Posted: 4th September 2015 | Back to news feed
Hay has traditionally been the most ideal forage for horses; hay has a relatively low price tag and long shelf life. With a common problem being the amount of dust it contains, other methods of feeding forage have been more popular.
HAYGAIN hay steaming technology is scientifically proven to kill all dust spores in hay, avoiding any respiratory problems.
Soaking has previously been the conventional method to dampen down the spores, but it doesn’t remove them completely. Soaking has been shown to reduce the hay’s nutritive content due to leaching of soluble nutrients and produces a waste liquid with a higher biological oxygen demand and so is classed as an environmental pollutant.
Also, when feeding a horse out of a hay net the hay dries out encouraging the spores to become airborne again: it’s always better to feed a horse off the floor in its natural grazing position, which also allows its airways to drain more efficiently.
HAYGAIN’s early research showed, just steaming hay without penetrating it evenly to a high enough temperature does not eliminate the spores- hence the development of the spike manifold system (patented).
Many people tend to feed haylage because of the frustration of inconsistent hay quality but there are other potential problems associated with that due to its richness. Recent tests also show steaming haylage increase the shelf life and dramatically improve hygiene levels.
Forage should be a pastime bulk to keep the horses’ gut at work. Our unique steaming method with the HAYGAIN manifolds is the only proven way of steaming a whole bale of hay evenly and to a high enough temperature to kill the spores.
One of the greatest benefits to HAYGAIN is the peace of mind that you are feeding your horses the cleanest forage available that will improve their respiratory health and as a result their performance.
The revolutionary concept was extensively researched, developed and tested at the
Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester. Led by Dr Moore-Colyer, the research found
that steaming hay in the Haygain hay steamer drastically improved the hygiene quality of whole bales of hay whilst retaining the nutritional value. This makes it all-round a safe and suitable fodder for all types of horses from ponies to top performance horses and race horses.
HAYGAIN’s effectiveness at eliminating these spores was further substantiated when
the Irish Equine Centre carried out independent testing on particularly bad hay
which was known to contain Aspergillus. “Aspergillus is one of the main causes of RAO,
IPH, immune suppression and poor performance in racehorses. It is also however,
heat sensitive and so is greatly reduced using HAYGAIN hay steamers.” said Thomas Buckley, head of Microbiology at the Irish Equine Centre.
HAYGAIN is currently available in three models: the HG-1000, HG-600, HG-ONE and HG-GO. With all
the units steamed hay is ready to feed immediately after steaming cycles of less than 50 minutes depending on model. Complete nutritional value and goodness are maintained with improved palatability and digestibility.
The HG-1000 is designed to steam a full bale. It can process a fully strung bale and withstand use and abuse on the biggest, busiest of yards
The HG-600 accommodates half a bale, hay nets or hay wedges and is ideal for smaller yards and for use away at competitions. The unit is extremely durable, compact and easy to move around, the stables.
The HG-ONE enables single horse owners to provide their horses with steamed hay. This affordable option is ideal for steaming hay or haylay nets quickly and easily.
And the HG-GO is a fully collapsible bag that will accommodate half a bale of hay or large hay net, ideal to take to shows. It is lightweight and easy to use.
Top riders using HAYGAIN hay steamers are Laura Tomlinson, William Fox-Pitt, Emily Llewellyn, Alex Peternell, Peter Storr, Hannah Biggs, Gareth Hughes, Jess Hindle as well as many of the UK’s top race horse trainers.
For further information please contact HAYGAIN on (0333) 200 5233 or visit
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