Photo courtesy of Haygain.

As the source of 50 to 90 percent of a normal, healthy horse’s nutritional needs, hay warrants careful consideration. Yet, there is a lot of confusion over what, exactly, defines “good” hay. Nutrient content and cleanliness are distinct traits often presumptively and wrongly lumped together.

“People need to be more vigilant about hay because it makes up the lion share of their horse’s diet,” explains Meriel Moore-Colyer, PhD. As a professor and graduate dean at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, England, the feeding, assessing and treatment of hay is an ongoing cornerstone of her work in and study of equine nutrition.

Two main aspects define the quality of hay, she explains. The first is nutrient value and its suitability for a specific horse based on its work level and stage of development. The second is “hygienic quality” — the quantity of contaminants that occur naturally in hay’s growth, harvesting, transportation and storage. Their presence in hay explains the unfortunate reality that horses’ most important nutrient source is also one of the biggest contributors to poor quality stable air that is linked to poor respiratory health.

Photo courtesy of Haygain.

Suitability

“There’s no such thing as ‘the best’ hay,” when it comes to nutrient value, Moore-Colyer explains. “That all depends on what your horse is doing. If you have a fat horse, you want hay with low nutritional value so that he can spend enough time eating without gaining more weight.” Designed to graze throughout the day, the equine digestion system works best when a steady amount of roughage is moving through it.

Conversely, a horse that’s working hard needs forage with plenty of the digestible energy that comes mostly from carbohydrates and fat. As with humans, the equine athlete needs more calories because it’s burning them off.

Moore-Colyer is often struck by misunderstandings about a horse’s needs. “For the work they do, most horses can easily exist on a forage-only diet.” (Forage is an umbrella term for plant-based livestock feed: Hay, haylage and silage are types of forage.) But that isn’t the reality for many horses. In a recent survey of horse owner feeding practices, Moore-Colyer was dismayed to find that 70% supplemented their horse’s hay ration with concentrated feeds. “If we didn’t feed concentrates, we wouldn’t have the equine metabolic disorders we see.” (Metabolic disorders mandate strict diets, especially in regard to water soluble, non-structural and non-fiber carbohydrates.)

General guidelines call for horses to get 1 to 1.5 percent of their body weight in forage. The aforementioned study of feeding practices showed that few owners weighed their horses’ hay, while the majority did weigh the concentrates. That was one of several findings reflecting misunderstandings of hay’s role in their horses’ diet.

Photo courtesy of Haygain.

Nutrients

Nutrient value in hay varies widely. Even within the same species of hay, energy, protein, mineral and vitamin content is affected by where it’s grown, the soil it’s grown in, when it’s harvested and weather.

However, some generalities can be made. Alfalfa, a legume hay, is relatively high in energy, protein, calcium and vitamin A. Grass hays –including Timothy, orchard, oat and Bermuda — are generally lower in protein and energy and higher in fiber than alfalfa. That’s why grass hays are often suitable for most adult horse’s basic nutritional needs, and alfalfa is often a staple of Thoroughbred racehorses’ diet. These horses’ digestible energy needs are very different.

A hay analysis is the best way to determine what quantities of each nutrient exist in hay. When that’s not possible, a visual assessment offers useful indicators. “Even those who don’t know that much about hay can identify what hay of good nutrient content looks like,” says Moore-Colyer.

“Hay with the highest digestive energy will be green, have a fine, thin stem, and be soft and flexible. It may smell a little like green tea. Pick the hay up in your hands and rub it: it should feel a little bit gritty.” Hay with the lowest digestible energy is “dry and looks like straw. It might feel prickly and smell a little moldy.”

Hay harvested at its nutritional peak will have a high proportion of leaf to stem and the bale should be 85% dry matter. Too dry and the resulting increase in “leaf shatter” adds to respirable dust particles. Too moist and there’s an increased likelihood of mold and bacteria growth.

Dr. Meriel Moore-Colyer. Photo courtesy of Haygain.

Hygienic Quality

The hygienic state of hay is the second component in evaluating hay quality. Beyond obvious cases of excessive dust or smelly, discolored mold, it’s not evident without a microscope. Since helping develop Haygain high-temperature steaming to purify hay, Moore-Colyer has spent over a decade studying what’s in all types of hay, including hay of good nutrient value.

The answer is dust, mold, fungi, bacteria and other allergens, often in the dangerously small particle size of 5 microns. That’s approximately one-tenth the size of a human hair: small enough to infiltrate the horse’s lungs where it can cause inflammation and impede the transfer of oxygen from the lungs to the bloodstream. That, in turn, restricts the horse’s ability to get oxygen to the muscles and limits performance.

The human eye typically can’t see particles less than 40 microns in size, rendering invisible the most dangerous respirable irritants that make their way deep into the lungs. But out of sight should not be out of mind, Moore-Coyler stresses. High temperature hay steaming is the one safeguard against the reality that these dangerous irritants exist in hay of all types and nutrient quality.

Using steam injected evenly through hay in a thermally-sealed chest, the Haygain process reduces up to 99% of the respirable particles and allergens found in hay. The key is steam temperatures of at least 212°F, necessary to achieve that reduction.

Along with evaluating each horse’s nutritional needs and assessing hay either by lab analysis or touch, sight and smell, Moore-Colyer recommends hay steaming for horses in all stages of life and levels of work. Drastically reducing these particles drastically improves barn air quality and the respiratory health of its residents, including people.

In the lab, at the barn with her retired dressage partner, an Irish Draft, or at a podium speaking to veterinarians, Moore-Colyer promotes the benefits of hay that can be fully defined as “good” — nutritionally and hygienically and suitable for the horse to which it’s served.

Haygain is a science driven company with the horse’s health as the primary focus.

We are committed to improving equine health through scientific research, product innovation and consumer education in respiratory and digestive health. Developed by riders, for riders, we understand the importance of clean forage and a healthy stable environment in maintaining the overall well-being of the horse.

Our Haygain hay steamers are recommended by the world’s leading riders, trainers and equine vets and ComfortStall® Sealed Orthopedic Flooring System is used and recommended by leading Veterinary Hospitals, including Cornell University.

Photo by Hoof Print Images.

The mention of Marguerite Henry’s Misty of Chincoteague novels beams many equestrians back to their childhood dreams. As the protagonists of the 1950s tales, these hearty, feral ponies roamed Virginia and Maryland’s Assateague Island before going onto adventures with adoring young owners on the mainland.

For the now 17-year-old Ella Doerr, that story is fact, not fiction. At 7, she went looking for a safe, sane starter pony. Instead, she found then 5-year-old “Whinny,” a 13.1 hand chestnut Paint with four long, white socks. The Chincoteague’s charm was irresistible. “He was lying down in his stall and he looked up and blinked at me with those magical eyes,” Ella remembers. “I fell in love instantly.”

He was as green as they come, as was Ella.

Fast forward six years, to 2016, when they excelled at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show at Harrisburg in the Medium Childrens Hunter division, winning the class and finishing 6th in the Classic. An 86 score in one of the country’s biggest Indoor circuit showcases is an indelible highlight of a year that included Grand Championships on three regional circuits.

“We all hear that a green pony and green kid don’t mix,” Ella says. “But we did.”

Harrisburg four years ago was the finale of their show career. Ella has gone onto impressive accomplishments in and out of the saddle, and Whinny has introduced younger riders to the sport.

Photo courtesy of Ella Doerr.

The Plot Thickens

Like all good stories, Ella and Whinny’s had an obstacle to overcome: a cough that went from so occasional as to be dismissed to debilitatingly persistent.  It progressed over a two-year period. For the last few years, Ella has limited the otherwise healthy pony to training and competition levels that require only minimal exertion.

The first summer after he retired from higher level competition was tough. Home at her family’s small barn in Wellesville, PA, Whinny had major allergy flare-ups, followed by a throat infection. Multiple vet visits could not determine if the two conditions were related. They did establish that Whinny is badly allergic to alfalfa hay, pine trees, insect bites and other irritants that are hard to avoid in the barn environment.

“We tried everything,” recounts Ella. “Homeopathic allergy treatments, cough syrup and inhalers. We got him to the point where he was okay except that he still coughed when he was ridden.” Ella tried soaking his hay. This common DIY method for removing dust can drastically increase bacteria and, like a lot of horses, Whinny didn’t like it. “He looked at me like, ‘Really? I have to eat that?‘” Ella relays. “It broke my heart.”

Ella is a remarkable and savvy horse woman. She is the USEF’s reserve champion USEF Sportsmanship Award winner in 2020; the USHJA’s Youth Sportsmanship Award recipient in 2016; a consistent top finisher in the USHJA’s Horsemanship Quiz national standings and a junior reporter for The Chronicle of The Horse.

Ella’s most recent report for the esteemed media outlet was an update on arriving at the Kentucky Horse Park for the USEF Pony Finals. Unfortunately, the next day, Saturday August 1, Ella had to break the news that they’d been cancelled due to coronavirus cases at the venue. (She did circle back to the venue the following week with her current ride, Batman, to win their over-fences class and ride to reserve in the Classic. Then she jumped into helping promote the Virtual Pony Finals as a fundraiser for a fellow pony rider, Alexis Halbert, who suffered a bad fall.)

A Better Way

Ella knew there had to be a better way to help Whinny, whose show name is Wind In The Willows. She found it in Haygain Steamed Hay. “I was so excited,” she says of learning that high-temperature hay steaming rids hay of up to 99% of the inhalable bits of dust, mold, fungi, bacteria and allergens found even in hay that is considered high quality for its nutrient content.

Whinny and his stablemates expressed their enthusiasm when Ella’s new HG One portable hay steamer began emitting the tantalizing smell of steamed hay. But Ella was patient. “I didn’t think we would notice a difference right away, but we did almost immediately. Within two weeks of getting steamed hay, Whinny doesn’t really have a cough anymore. He’s much better and healthier. And, happier because he doesn’t have to have the soaked, sticky hay. He couldn’t be more excited.”

Article provided by Haygain. For more information on Haygain high-temperature hay steaming and Haygain’s ComfortStall Sealed Orthopedic Flooring, visit www.haygain.us and follow Haygain USA on Facebook and Instagram.

Photo by Wilhelm Westergren.

“Respiratory health is essential to performance,” stresses Dr. Emmanuelle Van Erck Westergren of a key focus at her Equine Sports Medicine Practice in Waterloo, Belgium.

The prominent veterinarian and thought leader spent 15 years engaged in equine health from a University-based perspective. She then left academia to apply that knowledge in private practice, immersing herself in a 360-degree perspective on horse management. Equine Sports Medicine Practice specializes in high performance horses and prioritizes prevention and career longevity.

“I want to help horses compete successfully over a whole season and a whole career,” Dr. Emmanuelle explains. Accomplishing that involves working with owners to evaluate and implement best management practices related to every aspect of their horse’s health. Respiratory function is critical to that, yet often under-appreciated and misunderstood. Worse, warning signs of trouble are easily missed or misinterpreted.

That’s why Dr. Emmanuelle welcomes the chance to speak on equine respiratory health, as she did here with journalist Kim F Miller.

Kim: How is the equine respiratory system different from a human’s?

Dr. Emmanuelle: Several factors contribute to the horse becoming deficient in oxygen even in sub-maximal levels of exercise. This state is called hypoxemia. In man, oxygen levels stay the same during all levels of exertion.

Kim: What are those factors?

Dr. Emmanuelle:

1. Horses breathe only through their nose. There is no communication between the oral cavity and the airways. Think about exerting yourself while only breathing through your nose.

2. Their narrow upper airway and the long distance from there into the lungs makes it that much harder to move the column of air in and out. It’s “dead space” because nothing happens to the oxygen during the trip. It is only transferred to the blood stream when it gets into the lungs.

3. Horses breathe in and out at the same rate as their gait. As they canter or lope, they inhale in suspension, and exhale when their first foreleg hits the ground. Standardbred trotting horses have an advantage because, if they become oxygen deficient, they can take a big breath over several trot steps. A Thoroughbred racehorse is limited because they can’t compensate with a big breath over a few strides. They have to breathe in and out with their stride. As they become oxygen deficient, they have to breathe more often, which means shortening their stride.

4. Horses’ bodies are over 60% muscle and muscles demand a lot of oxygen. By comparison, muscle mass for a “normal” 18-40-year-old man is 33% to 39%.

5. Horses have a higher heart rate and that faster circulating blood means it doesn’t stay anywhere long enough to output all the oxygen it carries.

 Kim: Will the horse’s ability to intake and use oxygen improve as his fitness improves?

Dr. Emmanuelle: Unfortunately, no. The horse’s muscle and heart function adapt and improve with conditioning, but the oxygen capacity of its respiratory system does not. Human performance is limited because we have small hearts. Horses have big hearts that get bigger and can pump more blood with conditioning, but their performance is still limited because the respiratory system can’t deliver enough oxygen to the muscles.

Because of all the limitations, even a little bit of inflammation or obstruction anywhere in the respiratory tract has a big impact on performance.

Kim: How often to you see sport horses with some type of respiratory disease?

Dr. Emmanuelle: Too often! We have tracked 400 cases in which horses were referred to our practice for poor performance.  Between 50% and 80% had some degree of respiratory disease. Eventers had 100% and international show jumpers had 85% at the high end, while driving and leisure horses were at the “low” end with 50% affected.  In a study published last fall, we found that 88% of 731 horses referred for poor performance had Inflammatory Airway Disease, a range of conditions on the milder end of the Equine Asthma Spectrum.

 Kim:  Do owners typically recognize poor performance issues as related to respiratory health?

Dr. Emmanuelle: No. Most of the complaints were very unspecific. “Feeling heavy” is a top complaint.  Heavy breathing, breathlessness, lack of energy and slow recovery times are more common complaints. Owners seldom noted coughing or nasal discharge, which are more clear symptoms of respiratory problems.

Kim:  What are some of the biggest risks to respiratory health?

Dr. Emmanuelle: Respiratory diseases fall into the category of Equine Asthma, a relatively new label in veterinary medicine. Some horses have a genetic predisposition for it, but otherwise it is an occupational disease. Environment, stresses of training and competition which can lower immunity, and mingling with other horses are all risk factors for Equine Asthma.

Kim: How do you figure out what’s causing the problem?

Dr. Emmanuelle: I look at the horse and his environment. We do measurements of dust levels and samples of contaminants. Some are easy to see. Have you seen someone sweep dust from the barn aisle, then stash that in the horse’s stall? Or seen mold stains on barn walls or ceilings?

A condition called Sick Building Syndrome exists in human medicine and it can apply to horses, too. They may not be coughing or having nasal discharge, but they clearly don’t feel well. That can often be linked to the amount of contaminants growing inside the building

Horses were designed to live outside, but many horses spend 23 hours a day in the barn. Living inside, they’re exposed to 50 times more inhalable irritants! Even if they live outside, if they’re getting hay with contaminants, it’s still a problem.

 Kim: Does weather affect the amount of contaminants to which horses are exposed?

Dr. Emmanuelle: Yes. Europe experienced particularly warm weather this year, and earlier in the spring than normal. That corresponds to a record number of respiratory cases, as did record pollen levels with record numbers of asthmatic patients.

A Canadian study found a correlation between the temperature and humidity and worsening symptoms of equine asthma. And global warming is having an effect because there is a shorter or non-existent period when there is a layer of frozen ground. That all affects the number of contaminants, including fungi, mold and bacteria found in soil, in which hay or straw is grown.

Kim: Fungi sounds especially nasty and dangerous.

Dr. Emmanuelle: It is. Fungi, which is the same as mold, can be very allergenic because it has proteins that can trigger a very strong reaction. It can become infectious and start to grow inside the horse’s airways. That process can produce toxins and irritations to the respiratory mucosa, which can ultimately affect the throat muscles. Fungi can also trigger inflammatory responses that manifest as rhinitis and sinusitis.

The role of fungi is not yet broadly recognized in the veterinary world. When a fungal infection is suspected or diagnosed, current treatments often include corticosteroids to address inflammation. Those further depress the immune system, enhancing the opportunity for fungal infection

In our study of 731 horses referred for suspected respiratory issues and/or poor performance, 88% were found to have Inflammatory Airway Disease. Horses with fungal elements in their airway were 2.1 times as likely to have IAD.

In a study we did on sport horses, we detected a link between fungi in the airways and the likelihood of Exercised Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage: a horse is seven times more likely to bleed from the lungs, through the nose, during extreme exertion when they have fungi in the airways. In the United States, this could get a lot of attention as racetracks are in the process of phasing out Lasix, the medication that reduces EIPH.

Kim: That’s a lot of bad news. How can we protect our horses from these microscopic assailants?

Dr. Emmanuelle: Assess and improve your horse’s environment!

1. Make sure there’s ventilation in the barn. That means circulation and renewal of the air. If there’s no renewal, moisture will accumulate and foster contaminant growth. Cobwebs indicate there isn’t enough ventilation because spiders won’t make them where there’s any breeze.
2. Reduce dust: the fine dust that can be inhaled and lodge in the airways and deep in the lungs.
3. Look for signs of mold on walls, everywhere and especially on walls near stored hay.
4. Look at floor mats: specifically, what is growing between and underneath them. Urine accumulation can make it really dangerous and gross. It’s awful for horses and people. Stables don’t have to be sterile, but they do need to be clean.

Kim: What about hay and bedding?

Dr. Emmanuelle: Both play a big part in respiratory health.  I strongly advise all my clients to get a Haygain Hay Steamer because it reduces 99% of the fine, respirable particles and kills fungi, bacteria and yeast in hay. Ample scientific studies demonstrate the benefits of killing the fungi/mold. It hasn’t been studied yet, but I think killing the bacteria has a positive impact on horses’ digestive function. I would like to look into that.

When it comes to preventative medicine, Haygain is something that speaks for itself over time. That’s why you don’t see many hay steamers for sale second-hand. Once horse owners adopt it, they don’t go back.

As for bedding, first consider flooring that can be disinfected. Then, wood shavings are better because wood contains terpene, which is a natural antiseptic. Cardboard and paper shavings are cleaner options. Straw, on the other hand, can foster bacteria and fungal growth.

Kim: What about homemade hay steamers?

Dr. Emmanuelle: Not an option. Temperatures need to reach the range of 212°F (100°C) to kill bacteria and fungi. Steaming at lower temperatures actually serves as an incubator for contaminants.

This happened with a dressage horse referred for coughing while exercising. Using an over-ground endoscope, we found he had an obstruction in his upper airway. Determined to help their horse, the owner had made their own hay steamer. What happened, though, was putting contaminated hay into what was, in effect, an incubator. It wound up culturing fungus to the highest level, to where the fungus produced neurotoxins that affected the muscle function and resulted in the obstruction.

Kim: How receptive are horse owners toward these preventative measures you recommend?

Dr. Emmanuelle:  As a sports medicine practice, we work mostly with high level competitors. It has taken a while to educate our clients. As we treat horses year to year, if we are always treating the same problem, I like to review the management over going first for medications. As horses do better over the long term, the results speak for themselves.

Kim: Thank you!!

Haygain is a science driven company with the horse’s health as the primary focus.

We are committed to improving equine health through scientific research, product innovation and consumer education in respiratory and digestive health. Developed by riders, for riders, we understand the importance of clean forage and a healthy stable environment in maintaining the overall well-being of the horse.

Our Haygain hay steamers are recommended by the world’s leading riders, trainers and equine vets and ComfortStall® Sealed Orthopedic Flooring System is used and recommended by leading Veterinary Hospitals, including Cornell University.

Competition has resumed in much of the United States and schooling shows and clinics are cropping up on Canadian calendars. Yet, the school horses who likely put riders on their equestrian path in the first place are still hurting. Big time.

After two or three months of complete shut-down because of COVID-19 and now an only partial return to normal operations, lesson program owners are looking at scary balance sheets: same costs of feed and care, but nothing in the revenue column.

As a silver level corporate sponsor of Ontario Equestrian’s For The Herd campaign, Haygain is helping provide desperately needed funds toward feed and care of “schoolies” throughout the province.  “Haygain is all about helping horses,” notes Bee Richardson, the company’s VP of Marketing.  “We know how important lesson horses are as most people’s first introduction to our sport and we are happy to help.”

The idea started as a local Facebook-based endeavor and has grown considerably since Ontario Equestrian took it on in late April. The majority of the $175,000 raised so far has already been distributed to the over 100 lesson programs that have already applied for help.

The need is intense and ongoing, notes Brandon Hall, Ontario Equestrian’s Director of Marketing and Communications. “Everyone has been really set back.” The shutdown’s effect is exacerbated by the timing. “It happened just as horses needed vaccinations, dental work and de-worming and just before the year’s hay purchases need to be made.”

Summer camps are typically a riding school’s main profit source for the year, but that’s doubtful now. Evolving regulations issued by the Ontario Department of Public Health make it currently unclear whether horse camps will be permitted this season. Ontario Equestrian is working to have horses exempt from new regulations in which summer camps cannot include interactions with pets and animals. “It’s too vague to know if horses are included or not,” Brandon explains.

            Help For the Long Haul

Haygain initially joined the school horse aid effort by donating an HG One Hay Steamer to a fundraising auction for the cause. That auction raised $24,000 and a second, larger silent auction is on the drawing board. In the meantime, a beautiful video is making the social media rounds. It depicts the Ontario equestrian community pulling together to help members in need. “We’re strong,” the voiceover assures. “Together, we’ll get through this. But not without a little help.”

Along with golf, equestrian was one of only two sports allowed to resume in Canada’s first phase of return to normal activity. Brandon is happy for all who can get back into the show ring, but he worries that “Now that everybody is getting their fix of riding, the problems that linger may be out of sight and out of mind. If you rode a lesson horse ever, or want the next person to be able to, this is the time to make a donation.”

Throughout the United States, policies limiting the number of participants in summer horse camps are the current norm: by 50% is typical.

Along with product and a much-needed cash donation to For The Herd in Ontario, Haygain is offering lesson barn operators throughout North America a 20% discount on any of its three hay steaming models.

High temperature hay steaming has many health benefits, but budget benefits may be steaming’s biggest asset right now. Horses rarely waste any of their hay after it’s been steamed. And the process makes even less-than-pristine hay appealing in taste and texture, while reducing up to 99% of the dust, fungi, mold, bacteria and allergens found in even top-quality hay. Getting those breathable irritants out of hay alleviates many respiratory issues, helping lower the cost of veterinary care. Steamed hay further helps reduce vet bills by protecting and improving digestion, hydration and overall well-being.

Give Or Get Help

For The Herd welcomes individual and corporate donations. For more information, visit www.fortheherd.ca. For more information about Haygain Hay Steaming, visit www.haygain.com. For riding schools interested in the 20% discount on steamers, please call 888 307 0855 for details. Haygain will offer this discount through the duration of COVID-19-related need.

Haygain is a science driven company with the horse’s health as the primary focus.

We are committed to improving equine health through scientific research, product innovation and consumer education in respiratory and digestive health. Developed by riders, for riders, we understand the importance of clean forage and a healthy stable environment in maintaining the overall well-being of the horse.

Our Haygain hay steamers are recommended by the world’s leading riders, trainers and equine vets and ComfortStall® Sealed Orthopedic Flooring System is used and recommended by leading Veterinary Hospitals, including Cornell University.

Photo by Shelley Paulson.

The horse world is cautiously getting back on the road as competitions re-emerge on June calendars. Productive horse people likely spent some of the pandemic doing horse trailer maintenance: checking breaks, tires, interiors, hitches and electrical connections.

Those critical aspects of safe equine transport tend to get a lot of attention. Horse’s respiratory health merits equal consideration because it can be badly compromised during trailering.

Competition itself has enough variables, notes Virginia-based two-time World Equestrian Games eventer Lynn Symansky. “They really increase when you combine those variables with respiratory issues horses can pick up while travelling. Especially when you are traveling with multiple horses in the trailer. You already have dust from shavings and bedding, plus whatever is coming in through the open windows. When each horse grabs and pulls hay from their hay net, it can be worse.”

Hay is mostly a good thing for traveling horses. Having something to munch on keeps them occupied, which helps reduce general travel stress. Chewing and digesting food keeps stomach acids at bay, lowering the risk of ulcers that often accompany that stress.

From a respiratory health standpoint, however, hay can be harmful in the trailer or van. That’s because even hay that has good nutrient quality and looks clean can be loaded with inhalable irritants. Dust, mold spores, bacteria and other allergens are not limited to hay that looks and smells bad. These are the main triggers of conditions on the Equine Asthma Spectrum that affect a surprisingly high percent of the equine population.

When these microscopic bits lodge in the airways, an inflammatory response to foreign objects kicks in. This can restrict the upper airway and impede the transfer of oxygen from the lungs into the bloodstream. That’s never good for the horse’s welfare or performance, and it’s especially bad when heading to a show.

Before hitting the road, Lynn’s crew steams their horses’ hay in a Haygain Hay Steamer. The high-temperature steaming process rids hay of up to 99% of the dust, mold, bacteria and allergens found in all hay. Putting clean hay in the trailer is especially important because the hay sits right in the horse’s breathing zone for the duration of the trip.

Heads Up: Not Healthy

Eating hay from an elevated position is already problematic, notes Kentucky-based veterinarian and dressage rider Dr. Wren Burnley, DVM. Eating from the ground is nature’s design for allowing the horse to clear inhaled material from its airways. They can’t do that in the trailer.

Opening vents and windows is important for ventilation during travel, although that can also disperse breathable bits further within the trailer. (Use a fly mask or other protective gear to guard the horse’s eye and face from anything that might fly in the window, Dr. Burnley notes.) Stopping for rest breaks every four hours is the conventional wisdom for long trips. If a safe place can be found to unload the horses, letting them drink or graze with their heads lowered will help them clear their airways.

Before loading horses in Ocala, Florida, for the annual trek back to their Virginia base, the team at Will Coleman Equestrian loaded hay into their HG 2000 steamer to make sure all the horses had fresh, clean hay for the journey.

“We ship all the horses on steamed hay,” says the Olympic and WEG eventer’s head groom Olivia Quill. “Steamed hay is easier for them to digest and minimizes the dust while traveling.” A medium-size hay steamer, the HG 600 model, usually goes along with the WCE team. “They are easy to transport,” Olivia reports.

In this time of heightened awareness about airborne respiratory risks, Haygain Steamed Hay offers the assurance of greatly reduced respiratory risks for travelling horses.

For more information on Haygain Hay Steamers and Haygain’s ComfortStall Sealed Orthopedic Flooring, visit www.haygain.us.

Haygain is a science driven company with the horse’s health as the primary focus.

We are committed to improving equine health through scientific research, product innovation and consumer education in respiratory and digestive health. Developed by riders, for riders, we understand the importance of clean forage and a healthy stable environment in maintaining the overall well-being of the horse.

Our Haygain hay steamers are recommended by the world’s leading riders, trainers and equine vets and ComfortStall® Sealed Orthopedic Flooring System is used and recommended by leading Veterinary Hospitals, including Cornell University.

“A” circuit jumper, Corey, enjoying his ComfortStall at Whillans Equine. Photo by Emma Whillans.

It’s widely known in the equestrian world that horsemanship skills and horse sense in a business context don’t always go together. They do at Whillans Equine, where 24-year-old hunter/jumper trainer and barn owner Emma Whillan’s clear vision for every aspect her new training and boarding facility has led to a remarkable first year.

Whillans Equine opened for business July 1 of 2019, in the Wellington, Florida area’s Loxahatchee. Emma’s idea was top notch care and training in a family-friendly environment and its realization resulted in the quick filling of her now 24 stalls.

Emma has been planning the barn most of her life. She kept a notebook of what she liked and didn’t like in stables as a junior competitor and working student at several top programs.

Flooring First

Starting from scratch with five acres of former nursery, Emma put flooring first in prioritizing her budget. She knew what she didn’t want: traditional stall mats. These provide little cushion for the horse and are a heavyweight hassle when they and whatever they’re laid on top of need to be cleaned and aired out because of urine seepage and accumulation.

ComfortStall Orthopedic Sealed Flooring was exactly the flooring Emma imagined, even before she knew it existed. The multi-layer system functions as a single-piece thanks to a durable rubber top cover that is sealed to the stall walls with HDPE anchor strips. Under that is proprietary foam that provides give, cushion and energy return.  Emma made an initial investment in 16 ComfortStalls and recently added another eight.

The flooring is a convincing selling point for prospective boarders, letting them feel with their own two feet the commitment Whillans Equine has made to their horses’ well-being. Most important, the flooring is helping the horses, exceeding Emma’s already high expectations at the outset of her barn and business building adventure.

“I am so lucky to have it in my first barn,” she says. “I knew that flooring was something I could not cut corners on and I was right. We’ve actually had some miracle stories with some of our horses, and all of them are way better thanks to this flooring.”

This Is Cushy!

Tamara Ploskunak is one of those to bear out Emma’s prediction that ComfortStall would impress prospective boarders. Shopping for a new home for her Andalusian mare, Rabina, Tamara saw stables that had dirt stall floors and others with rubber mats over concrete. “Oh, this is just bad,” she thought. Then, “Wow! This is cushy. I could do gymnastics on this!” when she visited Whillans Equine.

Tamara purchased Rabina a year ago knowing the mare had some mild fetlock issues, most likely arthritis related. “I figured if that was the only problem, I wasn’t going to worry.” She accepted that joint injections might be a near-future reality to keep Rabina comfortable in her dressage work. After being at Whillans Equine for just a few weeks, “She was sound as a board,” Tamara states. “I think the way the flooring takes the pressure off her legs is really helping her.”

Rabina’s general response on ComfortStall has been “amazing,” the owner adds. “At first, I freaked out because she was always lying down when I came to see her. But now I realize it’s because she is comfortable lying down and I know it’s the flooring. In the past, she used to be fidgety in her stall. She used to pace and weave a little. She doesn’t do that anymore. It is such a relief to know that she is comfortable.”

Tenderfoot

Corey, a 17.2hh show jumper, is another ComfortStall fan, as is his owner and farrier. The 12-year-old Holsteiner has an issue with thinning bursa, the sac of fluid that helps lubricate joint function. “His navicular bursa was pretty beat up,” explains farrier David Bustamante.  It never manifested in actual lameness, but rather as occasional tenderfootedness, especially when first coming out of his stall each day. That’s disappeared since Corey moved onto ComfortStall.

David had cared for Corey when he was stabled elsewhere. The first shoeing after moving to Whillans Equine, David didn’t notice a difference in the jumper’s hooves. After the second shoeing, four weeks later, “I told his owner, I really like his feet.” Because Corey’s nutrition and exercise routine had stayed the same, the farrier attributed the improvement to the flooring.

“But why?” he wondered. “I believe it’s because this flooring allows the feet to articulate in whatever way they want to. The hoof is not set at a certain angle because it’s on a hard surface. It allows give and take and for the bony structures of the foot to go where they want to go.

Corey and his junior rider, Victoria Craig, did well at the 1.1M and 1.15M jumper division at Wellington’s Winter Equestrian Festival this year. They are confident about moving up now that his condition is so well managed.

The “big boy” also seems to be getting more rest. “He didn’t used to lie down that much before, but now he is really comfortable doing so,” observes Pat Craig, Victoria’s mother.

Easing Pregnancy Problems

Breeding is a new adventure for Emma, and for her former Junior Jumper mare, Delfine 3. As usual, the stable owner approached the task with extensive research and inquiries.

Ample bedding was advised for the mare’s comfort throughout her pregnancy. Emma was happy to already have that detail covered with ComfortStall’s orthopedic foam.

The eight ComfortStalls Emma added to the original 16 include two stalls adapted into a 12′ by 24′ foaling stall. “I knew I wanted the ability to un-divide two stalls to make one foaling stall, and I’m so glad I thought of that in advance.” The ComfortStall top cover is normally installed so that it extends a few inches up each wall, to which it is sealed with HDPE anchor strips. A modification to accommodate the removable stall divider was easy to devise, Emma says.

Because Delfine is a first-time mom, Emma removed the mare’s shoes. A maiden mare is more likely to accidently step on her foal in the early days. That advice made sense, but Emma worried that carrying an extra 200 pounds on unshod feet would be rough for a show horse that had worn shoes for 12 years. “I pulled her hind shoes first,” Emma explains. “On regular barn aisle mats, she was a little ouchy, but in her stall, she was completely fine.”

Pregnancy usually brings swollen legs from restricted circulation, but that was another non-issue for Delfine. The constant, tiny muscle movements that occur while standing on ComfortStall prompt proprioception that improves joint health, whether pregnant or not. As a result, Delfine has not suffered the usual lower leg stocking up.

Bottom Line Booster

ComfortStall requires only enough bedding to absorb urine and it prevents urine seepage that creates unhealthy barn air and requires regular, heavy-duty cleaning. For those reasons alone, it substantially lowers bedding and labor costs, often paying for itself in less than a year.  Less bedding in means less soiled bedding out, making ComfortStall an environmentally friendly choice, too.

At Whillans Equine, Emma is most impressed by how far beyond the bottom line the benefits extend. Most of all, seeing her own and her clients’ horses at ease in their stalls and in their bodies is the best dividend for this forward-thinking barn builder and business owner.

 For more information on Haygain’s ComfortStall visit www.haygain.us.

Haygain is a science driven company with the horse’s health as the primary focus.

We are committed to improving equine health through scientific research, product innovation and consumer education in respiratory and digestive health. Developed by riders, for riders, we understand the importance of clean forage and a healthy stable environment in maintaining the overall well-being of the horse.

Our Haygain hay steamers are recommended by the world’s leading riders, trainers and equine vets and ComfortStall® Sealed Orthopedic Flooring System is used and recommended by leading Veterinary Hospitals, including Cornell University.

In thanks to horse owners risking their own health to fight COVID-19, Haygain is offering a 15% discount on its horse health products to all first responders. The offer applies to its three high-temperature hay steaming models and to ComfortStall Sealed Orthopedic Flooring and is in effect through at least May 15.

Haygain considers first responders to include medical professionals and support staff, elder care and in-home health workers, grocery store employees and anyone at increased risk because of the essential service they are providing during this difficult time.

To redeem the offer, call Haygain at 888-307-0855.

Haygain high-temperature hay steaming eliminates up to 99% of the microscopic bits of dust, mold, fungi and bacteria found in even top-quality hay. These are the main causes in respiratory issues that affect over 80% of active sport horses, often without obvious symptoms. Steamed hay also adds water to the horse’s diet for digestive health and colic prevention and its proven palatability is great for picky eaters and reducing hay waste.

ComfortStall Orthopedic Sealed Flooring provides therapeutic cushion that preserves joint health and encourages deep, restful sleep.  Its one-piece durable top cover is sealed to the stall walls. This prevents urine from leaking through to the stall base, where it accumulates and creates unhealthy levels of ammonia off-gasses often found under traditional stall mats.

Haygain is grateful to all those helping the country through these unprecedented times.

For more information on the 15% discount, call 888 307 0855. For more information on Haygain’s horse health products, visit www.haygain.com.