WHY USE HAY STEAMERS ?
Mould and fungal spores cause respiratory and problems
Horses are particularly sensitive to dust from mould spores which in the early stages may just show itself as a light cough which develops then disappears as the horse works. In the racing industry where horses are scoped regularly this is often diagnosed as Inflammatory Airway Disease (IAD).
As the allergy progresses it can cause a permanent respiratory disease called Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO), commonly referred to as heaves. A horse with RAO will not necessarily appear ill, with no temperature or loss of appetite but will have a decreased exercise tolerance, coughing and nasal discharge. Laboured breathing may be experienced during exercise and in acute cases at rest.
It would appear that some horses are very allergic to mould spores including Aspergillus, seen pictured on the left, while in others the effects and clinical signs are minimal. However, they all breath in these mould spores from dry hay which is detrimental to the health of the horse. In addition some moulds, in the right conditions will produce mycotoxins, the effects not only challenge the respiratory system but induce digestive problems and may alter the nutritional value of the hay.
In the early stages of a respiratory condition a horse will only have mild signs of exercise intolerance, a showjumper may knock down more poles, a dressage horse may show a reluctance to carry itself so can be difficult to identify until the disease has progressed to show clinical signs.
Who else is affected?
Its not only your horse that is affected, Perennial Rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever can be triggered by these spores and Farmer's Lung is also caused by mouldy crops including hay.
Where do these spores come from?
Problems associated with hay making particularly in the UK climate causes dust in hay from several sources, leaf shatter and soil can contaminate the hay during production and mesophilic and thermophilic mould spores can develop during production and storage.
What are the traditional ways to counter act these spores?
One option is to soak the hay but this is time consuming, laborious, uses large quantities of water, leaches out a lot of the nutrients and as a result is classified as an environmental pollutant.
Another option is to feed haylage but there are many problems associated with quality control during production, how it is stored, how quickly it is used once open and the mis-feeding of it. In addition, there is an argument that horses fed haylage stand for longer periods of time with no forage and as a result can develop stable vices and potentially gastric ulcers.
Hay Steamers... they're all about your horse's health
Prevent respiratory disease
Exposing your horse to mould and fungal spores in hay can over time sensitise them to it and cause a hypersensitivity allergy which will develop into a respiratory condition.
Manage an existing respiratory condition
Respiratory diseases such as Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO) are successfully managed with environmental changes to minimise the dust in your horse's environment. Hay has the potential to contain the highest concentration of spores and is directly in their breathing zone so as a result, feeding steamed hay makes a huge difference when trying to minimise the dust in the stable environment.
Improve your horse's ability to meet your expectations
As we all know Oxygen is the essential fuel for the body, if it cannot reach the bloodstream then effectively the horse is like a car out of fuel. No matter how willing the horse is if they can’t get enough Oxygen from their lungs into the bloodstream and to the muscles then they can't perform. Keeping the airways healthy and clear from obstruction caused by inflammation and mucus ensures the horse can get enough oxygen, otherwise the horse has to use more energy to breathe harder and harder in order to get the same amount or less fuel.
Provide a palatable forage complete with essential nutrients
Steamed hay is very palatable and favoured by most horses over anything else (even grass reported one customer!) Steaming the hay does NOT leach out essential nutrients, unlike soaking ensuring your horse gets everything out of the hay that you want it to. That said due to its increased palatability you can feed a hay that is of lower nutritional value which normally would not be so appetizing, this ideal for laminitics and other metabolic disorders.
Make your life easier, save time, money and effort
Hay steamers are so well designed that they are effortless and simple to use; a relief for those suffering with back problems. Savings and benefits beyond your horse's health become evident in potential reductions in vets bills, forage costs and water (if you currently soak) and potential competition overheads due to inability to perform through coughing or suchlike and treatment of hay-related allergies (hay fever!).
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