The Horse:Your Guide To Equine Health Care provides monthly equine health care information to horse owners, breeders, veterinarians, barn/farm managers, trainer/riding instructors, and others involved in the hands-on care of the horse.
Issue link: https://thehorse.epubxp.com/i/714009
45 September 2016 THE HORSE TheHorse.com Peat Moss Reviews are mixed on this natural product, but most agree that peat's time as horse bedding has come and gone. Natural in this case doesn't equate with environmentally friendly; peat comprises the lower layers of living sphagnum moss (like what you buy at the craft store to line the wire plant containers on your patio) that has decomposed underground in wet, boggy conditions for thousands of years. The living moss has to be scraped away to mine the peat, and doing so dam- ages the wetlands the moss grows in and disrupts the bog's biodiversity. Peat moss is also low on the absor- bency scale, and its dark color makes it difficult to differentiate wet and dirty spots from unsoiled areas. Some users report a high incidence of hoof problems with peat use. On the upside, peat reviewers say it's low in dust, minimizing respiratory is- sues, and it cuts down on odors. It's cushy for your horses, and its fine fibers readily compost—and most any gardener would be eager to take your waste for fertilizer. Three cubic feet costs about $12 at home improvement stores. Pelleted Straw Wheat straw compressed into pellets is reportly twice as absorbent as paper bedding products, absorbing 300% of its weight in moisture. Users gave its dusti- ness mixed online reviews. It's steam- processed at 195°F, reducing bacteria, molds, and yeast and is also packaged for small animals. It costs about $9 per 30 pounds. Reused Composted Bedding Researchers have recently documented improvements in allergy- and respiratory- related conditions in horses bedded on re- used composted bedding. "It's a fairly new concept," says Hannah Mueller, DVM, of Cedarbrook Veterinary Clinic, in Sno- homish, Washington. "We were fortunate enough to use it on trial, and my hope is that it gains in popularity." The developer of reused composted bedding uses several types of systems, depending on a facility's size and needs. Moisture and aeration, which are com- posting fundamentals, produce heat that destroys harmful microbes and within two weeks turns waste products— whether food or agricultural wastes—into reusable compost that makes excellent bedding, says Mueller. She studied three hospitalized horses: one with bedding-caused hives, one with a tracheotomy due to an upper airway obstruction, and one with equine asthma (historically referred to as recurrent air- way obstruction, or RAO, or heaves). All three improved when the bedding in their stalls was changed from pelleted wood to reused composted bedding. The hivey horse's skin symptoms resolved within a week, with new hives discontinuing within just a few days. "Instead of aerosolizing the allergens, the composted bedding kept them down to a reasonable level so the horse's respira- tory system was happy," says Mueller. "I Stall Extras Rubber stall mats provide an easily cleanable base for your chosen bedding material(s). Although a bit pricey, they make stall cleaning much easier and can be hosed off periodically. If your horses are turned out with a soft place to lie down, you might find that bedding isn't even a necessity. In addition to bedding, several additive products are available that can absorb moisture and neutralize ammonia and odors when added to your materials. Thus, the bedding at- tracts fewer flies and stays drier so it lasts longer. You can also use some of these products as cat litter and with other animals' bedding. Examples include: ■ Lightweight, naturally occurring volcanic aggregate that you can also spread on muddy spots in your horse's paddock to absorb rain and urine. It costs about $15 for 40 pounds. ■ A blend of food-grade diatomaceous earth (ground diatom fossils) and clay. It's nontoxic and can be used for other animals and costs about $35 for 40 pounds. ■ Zeolite, a mineral product composed of silicon, aluminum, and oxygen in a porous molecu- lar framework that makes it absorbent. It costs about $15 for 2 pounds.—Diane Rice