Enough is enough. I finally got tired of picking up soiled hay when mucking stalls and have been happy with the reduce in wasted hay when using a net. Photo by Lorraine Peachey
When I’m mucking stalls, I find myself cringing when I see soiled hay that has been ground down into the bedding. Sometimes it just looks like my horses went buck wild and threw a hay party. Not only is cleaning up soiled hay a total pain, but I always see it as being very wasteful as well. Feeding good, quality hay to horses is an expense, so wasted hay is like leaving money lying around on the ground.
A recent study from the University of Minnesota found that up to 13 percent of hay can be wasted when no feeder is used, and while feeders have shown to result in major reductions in hay waste, they have also been shown to pay for themselves within 12 months. Check out more on Horsetalk.
And here are other headlines in horse health news:
Preventing Fall Founder: A sudden regrowth of rich grass in the fall following a dry summer,is something that could trigger an incident of founder. Dr. Anna O’Brien has made suggestions that aim to help horse owners reduce the risk of founder during the upcoming fall season. [Horse Channel]
Helping Horses Recover from Injury: Proprioceptive stimulation techniques can help horse owners restore the “range of joint motion, muscle activation and muscular coordination and strength” in horses recovering from injury. Check out these three methods, which can be used by to help improve motion limitations. [The Horse]
Potential Probiotic Worming Agent: Equine pathologist Martin Nielsen has garnered support to research a possible new equine worming agent. Nielsen, who is with the Gluck Equine Research Center of the University of Kentucky, is investigating a crystal protein, which is produced by Bacillius thuringiensis, a soil based bacteria. [Horsetalk]
Six Fatal EEE Cases Reported in New York: Officials in the state of New York are advising horse owners to vaccinate their horses against Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), if they haven’t already. This urging comes following the reports of six fatal cases within the state. [Blood Horse]
Infographic on Scratches in Horses: There is a pretty cool visual guide posted over at The Horse, which can help horse owners understand causes of scratches, as well as providing them with prevention tips and ways to treat this frustrating condition. [The Horse]
