Benefits of Integrating Warm-Season Grasses into Pastures: Warm-season grasses help minimize the “summer slump” in pastures dominated by cool-season grasses such as tall fescue, orchardgrass, and Kentucky bluegrass. Specifically, warm-season grasses like Bermuda grass and crabgrass improve pasture yield in hot, dry months. Research by Rutgers University identified two additional benefits of warm-season grasses. (1) creation of desirable forage composition for certain horses, and (2) beneficial shifts in the equine intestinal microbiome.*

For the study, researchers followed eight metabolically normal mares (i.e., no evidence of insulin dysregulation or equine metabolic syndrome) during a single grazing season. They grazed cool-season pasture in the spring and fall. Then, warm-season pasture in the summer. Fecal samples were collected throughout the grazing season after adapting to each diet.

First Benefit:

As to the first benefit, warm-season grasses are lower in nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) and water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC). The NSCs are composed of starch and WSCs, which are simple sugars such as glucose and fructose, among others.

Forage analysis of both warm- and cool-season grasses used in this study were similar to previous reports in that warm-season grasses had markedly lower NSCs and WSCs than cool-season grasses.

“Pastures naturally lower in nonstructural carbohydrates are particularly important for horses with insulin dysregulation because higher levels of NSCs can challenge a horse’s metabolism,” said Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a Kentucky Equine Research nutritionist.

According to Crandell, when excess sugars and starches are consumed, they increase blood glucose (sugar) levels, triggering the release of insulin from the pancreas. Insulin prompts the body’s tissues to take up the glucose for metabolic purposes.

“With insulin dysregulation, the glucose is not responsive to insulin’s drive to push it into the cells. This causes more insulin to be released. The horse ends up with prolonged high insulin levels in the blood. These high levels of both glucose and insulin in circulation can have detrimental effects on various metabolic functions in the body. They can potentially result in hyperinsulinemia-associated laminitis,” she explained.

Minimize Glucose Levels:

To help minimize the persistently elevated levels of circulating glucose after a meal, diets low in NSCs are recommended for horses diagnosed with insulin dysregulation or equine metabolic syndrome. With a lower NSC content, this makes the warm-season grasses desirable.

The cool-season grasses were higher in NSCs than the warm-season grasses. However, none of the horses participating in this study had abnormal results from an oral sugar test administered periodically throughout the study. The oral sugar test measures a horse’s insulin response to a sugar challenge. It is a key test used to diagnose insulin dysregulation. The researchers stated, however, the study may not have been long enough in duration to pick up on subtle changes in insulin sensitivity between horses fed warm- and cool-season grasses.

Second Benefit:

The second advantage includes microbiome shifts in response to feeding warm-season grasses.

According to the researchers, “Distinct shifts in equine fecal microbial community structure and composition occur as horses adapt to different forages within an integrated warm- and cool-season grass rotational pasture system.”

While several alterations in the intestinal microbiome were observed, one notable change was enrichment with Clostridium butyricum when consuming warm-season grasses. This bacterium is a well-known producer of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid (volatile fatty acid).

“Butyrate promotes anti-inflammatory responses. It improves the gastrointestinal barrier to mitigate ‘leaky gut syndrome.’ It also plays a role in improving metabolic health,” Crandell explained.

“In summary, this study shows distinct benefits of feeding warm-season grasses in the summer months. For example, improved pasture yield; lower nonstructural carbohydrate levels; and enrichment in beneficial bacteria in the intestinal microbiome, specifically C. butyricum,” said Crandell.

Even with integration of warm-season grasses, all horses still benefit from a salt supplement. In addition, a high-quality vitamin and mineral supplementation to balance out the nutrients that may be low or missing in the forage.\

Resources:

Would you like more information about the Benefits of Integrating Warm-Season Grasses into Pastures? Contact us at J & J Farms by clicking here!

Article brought to you by KER.

*Weinert-Nelson, J.R., A.S. Biddle, H. Sampath, and C.A. Williams. 2023. Fecal microbiota, forage nutrients, and metabolic responses of horses grazing warm- and cool-season grass pastures. Animals (Basel) 13(5):790.

 

 

Steamed Hay for Horses: Protein Content Examined. 

Selecting Forages for Horses Diagnosed with Equine Asthma: Environmental management is one of the most important aspects of treating and managing horses diagnosed with equine asthma. Asthma is a chronic condition that requires lifelong management changes to maintain respiratory function and overall health. Reducing exposure to respirable antigens, which are the inhaled molds, endotoxins, and other foreign matter that trigger immune response, can help alleviate the clinical symptoms of asthma. The most common respirable antigens in a horse’s environment come from hay, bedding, and potentially pasture.

For horses diagnosed with barn-associated asthma, full-time pasture access is generally recommended. However, this is not an option for many horse owners, and hay is often the primary source of forage. Hay is a major concern for horses with asthma, as hay will always contain some respirable antigens. To reduce the amount of potential inhalation of dust and mold spores, several options are available to the horse owner.

Harm Reduction:

1. Always ensure the hay is as clean as possible. Only use high-quality hay, as free as possible from dust and mold.
   

   RDC:

2. Research has shown that immersing, soaking, or steaming hay before feeding can significantly reduce the number of particles inhaled by the horse. Simply sprinkling the hay with water is inadequate. The hay must be completely immersed and wet throughout to reduce the respirable dust concentration (RDC). One research study found that immersing and thoroughly wetting hay more than halved the mean and maximum RDC in a horse’s breathing zone (the two-foot sphere around the horse’s nose). Other studies have evaluated soaked hay for asthmatic horses. They determined that 30-45 minutes of soaking is adequate to reduce RDC. Longer soaking provides no additional advantages. Horse owners must keep in mind that soaking hay reduces nutrient content. Steaming hay is effective at reducing respirable antigens with less potential for loss of nutrients. However, it is not a viable option for many horse owners. The choice of whether to immerse, soak, or steam hay may best be addressed by the options available to the owner and the horse’s symptoms. If immersing the hay is adequate to eliminate symptoms (usually coughing is the initial and recurring symptom), then that would be the simplest solution. Some research data indicate that feeding soaked hay or hay pellets helps improve lung function. The same study has not been performed using immersed hay.
3. Remove any uneaten immersed, soaked, or steamed hay from the horse’s reach before it has a chance to generate mold.
   

   Different Types of Asthma:

4. For horses with severe asthma, entirely replace long-stemmed hay with pelleted hay or forage replacement, or a complete feed designed to provide adequate fiber to replace dietary forage. Particularly if clinical symptoms persist. Wetting pelleted hay will further reduce respirable particles and may allow the respiratory tract inflammation to subside. However, horses will consume pelleted forages more rapidly and with less chewing than long-stemmed forage. So the best practice would be to feed smaller quantities more often throughout the day.
5. For horses diagnosed with pasture-associated asthma, the primary causes of respiratory inflammation are certain molds and pollens. They can be present in pastures during growing seasons, particularly during periods of high heat and humidity. Management in such situations includes removing affected horses from pasture during high-risk periods. Such horses usually do best when only allowed pasture access during the winter. During the periods that these horses are kept off pasture, some do require the same forage management as horses diagnosed with barn-associated asthma.

For all horses diagnosed with asthma, decreasing dust in the horse’s environment through ventilation, low-dust bedding, and careful attention to periods of high environmental dust (sweeping barn aisles, high wind, etc.), is recommended.

One additional suggestion for managing horses with equine asthma includes dietary supplementation to help control chronic inflammation. Marine-derived sources of omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to support immune response in horses, including mediation of inflammation.

Would you like more information about Selecting Forages for Horses Diagnosed with Equine Asthma? Contact us at J & J Farms by clicking here!

Article brought to you by KER.

Feedstuffs for Horses: All About Beet Pulp.  Fifty years ago, many knowledgeable horsemen would find it difficult to identify beet pulp or its potential value as a feedstuff for horses. Though its usefulness is now cemented among horse owners, beet pulp can still cause some confusion. Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research, answers eight questions about beet pulp and its role in equine nutrition.

In what types of feeds was beet pulp first used?

Sugar beet pulp first found a use in commercial horse feeds in the racehorse products as a low-dust feedstuff. It was mixed with lots of molasses and felt moist. This proved beneficial for the respiratory tract and was thought to be somehow beneficial in preventing bleeding. However, this notion was quickly abandoned.

Beet pulp was also integrated into senior feeds because of the need for a high-fiber feedstuff that could be ground and incorporated into a pellet. The new generation of high-fiber, low-starch feeds that emerged in the late 1990s was an obvious end-use for such an excellent fiber source. Now, beet pulp is prevalent in feeds designed for all classes of horses.

What are the differences between beet pulp and cereal grains as energy sources?

Horses derive the majority of the energy (calories) in cereal grains from the enzymatic digestion of starch that is absorbed in the bloodstream in the form of glucose. On the other hand, horses derive the majority of the energy in beet pulp from the microbial fermentation of the fiber content. It is absorbed as volatile fatty acids, also known as short-chain fatty acids.

What are the advantages of feeding beet pulp as part of a diet?

Compared to other fiber sources like hay, beet pulp has much more digestible fiber. For example, the digestible fiber in hay is around 40%. Meanwhile beet pulp has closer to 80% digestible fiber. The more digestible the fiber, the more calories that feedstuff provides the horse.

Further, beet pulp mixes well into a textured feed and can be pelleted easily. Plus, soaking beet pulp is a way to get more water into the horse.

How does beet pulp stack up to hay as a source of fiber?

The type of fiber found in beet pulp, considered “rapidly fermentable fiber,” is much more readily fermented by the microbes in the hindgut than the fiber in hay or typical forage sources. Hay consists mostly of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Lignin is completely indigestible. On the other hand, cellulose and hemicellulose vary in digestibility depending on the maturity of the plant.

Beet pulp provides energy, but does it add appreciable amounts of other nutrients?

Beet pulp has higher amounts of calcium than grains, about the level found in typical commercial concentrates. In addition, beet pulp is comparatively high in iron.

Should beet pulp be fed soaked or unsoaked when fed by itself or as part of home-mixed concentrate?

If feeding beet pulp shreds, they can be fed dry, especially if mixed with other feedstuffs. Free-choice water availability is important if feeding dry beet pulp. Pelleted beet pulp, however, should not be fed dry because it may increase the likelihood of choke. Horses prefer to consume beet pulp shreds soaked rather than dry shreds, probably because it softens their texture. My preference is to feed beet pulp soaked.

Further, one of the advantages of feeding soaked beet pulp is that it is a way to sneak a bit of water into the diet. This is especially useful in the winter when water consumption may be down. The Europeans have come up with a method of micronizing and then flaking the pulp so that it soaks quickly, in less than 10 minutes.

Are there any special uses for beet pulp?

Soaked beet pulp is a useful vehicle for holding larger amounts of oil, which is often recommended as a way to get more calories in the horse.

It was thought for a while that soaked beet pulp could help to push sand out of the digestive tract, but research found it ineffective in prevention of sand colic.

Is beet pulp use in the U.S. different than in other areas of the world?

Beet pulp has worked its way into quite a number of commercial feeds in the U.S. Many horse owners feed soaked beet pulp in addition their regular feed.

As the history of beet pulp would suggest, its use is more longstanding in areas such as England, Northern Europe, and Russia, where much sugar beet is cultivated. Because of the climate needed for sugar beet cultivation, South America had very limited sugar beet production. Likewise, this is the case in Australia and Africa. However, cultivation is expanding to newer areas. A variety can be grown in the warmer climates as a winter crop, instead of a summer crop as it is in more temperate climates. Where beet pulp is not grown, it may be imported and therefore rather expensive.

Would you like more information about Feedstuffs for Horses and Beet Pulp? Contact us at J & J Farms by clicking here!

Article brought to you by KER.

Managing Feed for Weanling and Yearling Horses: Young horses need good-quality feeds to meet their nutrient requirements for growth. In addition, free-choice exercise in large paddocks. Weanlings and yearlings have high requirements for energy, protein, amino acids and minerals in order to grow optimally. If you are using a commercial mixed feed, make sure it is formulated for the growing horse.

Energy

Oats are often the cheapest source of energy for young horses. They are best fed crushed to weanlings because their teeth are not fully developed and they will have trouble breaking open whole grains. Steam flaked maize (corn), barley and lupins are other grains that are good sources of energy for the growing horse. Lupins also have high protein levels. Adding fat is a safe way to rapidly condition your young horse. You can use oil, sunflower seeds, stabilised rice bran or a higher fat prepared feed. A general rule of thumb is to provide 1 kg of fortified grain per 100 kg of body weight, up to a maximum of 3 kg/day per weanling. Good doers such as warmbloods, quarter horses and ponies may get fat on these concentrate feed intakes! They do better on a low intake feed balancer pellet or a more concentrated breeding feed.

Protein

Weanlings need approximately 15% crude protein and yearlings need 13% crude protein in the diet along with adequate intakes of essential amino acids such as lysine to maintain optimum growth. Young green grass or clover pasture contains 15–20% crude protein. However this amount falls rapidly as the plants begin flowering and start to seed. Dry summer or winter pasture often contains very little protein, so yearlings will need supplementation. Young horses need high-quality protein that contains all the essential amino acids, especially lysine. Animal-derived proteins such as milk powder are of very high quality but are expensive, and soybean meal is the best-quality vegetable protein. Canola meal is also a good quality protein source. Legumes such as lucerne and clover also have a high level of good quality protein. Linseed meal is relatively low in lysine and is not a good source of protein for growing horses, although its high oil content will produce a bloom on the coat.

Vitamins and Minerals

Calcium and phosphorus are the most important minerals for growing horses. Grains are low in calcium, whereas lucerne, clover hays and high-quality pasture contain more calcium. However winter and spring pastures may unexpectedly contain ration inversions of calcium to phosphorus. Bran contains a lot of phosphorus and should not be fed in significant quantities to growing horses. Urinalysis can be used to assess the calcium status of young horses. The calcium to phosphorus balance of the ration can be analysed by an equine nutritionist.

Young horses running in a paddock can lose 30 g of salt per day in their sweat and urine, especially during hot weather, so provide a salt block or supply a salt supplement.

Trace minerals such as copper, zinc, manganese, and selenium are important components in the diet for most growing horses. They need to be supplied in the right quantities and ratios in commercial feeds formulated for young horses.

Roughage

To meet the commercial growth requirements of young horses, you may have to feed them less roughage than desired for optimal digestive function. Therefore, you must use good-quality chaff or hay to maximize the utilization of the fibrous feed in meeting the energy requirements. Also decrease the amount of starch the weanling has to be fed. High-quality, early-cut hay will also minimize the pot-belly appearance caused by fibre and water in the gut, a situation often associated with mature hay with high lignin content. Lucerne or clover hay will also supply higher intakes of protein and calcium as well as fibre. They are often preferred for growing horses. As the horse gets older it eats more, so you can switch from a legume hay to a grass or oaten based hay. This is true particularly during spring when they have access to green grass.

Choice of Feed

If you have great quality pasture or are feeding breeds with a good metabolism, such as warmbloods, quarter horses, draught breeds or ponies, a feed balancer pellet or a concentrate  is often the best approach.

Remember to monitor growth, legs and body condition carefully. Adjust feed intake or choice of feed in order to maintain optimum growth for each individual weanling and yearling.

Would you like more information about Managing Feed for Weanling and Yearling Horses? Contact us at J & J Farms by clicking here!

Article brought to you by KER.

 

Summer Pasture-Associated Heaves: Most horse owners have heard of heaves. It’s an asthma-like condition caused by irritation of the respiratory system when dust and mold spores are inhaled. Heaves is most often found in horses that spend a lot of time in stalls. They come in contact with fine particles contained in hay.

Combined with irritating ammonia fumes from wet bedding, these particles cause tissues in the respiratory passages to swell, making it more difficult for horses to breathe. The name “heaves” comes from the audible wheeze and contraction of the horse’s flank as it struggles to move air out of its lungs.

Horses with heaves usually have a normal body temperature and may show a thin, clear nasal discharge. Some heavey horses exhibit worse signs in winter when they are confined to the barn, improving when they are turned out in milder weather.

Summer pasture-associated heaves:

Summer pasture-associated heaves, on the other hand, affects turned-out horses that are sensitive to pollens and molds found in pastures. Signs of illness are the same between the two conditions, but the triggering factor is different. These horses may be more comfortable if they are kept indoors during the warmer seasons.

A nutritional supplement that has gained widespread attention in the fight against heaves is omega-3 fatty acids. They have well-known anti-inflammatory properties. Fish oils are direct sources of DHA and EPA. They are the most useful omega-3 fatty acids in terms of conferring health benefits. Other oils may contain ALA, which must then be converted to DHA and EPA, a complicated and inefficient process. For optimal omega-3 supplementation, use a marine-derived source such as EO-3.

Owners should contact a veterinarian for a diagnosis and treatment program if their horses have trouble breathing or become exercise intolerant during any season of the year.

Would you like more information about Summer Pasture-Associated Heaves? Contact us at J & J Farms by clicking here!

Article brought to you by KER.

 

Pros and Cons of Using Haynets: New Information! For every good reason to manage a horse in a particular fashion there seems to be an equally compelling argument to not take that approach. Take haynets, for example. Haynets can be beneficial in some management scenarios. Yet a new study suggests they may increase a horse’s risk of neck or back injury.*

Benefits of Haynets

Feeding horses from haynets reportedly slows feed intake. This allows horses to consume forage for longer periods of time than when forage is spread on the ground. Prolonging forage intake mimics the time spent on pasture, where horses typically allocate 12-18 hours a day to grazing and foraging. Thus, using haynets to extend feeding times more closely matches natural grazing behavior of horses.

“Extended feeding or foraging means the horses’ stomachs are not empty for extended periods of time, which is important for reducing the likelihood of developing equine squamous gastric disease or ESGD,” said Ashley Fowler, Ph.D., a nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research.

“Forage creates a ‘splash guard.’ So acidic gastric fluid doesn’t damage the wall of the stomach in the less protected upper or squamous region of the stomach,” she added.

Horses at risk of ESGD, such as those on high-grain diets or those fed only two or three meals a day, would therefore benefit from haynets to ensure the presence of that splash guard. These horses would also benefit from a gastric buffer such as the one contained in research-proven digestive health supplements developed by Kentucky Equine Research.

According to Fowler, managing appropriate body condition in horses also helps reduce the risk of insulin resistance. In addition, laminitis, and equine metabolic syndrome.

“For horses that are overweight, decreasing the amount of forage offered may be necessary to encourage weight loss. Haynets can help slow the rate of consumption when owners need to restrict forage intake, which can help avoid stereotypies, such as wood chewing and bedding consumption,” Fowler added.

Disadvantages of Haynets

Suspending the hay net at head level does not mimic the natural position of the head and neck during pasture grazing. When horses consistently eat with their heads elevated, the nasal passages do not drain, potentially putting horses at risk for respiratory infections. Further, hay is often dusty and having horses bury their muzzles in haynets may induce an asthma flare-up.

“A new study measured the pull forces that occur when horses grab forage from small-hole haynets. Pull pressures were measured by attaching the haynet to a pull gauge, which measured the forces in Newtons,” explained Fowler.

Interesting findings in that study included:

Pull forces were higher for hay hung in double or layered haynets compared to a single net;
Horses pulled harder when the haynet was hung at a lower position. In the low position, the haynet was about an inch above the withers. In the high position, it was a foot above the withers (closer to face level); and
Pull forces differed depending on whether hay or haylage (with a higher moisture content) was offered. Horses pulled harder with haylage.

“These pressures may cause some wear on the dental and musculoskeletal system,” wrote the researchers. But further study is needed to further define the pull pressures on neck and back pain while using haynets.

“Haynets are great for horses that need to increase the amount of time spent eating. But this study suggests that perhaps haynet height and hole size should be considered to reduce potential strain on the musculoskeletal system,” concluded Fowler.

Resources:

In conclusion, do you have questions about Pros and Cons of Using Haynets: New Information? Contact us at J & J Hay Farms by clicking here!

*Hodgson, S., P. Bennett-Skinner, B. Lancaster, S. Upton, P. Harris, and A.D. Ellis. 2022. Posture and pull pressure by horses when eating hay or haylage from a hay net hung at various positions. Animals (Basel) 12(21):2999.

 

 

Eight Tips for Healthy Horse Lungs! Inclement weather, medical conditions, management-related issues, overstocking, and limited land. All of these factors play a role in how much time a horse spends indoors. Heaves, a condition in horses that is similar to asthma in humans. Confinement worsens it.

“Heaves, or recurrent airway obstruction, is a common and challenging problem in horses. In many cases it limits their athleticism and lifespan,” said Peter Huntington, B.V.Sc., M.A.C.V.Sc, director of nutrition, Kentucky Equine Research (Australia).

Experts recommend the following guidelines to maximize the respiratory health of horses affected by heaves:

1. Maintain the horse outdoors as much as possible. Unless the horse has been diagnosed with pasture-associated heaves.
2. Soak or steam hay to minimize the amount of dust and mold liberated from the hay that may be inhaled by your horse.
3. When outdoors, avoid the use of round bales. Although convenient, horses tend to plunge their noses into the middle of the bale for prolonged periods of time while feasting. Thus inhaling mold spores and dust. Instead, spread the hay on the ground to promote drainage of mucus from respiratory passages.
4. Even indoors, spread the hay on the horse’s stall floor instead of using a haynet or other elevated feeding device.
5. Never muck stalls, sweep aisles, or otherwise clean the barn while a horse with heaves is indoors.
6. Replace straw bedding with a low-dust alternative such as shredded paper, specialized cardboard products, or even simple rubber matting with a thin layer of absorptive material. Some horses will object to urine splashing on their legs. Some type of bedding will be needed.
7. Supplement the diet with the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), as these have been shown to reduce inflammation in the lungs. EO-3, a potent marine-derived oil rich in DHA and EPA, is a palatable oil that is top-dressed onto the feed.

Nappie Benefits:

1. Try an equine diaper (nappie). According to one study*, ammonia, found in horse urine, causes inflammation of the respiratory tract lining. It is undesirable in a horse with heaves. Horses without a diaper had more than 4 parts per million (ppm) ammonia in their stall after 42 hours, whereas horses fitted with a diaper had less than 1 ppm ammonia in their stall in the same time period. Moreover, horses exposed to higher ammonia levels had decreased feed intake. These results prompted the researchers to conclude that “fitting the diaper effectively decreased exposure of horses to ammonia gas, helped keep the horse in good health, and in addition lowered the cost of bedding.” A nappie, however healthy for a horse, may not be a practical solution for most horse owners.

“In sum, take all possible precautions to protecting your horse’s breathing zone. The two-foot sphere around his nose from where he draws his breath,” advised Huntington.

Resources:

In conclusion, do you have questions about these Eight Tips for Healthy Horse Lungs? Contact us at J & J Hay Farms by clicking here!

*Matsui, A., Y. Inoue, and Y. Asai. 2003. The effect of putting the bag with collecting feces and urea (“equine diaper”) to the ammonia gases concentrate in horse’s pen. Journal of Equine Science. 14(3):75-79.

 

 

Pros and Cons of Using Haynets: New Information. For every good reason to manage a horse in a particular fashion there seems to be an equally compelling argument to not take that approach. Take haynets, for example. Haynets can be beneficial in some management scenarios. However, a new study suggests they may increase a horse’s risk of neck or back injury.^*

Benefits of Haynets:

Feeding horses from haynets reportedly slows feed intake. This allows horses to consume forage for longer periods of time than when forage is spread on the ground. Prolonging forage intake mimics the time spent on pasture, where horses typically allocate 12-18 hours a day to grazing and foraging. Thus, using haynets to extend feeding times more closely matches natural grazing behavior of horses.

“Extended feeding or foraging means the horses’ stomachs are not empty for extended periods of time, which is important for reducing the likelihood of developing equine squamous gastric disease or ESGD,” said Ashley Fowler, Ph.D., a nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research.

“Forage creates a ‘splash guard’ so acidic gastric fluid doesn’t damage the wall of the stomach in the less protected upper or squamous region of the stomach,” she added.

Horses at risk of ESGD, such as those on high-grain diets or those fed only two or three meals a day, would therefore benefit from haynets to ensure the presence of that splash guard. These horses would also benefit from a gastric buffer.

According to Fowler, managing appropriate body condition in horses also helps reduce the risk of insulin resistance, laminitis, and equine metabolic syndrome.

“For horses that are overweight, decreasing the amount of forage offered may be necessary to encourage weight loss. Haynets can help slow the rate of consumption when owners need to restrict forage intake, which can help avoid stereotypies, such as wood chewing and bedding consumption,” Fowler added.

Disadvantages of Haynets

Suspending the hay net at head level does not mimic the natural position of the head and neck during pasture grazing. When horses consistently eat with their heads elevated, the nasal passages do not drain. This potentially puts horses at risk for respiratory infections. Further, hay is often dusty and having horses bury their muzzles in haynets may induce an asthma flare-up.

“A new study measured the pull forces that occur when horses grab forage from small-hole haynets. Pull pressures were measured by attaching the haynet to a pull gauge, which measured the forces in Newtons,” explained Fowler.

Interesting findings in that study included:

• Pull forces were higher for hay hung in double or layered haynets compared to a single net;
• Horses pulled harder when the haynet was hung at a lower position. In the low position, the haynet was about an inch above the withers; in the high position, it was a foot above the withers (closer to face level); and
• Pull forces differed depending on whether hay or haylage (with a higher moisture content) was offered. Horses pulled harder with haylage.

“These pressures may cause some wear on the dental and musculoskeletal system,” wrote the researchers. However, further study is needed to further define the pull pressures on neck and back pain while using haynets.

“Haynets are great for horses that need to increase the amount of time spent eating. This study suggests that perhaps haynet height and hole size should be considered to reduce potential strain on the musculoskeletal system,” concluded Fowler.

Resources:

Questions about the Pros and Cons of Using Haynets? contact J & J Hay Farms today at 770-887-0440!

^*Hodgson, S., P. Bennett-Skinner, B. Lancaster, S. Upton, P. Harris, and A.D. Ellis. 2022. Posture and pull pressure by horses when eating hay or haylage from a hay net hung at various positions. Animals (Basel) 12(21):2999.

 

Stereotypies in Horses: New Research. Owners of horses suffering from stereotypies: fret no more! A new study* shows that horses with repetitive behaviors learn at the same rate as horses without stereotypies and do not appear to be cognitively impaired, as once thought.