simple nozzle which allows you to turn the hose off and on at the business end may not only save time but also reduce water wastage, not to mention mess and the prospect of slippery yards in the winter!
• Avoiding overgrazing and compaction, along with regular poo picking and maintaining ditches and drainage channels can help to reduce the risk of surface water run-off and ground water pollution.
• In high traffic areas prone to poaching (gateways, water troughs etc.) consider laying grass matting (this helps to spread weight and reduce compaction and poaching), wood chip or gravel to help minimise damage.
• If you have specific winter pasture, design these fields so that they have more than one access point, trough or feeder to prevent poaching.
• When using electric fencing, remember to turn off when not in use. Consider making use of solar powered options - solar can also be used effectively for stable and arena lighting.
• Are you feeding the right amount? Checking in with feeding amounts may be particularly useful if you are finding that there is a lot of wastage. Remember that the absolute minimum fibre intake should be 1.5% of a horse’s bodyweight on a dry matter basis
• When it comes to forage and concentrate feed, consider the packaging. If you feed haylage, are the bags recyclable (many now are) and can you minimise plastic use further by selecting the optimum bale size for your yard? For concentrate feeds and supplements the same applies. For supplements in particular, many companies now offer refill options to help us reduce and reuse plastic containers.
• Are you soaking or steaming? Hay can be soaked for short periods to reduce respirable particles and for longer periods to reduce sugars (and thereby calorie content). If soaking to reduce respirable particles, consider steaming as a more effective option, which also has the added benefit of improving the hygienic quality, increasing palatability and so reducing potential wastage. In addition to this, steaming is less labour intensive, less messy (particularly in the winter) and uses less water. If this isn’t an option for you, consider how you can recycle water from other parts of your management for soaking. However, remember to dispose of the water from soaked hay responsibly – the effluent from this has a high biological oxygen demand meaning that it is classed as a pollutant and poses damage to the environment if not disposed of correctly.
If these tips inspire anything, next time you walk around your yard, have a think about the small ways in which we as horse owners, might be able to streamline our management and get creative with the endless potential for recycling and reducing waste on your yard. We’d love to hear some of your top tips #carbonhoofprint.
Kim Miller
Equestrian writer | Sept 10, 2020
Shannon Peters is not afraid to try something new when it comes to her horses' health. When her Grand Prix mount of a decade ago, Flor de Selva, struggled with weak hooves and tender feet, Shannon researched natural ways to improve hoof strength and introduced the concept of barefoot trimming as an option in the high-performance dressage world.
Her husband, four-time dressage Olympian Steffen Peters, is a tad more conservative. He has his native Germany's renowned tradition of horsemanship and is meticulously careful about every aspect of care.
Yet, they've both become believers in the benefits of Haygain high-temperature steamed hay. As with barefoot trimming, Shannon led the way on behalf of Flor De Selva. The Westfalen gelding contracted Lyme disease in 2009, compounding long-standing issues with a sensitive immune system. Lyme disease is difficult to diagnosis and debilitating in humans and perhaps more so in horses because it's rare and presents as other conditions.
"Squishy" foundered five times in four years and was simply sick much of the time. Although Haygain was relatively new in the U.S. then, Shannon learned of steaming's ability to reduce up to 99% of the dust, mould, fungi and bacteria found even in hay of good nutrient quality. She put Squishy on it to help reduce his exposure to toxins in general and found that it helped him lead a more comfortable life.
Cough Cure
Shannon turned to Haygain more recently when her current Grand Prix mount, Disco Inferno, contracted a cough for no apparent reason. The Peters' Arroyo Del Mar training base in San Diego is not a high allergy area and proximity to the California coast keeps the air clean and fresh. The 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood lives outside, so indoor air could not be blamed.
Early this year, Disco Inferno developed a mild cough, only while working. No fever or runny nose, Shannon reports. It quickly accelerated to "the kind of cough that pulls the reins out of your hands." He couldn't be ridden and even coughed while being hand-walked. Cough medicine, soaking the hay and reluctantly administered antibiotics did not help.
With Squishy comfortably living in retirement, Shannon had recently sold her original hay steamer to a local racehorse trainer. "Of course!" she sighs. She purchased a new Haygain and, within two days of getting steamed hay, Disco was no longer coughing.
Meanwhile in Florida, Steffen Peters and Suppenkasper earned two 80-plus scores en route to 11 wins in 11 outings at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. The win streak was likely to have earned Steffen yet another Olympic experience. That was until the Tokyo 2020 Games were postponed and the show world shut down because of COVID-19.
Suppenkasper, aka "Mopsie," had no coughing, respiratory or other health issues to suggest he needed steamed hay, but the Peters opted to try it out for him when he returned to California in April.
In lieu of health challenges, Mopsie does have one bad habit steamed hay has helped reduce: he's a notorious hay dunker. "He could have 10 buckets of water in his stall, and he'll dunk his hay in every one of them," Shannon relays. With dry hay, the big Dutch Warmblood would dunk each bite, making each water source gunky and unappealing and reducing his desire to drink.
Dunking Down
Mopsie loves the steamed hay, Shannon reports, and he's dunking much less of it in his water sources. Perhaps he's read the research that Haygain steaming quadruples the amount of water in the horse's diet and is less concerned about hydration. Most likely he hasn't read that, but his appetite for it corroborates studies indicating that horses prefer steamed hay to dry or soaked.
"Normally, we'd have a lot of hay left over and now he's eating most of it and his water sources are a lot cleaner than they used to be, which is nice," Shannon says.
Haygain high-temperature hay steaming was developed in conjunction with the Royal Agricultural University in England in 2009. It has been quickly embraced by high performance eventing and show jumping competitors. On the dressage front, Debbie MacDonald was an early adopter, for her Olympic and World Cup partner Brentina.
Steffen and Shannon Peters join a growing number of top dressage professionals adding steamed hay to their horse's routine, as both a solution to specific health challenges and for its overall benefits even for horses with no apparent issues.
Do you have a Horse First Aid Kit on your yard? What about one for your trailer or horsebox? Many owners just have a few items scattered around the yard, whilst some owners just keep meaning to update their kit, but haven’t actually got round to it yet. Read part 1 of this two part article first aid specialist and trainer Nicola Kinnard-Comedie to find out what items you should have to hand.
Nicola Kinnard-Comedie
Owner of NKC Training, 30/08/2020
Creating the perfect Horse First Aid Kit isn’t that difficult, and you don’t actually need that many products. So here’s a run through of some essential items to include in your Horse First Aid Kit.
1. Products to clean a wound with : Salt or Saline Solution and gauze swabs
As a horse owner you will be cleaning wounds, and you need to be able to clean a wound without causing any further damage to the tissue. Many owners will have ‘hibiscrub’ as part of a horse first aid kit, but this is actually much too strong, is generally used incorrectly and can in fact slow down wound healing. Hibiscrub is best left for very very dirty wounds, or to be used on advice of your vet.
Saline solution is a much more appropriate product to clean wounds with, and you can use a prepared solution or make up your own using a teaspoon of salt in a pint of cooled boiled water. Using saline solution you can get the wound nice and clean without causing any further damage or irritation to the wound. Gauze swabs are ideal for cleaning wounds, and much better than cotton wool as no residue if left in the wound. You don't need specific equine gauze swabs, and human gauze swabs can be easily purchased online, they are not expensive either.
Disposable gloves and a clean bucket or pot will make the job of cleaning a wound a lot easier and more hygienic.
2. Products to apply to a wound
The ideal product to apply to a wound is hydrogel, this will keep the wound moist and clean, and promote a good healing environment. Contradictory to what many owners think the vast majority of wounds actually need to be kept moist and wounds don’t need to be ‘dried out’ to heal. As an owner you are only treating fairly basic superficial wounds yourself, and if in any doubt you should be seeking the advice of your vet. You can’t make a wound heal faster, you are just trying to create the best healing environment for the wound.
3. Basic bandaging materials
Once the wound has been cleaned and a topical product applied, most wounds benefit from being covered with a non stick dressing. You must use something that won't stick to the wound otherwise you will be simply removing all the new cells each time you change the dressing. Melolin is my top choice as it is inexpensive, widely available and comes in an array of sizes.
After a non-stick dressing is applied you need to hold this in place with a simple bandage, and you need a padding layer and an outer layer for this. Owners are often surprised that you need a secondary layer for a basic bandage but it is essential to provide smooth even pressure, with no lumps or pressure points.
For the secondary layer I find Soffban is a great product to use. Soffban is very soft, fine cotton wool rolled up like an exercise bandage, and it's easy to apply. If you pull it too hard it breaks, which prevents the bandage becoming too tight.
Cotton wool or gamgee can be used in place of Soffban, and cutting a roll in half (or purchasing half sized rolls) makes it much easier to apply. A top layer is then required to complete a basic bandage, and Vetrap (or any cohesive bandage) are an ideal product to use. It is a stretchy, cohesive supportive dressing designed to keep wound dressings in place.
4. Poultice Kit
Dealing with a hoof abscess is a challenge that most owners will face, so having the necessary kit to hand is really helpful. Once an abscess has been identified, and cut out by your vet or farrier a poultice will help drain out the remaining infection.
For a poultice kit you will need animalintex, scissors, a shallow tub or bucket, Vetrap and duct tape, a nappy can also be helpful. To create a poultice simply cut the dressing to size, briefly soak in cooled boiled water and place on the affected area. Next you need to secure this in place, Vetrap is helpful for this, and some owners like to use a nappy to hold the dressing in place. Duct tape is then used over the top to keep the poultice in place.
5. Other essential items
Contact telephone numbers, both for yourself and for your vet, including the out of hours phone number are useful to include. It is sensible to have another person who can be contacted in your absence, and a list of local transport companies just in case your lorry or trailer is not usable in the event of an equine emergency.
A thermometer is certainly an essential item to include in your Horse First Aid Kit, and a basic human thermometer for a local chemist or supermarket is more than sufficient. Taking your horse's temperature is an important vital sign to measure, it is a great way to know normal for your horse and can be very helpful information for your vet in the event of your horse being unwell.
A torch, or even better a head torch, is the final must have item, because horses being horses not everything happens in the daylight. Whilst many mobile phones have a torch these aren’t always that bright, and what happens when your battery runs out?!
I hope this inspires you to go and create the perfect Horse First Aid Kit, why don’t you team up with a couple of horsey friends and order these products together, as they are often cheaper if you buy in bulk.
Stay tuned for Part 2 which tells you about the products you dont need in your first aid kit!
Another essential bit of kit for the yard, although it wont fit into your first aid kit bag, is the Haygain hay steamer. Steaming hay reduces 99% of dust, mold, bacteria and fungi which has a number of benefits to respiratory health, digestive health, skin conditions, hydration and performance. Steamed hay is also highly palatable and is the preferred choice over dry hay or even haylage. Find out more on the benefits below.
What does it mean to be a large herbivore, what are the two most major digestive issues commonly observed in horses and how can owners minimise the risk? Dr David Marlin tells us more.
Dr David Marlin
Equine Scientist, 07/09/2020
As all horse owners know, the horse is a herbivore. More specifically we describe the horse as a non-ruminant herbivore as it has a small, simple single compartment stomach. In contrast, ruminants, such as sheep, goats, cattle, deer, giraffe and llamas, have a stomach which consists of four chambers: the rumen, the reticulum, the omasum and the abomasum.
The rumen is the largest of the four chambers and contains bacteria, protozoa and fungi which break down food particles by fermentation. Ruminant herbivores also regurgitate partially digested food for remastication (chewing). In contrast, no significant fermentation takes place in the horses’ stomach and the cardiac sphincter (the valve that connects the oesophagus to the stomach), does not permit regurgitation or vomiting in horses. Furthermore, the horses stomach fluid pH in the lower part of the stomach is typically 2-3 (very acidic) compared with 6-7 (slightly acidic to neutral) in ruminants. The acidity of the horses’ stomach is important for maintaining stomach hygiene by killing off bacteria, protozoa, fungi and viruses ingested with food as well as initiating protein digestion. Whereas protein, fat and starch are digested in the small intestine, fibre can only be digested in the large intestine (hindgut).
The horses’ stomach is also relatively small and suited to constant slow intake of forage as opposed to large meals of concentrated energy such as cereals. The horse also has a psychological need to chew. Chewing also causes a continuous release of saliva which helps to buffer stomach acid.
In the first place, plants that horses eat in the wild are generally low in energy. This means that in order to obtain sufficient energy, horses typically need to spend at least around 12h a day eating and in some cases, up to 18h. Compare this for example to a dog, also a mammal but a carnivore; anyone with a dog knows that eating only takes a few minutes per day!
When it comes to what horses eat, there is a big difference between domesticated horses and wild horses. Whilst the wild horse is predominantly a grazer, they will generally be grazing grasses that are low to moderate in protein, low in starch and of low-moderate digestibility. But they may be grazing a large variety of species of grass. In addition, wild horses will also browse many other plants. In contrast, the domesticated horse is often grazed or fed more highly digestible grass or forages with higher protein and energy. At the same time, the domesticated horse usually does not have the opportunity to browse other vegetation. For this reason, whilst wild horses may achieve a balanced or adequate nutrient intake, the domesticated horse that is on a forage only diet will almost certainly not be receiving a balanced or adequate intake of nutrients.
Secondly, herbivores have a much larger digestive tract than carnivores or omnivores. This is because the hindgut, which consists of the caecum, large colon and small colon, where digestion of fibre by bacteria takes place to release energy has to be large to accommodate a large amount of food, fluid and bacteria for efficient digestion. In a person the total digestive tract weighs around 6% of the total bodyweight. However, in a horse the digestive tract weighs around 12% of the total bodyweight. If the horse were a carnivore it would look more like a giant greyhound and be able to run even faster!
The two major digestive problems that we most commonly observe in horses are gastric ulcers and colic. Both of these are often related to nutrition. Gastric ulcers (ulcers in the stomach) are described as either squamous or glandular. The glandular region of the stomach is the lower part of the stomach where acid is secreted and where the gastric fluid sits. Ulcers that develop here are considered to be due to breakdown of the mucosal defences – the lining of the stomach. Squamous ulcers occur in the upper part of the stomach and are considered to be due to damage to the stomach surface by excess acid.
Some of the factors that appear to be associated with an increased risk of ulcers are: Hard/long exercise, especially on an empty stomach, long periods without forage, large meals, high starch intake, NSAIDS (e.g. Bute), colic/hindgut discomfort, low forage intake, poor quality forage (e.g. straw), low water intake, limited pasture turnout, high electrolyte intake and stress. Whilst gastric ulcers can lead to poor performance, altered behaviour, reduced appetite, weight loss and loss of condition it is rarely fatal or a cause for euthanasia. This is in marked contrast to colic which is causes more deaths of horses than any other disease.
The horse has a physical and psychological need for good quality forage. Whilst low quality forage such as straw or poor hay may be seen as an option for weight reduction, this can lead to other digestive problems. Hay or haylage should also be of a high level of hygiene with minimal dust and micro-organisms (yeast, bacteria, fungi, etc). This is also critical for good respiratory health and high temperature steaming is an excellent option to better ensure good hygiene and minimise the risk of respiratory disease. Where possible providing ad libitum forage will also reduce the risk of digestive problems.
The horse has a small stomach and this is not designed to cope with large high energy, especially starch, meals. Concentrate feeds should be small and frequent and ideally always given after forage. Forage slows down the passage of concentrate feeds and reduces the risk of undigested starch reaching the hindgut and leading to hindgut disturbance. It also goes without saying that clean water should always be available. Water intake is related to forage dry matter intake. So horses eating lush grass will drink less than horses eating haylage and horses eating haylage will drink less than horses eating dry hay. Finally, follow other basic rules such as regular worming, introducing new feeds slowly (over weeks not days) and regular dental check-ups.