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Study Shows Steaming Hay Helps Horses Banish Bad Bacteria

Steamed hay has proven beneficial for horses with respiratory disease and dental issues. Better nutritionally than soaked or dry hay, steaming preserves beneficial microorganisms, but banishes bacteria and allergens, reports The Horse.

A study, funded by Haygain Ltd. and spearheaded by Dr. Simon Daniels from the Royal Agricultural University, has shown that steaming hay with near-boiling water preserves its “haybiome,” a new term that encompasses the diverse good and bad bacteria found in hay. A healthy haybiome includes a variety of bacterial species, but the beneficial bacteria outweigh the disease-causing bacteria.

Haygain had no role in the design, data collection, or analysis of the study.

Researchers genetically sequenced samples of four types of ryegrass and meadow hay. Samples were either soaked for 12 hours in water at 61 degrees Fahrenheit or steamed for one hour in a commercial steamer that reached 203 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 10 minutes. The two other sequenced samples were left dry.

The scientists concluded that beneficial bacteria were present in the hay after both steaming and soaking, but the soaked hay didn't have the abundance of bacteria the steamed hay had. Soaked and dry hay contained bacteria that could cause dental and respiratory disease.

Additionally, a blue-green algae that is toxic was found in the dry hay that was sampled. Steaming eliminated the toxin completely, but soaking simply transferred the toxin to the water.

Science Sleuths: Infectious Or Contagious?

Infectious. Contagious. You have probably heard these words several times in your life, maybe even used them. While similar and related, they are often used interchangeably or incorrectly and there is a difference. The distinction between the two is this: All contagious diseases are infectious, but not all infectious diseases are contagious.

The literal definition of infectious is “the process or state of being infected with a disease.” And to infect means “to affect or contaminate someone or something with pathogenic microbial agents.” Pathogenic meaning disease producing, and microbial referring to viruses, bacteria or other microorganisms. To simplify infectious, it basically means germs get into the body and spread, causing sickness. Contagious diseases are infectious diseases that can be transmitted through direct bodily (close) contact with an infected individual or their bodily discharges, or an object or surface they have contaminated (i.e. COVID-19). Other infectious diseases, however, are transmitted indirectly such as by mosquitoes (malaria) or ticks (Lyme disease).

The Big Picture

Contagious diseases are spread by contact, while infectious diseases are spread by infectious agents. So when something is contagious, it is also infectious because some contact exposed you or your animal to the infectious agent. Something infectious however is not always contagious. Confused yet? You can be infected with food poisoning (you ate the potato salad that sat out in the sun), but food poisoning isn't contagious (you aren't going to pass your food poisoning to someone else or your animals with just a simple contact). Suppose you are near someone sneezing quite a bit and they have an obviously stuffy nose. Well, if you have contact with that person and then you develop the sniffles and sneezes, it was contagious. It was also infectious because the way sniffles and sneezes are contagious is usually through an agent such as a virus or bacteria. If that person's symptoms were caused by allergies though, they aren't contagious because you can't catch allergies.

Since disease is spread by pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites and other microorganisms, biosecurity at your farm is key to prevention. Having a solid plan in place to keep pathogens away from your farm or property, animals and personnel is key. The major components for your program are (adapted from USDA-APHIS):

General Signs of Animal Diseases of Concern

Sudden, unexplained deaths in the herd or flock
Severe illness affecting a high percentage of animals
Blistering around an animal's mouth, nose, teats or hooves
Unusual ticks, maggots or other insects
Staggering, falling or central nervous system disorders
Abortions or still births

Control Access to Your Property

Have only one combined entrance and exit to your farm if possible.
Keep property gates locked at all times.
Make sure all visitors check with you prior to entering your property or visiting your animals.
If you have a large number of visitors, keep track of who visits your farm. Make sure all visitors sign in at arrival and sign out at departure.
Only allow essential vehicles and visitors to enter the farm and keep these vehicles in a separate area away from animals.

Biosecurity Precautions

When a new animal moves onto a farm, be sure that the health status and the source of the animal is known.
New animals or animals returning to a farm should be separated from the rest of the herd for approximately two weeks. This can be difficult in some cases. If you are unable to completely isolate the animals, keep them in a pen or stall farthest from the rest of the stock, keep feed and water buckets or bowls separate, avoid nose-to-nose contact with other stock. For horses or stock that need to be exercised or worked, remove other animals from the pen, arena or paddock and set up a time for the new stock to have access to the area.
Keep vehicles, such as milk, feed and livestock trucks, from driving through areas where animals are housed or feed is kept.
Wash hands thoroughly before/after handling livestock.
Ask visitors to provide information about recent farm and animal contacts; deny entry if they have been to an area or farm of concern.
Clothing worn on farms in other locations/countries should be washed.
All footwear should be disinfected before entering and after leaving an animal housing area.
Discourage visitors from walking through feed mangers and having physical contact with animals.
Report morbidity and mortality events to your local veterinarian or to the state veterinarian's office.

Provide Disposable Protective Clothing

Make sure visitors entering your farm have clean clothes or you can keep a supply of disposable clean coveralls and boot/shoe covers for visitors.
If you haul your own animals, wash your truck, clean and disinfect boots and change coveralls before returning to your farm.
In general, don't borrow or share equipment. In cases where there are no other options, clean and disinfect the equipment prior to use and make sure to repeat these steps prior to returning the items.
If it is necessary to be around the animals of another farm, consider wearing protective clothing such as coveralls, and boots that can be cleaned and disinfected before you enter the property and removed when you leave.

Provide Disinfectant for Incoming Visitors

Provide visitors with a tub of disinfectant and a brush for scrubbing shoes for use before they enter your property, or provide shoe covers.
Vehicles entering and leaving your property should be kept away from animal areas or have their tires washed with disinfectant.

Additional Steps

Control your companion animals and poultry.
Control pests such as rodents and wild life.
Keep garbage and other waste from supplies and animal housing.
Evaluate feed purchased or brought onto the property and fed to animals.
Practice security and cleanliness in feed storage.

The take home message.

With infectious diseases, it's all about spreading germs. They can be spread in many ways, such as through direct contact with an infected person or animal or by direct contact with a contaminated object, consumption of contaminated food (salmonella) or water (cholera) or exposure to disease carrying insects (West Nile, numerous others).

With contagious disease, it's all about contact. The bottom line: have a good biosecurity plan in place on your farm/veterinary practice. Good hygiene, solid insect and parasite controls as well as limiting contact with suspect or new animals/people can help cut down disease problems. If any issues are noted or arise, don't wait; call your veterinarian, state veterinarian or extension agent. USDA can be reached toll-free at 833-663-8732.

Dispelling Myths About Strangles

One of the more common equine respiratory diseases is strangles, a contagious bacterial infection caused by Streptococcus equi. Most horses recover from strangles with no complications, though the disease can make some horses very sick.

Affected horses may have a fever, get a snotty nose and feel poorly. Horses with strangles develop swollen, sore lymph nodes, particularly under their jaw. These abscesses eventually open and drain pus, Antibiotics are not necessary in most cases.

Horse Illustrated reports that there is a lot of misinformation surrounding the common and highly transmissible illness.

Some of the most common misconceptions about strangles include misunderstandings about how the disease spreads and how protect against it. Strangles is not spread through respiratory droplets in the air, but rather contact between horses or fomites — contaminated objects like buckets or halters. It also doesn't survive well in an outdoor environment or in soil. While there are vaccinations available for strangles, they may not be effective. Owners should consult a veterinarian for vaccine guidance.

It’s Everywhere: Why Tetanus Vaccination is Imperative

A trip to the doctor or emergency room may prompt the question “When was the last time you had a tetanus shot?” Though some will have to think back to their last injury for that answer, when asked about a horse's last tetanus booster, the answer should be immediate: annually.

Tetanus is caused by a spore-forming bacterium that is present in the intestinal tract of horses, humans and other animals. It also lives in the soil, where it can be viable for multiple years, posing an ongoing threat to people and horses, which are the most susceptible animal to tetanus.

The bacteria can enter a body through even small open wounds, cuts or incisions, but puncture wounds are particularly susceptible, especially to the sole of the hoof. Infection can also occur through gastric or intestinal ulcers after eating contaminated soil or feces. Foals can also become infected through their naval as the umbilicus heals. The fatality rate for horses who contract tetanus is 75 percent, so vaccination is imperative.

A horse with tetanus will be overly sensitive to noise and movement. As the disease progresses, the horse's third eyelid will prolapse, his nostrils will flare and he will adopt a “sawhorse” stance, with rigid muscles and a tail held away from the body. Most affected horses will eventually have respiratory failure and die.

Tetanus is completely preventable through vaccination, which is considered an AAEP core vaccine.