Wren Burnley, DVM on Furst Tanzer: As
an asthmatic athlete herself, the veterinarian
and Grand Prix dressage rider considers hay
steaming’s benefits a no-brainer.
Photo by John Borys
How It Works
52 www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com
EE
that horses get back on their nutritional
plan, which is critical to their recovery
from surgery.”
The 50-minute steam cycle uses
one-and-a-half gallons of water, which
winds up in the horse. As with humans,
hydration is important to everyday
digestive function and, for horses, it’s
especially important in preventing colic
because it helps keep things moving
through their digestive system.
Steaming’s value is also increasingly
recognized in helping horses with
various health issues that require a diet
low in “non-structural carbohydrates.”
Excess weight, laminitis and Equine
Metabolic Syndrome are a few of the
many conditions in this category. It’s a
complicated and often-misunderstood
topic with highly individualized solutions
depending on what condition the
horse has. These cases merit the help
of an equine nutritionist or veterinarian,
but there are some broadly applicable
basics involving soaking and steaming
hay.
Soaking hay in water is the most effective
way to significantly reduce the
water-soluble carbohydrate component
of non-structural carbohydrates
down to safer levels for horses that
need these special diets. One of
steaming’s benefits is that it does not
leach nutrients from hay. Soaking has
been proven to reduce water-soluble
carbohydrates by 34 percent, whereas
steaming only cuts them by 3 percent.
Unfortunately, soaking creates an environment
in which bacteria and mold
quickly grow. Even just a 10-minute
soak has been determined to increase
bacteria by a whopping 150 percent.
Allison Springer on Lord Willing: “Steaming
is an extra step that the international
eventer describes as “totally worth it.”
Photo by Callie Heroux Photography
It’s an extra step, for sure, but one at
which most elite equestrians don’t bat
an eyelash. “It’s totally worth making
it part of the horses’ routine,” says
longtime hay steamer and international
eventer Allison Springer. “The equine
respiratory system is really sensitive and
that’s why I feel it’s so important to be
proactive in this way.”
Haygain is committed to improving
equine health through scientific
research, product innovation and
consumer education in respiratory and
other health issues. With offices in the
USA and England, Haygain distributes
products for healthier horses to 19
countries, including its Haygain® Hay
Steamers, ComfortStall® Orthopedic
Sealed Flooring System, ForagerTM Slow
Feeder and Flexineb® Portable Equine
Nebulizer.
Visit www.haygain.us for more information.
That’s why a post-soak
steam is critical for feeding
clean, healthy hay.
Soaked hay is also just that
– soaked hay. It’s wet and a
lot of horses don’t like the
taste. Steaming restores its
palatability. It’s moist and soft, rather
than soggy, and it has an appetiteinducing
fragrance that infuses the
whole barn.
Haygain hay steamers were developed
about nine years ago in conjunction
with the Royal Agricultural
University in Cirencester, England. The
steaming happens in a sealed, purpose
built, insulated chest. A patented
spike manifold system injects steam,
heated to at least 212° Fahrenheit,
evenly through the hay inside. The
high temperature and even distribution
have been shown to reduce all
hay pollutants to virtually zero. To be
specific: fungi and yeast to zero; viable
bacteria by 99 percent; and respirable
particles by 98 percent.
In essence, it’s clean hay, a fact to
which Dr. Burnley can personally attest.
“As an asthmatic athlete myself, I cannot
stick my nose into a regular bale of
hay, but I can in a bale that has come
out of the Haygain machine.” A recent
survey found that she’s not alone when
it estimated that one in four people
who work with horses has some sort of
respiratory condition.
/www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com
/www.haygain.us