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Hay Net Height: Consider Comfort Of Horses

Horsemanship masters and mavens of yesteryear taught their students to hang haynets high and tight. Low-slung haynets invited injury, the experts cautioned. A resurgence in the use of haynets has occurred recently, frequently as an attempt to slow hay consumption among horses on calorie-restricted diets. A high-tied haynet, however, encourages horses to crane their necks and contort their backs over a long period of time. Because habitual, unnatural postures can cause discomfort, even unsoundness, Italian researchers set out to determine the physical effects of haynet height on neck and back shape.^*

“Horses and ponies seem to be quite specific in how they approach eating from a haynet,” said Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., a nutritionist with Kentucky Equine Research. “Some nibble from them, grasping pieces of hay carefully; some go in for large mouthfuls, aggressively yanking out hay. Others will headbutt the bag, leaving it swinging from its knot.” Whatever their interaction with the haynet, Whitehouse said, changes in body position invariably occur and likely become a matter of routine.

In the study, researchers used geometric morphometrics to evaluate variations in neck and back shape relative to three specific hay-feeding positions. Geometric morphometrics allows scientists to identify and analyze minute postural changes through the use of anatomical landmarks. Specifically, geometric morphometrics eliminates differences based on size and instead focuses on changes in shape of individuals. Hay was fed from three positions:

Control position. The hay was fed from the ground
Low haynet position. The bottom of the haynet was level with the midpoint of the cannon bone
High haynet position. The bottom of the haynet was level with the elbow

Researchers used slow-feed haynets made from high-density polyethylene twine. The openings of the haynet measured about 1.5 in (4 cm), and the haynets were filled with 4.5 lb (2 kg) of the same hay horses were accustomed to prior to the study.

Video recordings were made of six mature Warmbloods as they ate hay from the three different feeding positions. Using a cellphone placed on a tripod, which assured a consistent perspective, horses were recorded for 15 minutes while eating hay at each feeding position.

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Researchers found that feeding positions affected the shape of the neck and back postures during hay consumption, and these changes in shape were well defined for individual horses. With the low haynet position, the back posture more closely resembled that exhibited during the control position, indicating a more natural feeding position, but the same was not true of neck posture. Both neck and back postures were changed considerably when hay was offered in the high position, potentially leading to problems.

“Certain haynets and feeding devices designed to encourage slow consumption have refined the level of management that can be achieved when dealing with challenging horses, such as those that are chronically overweight,” said Whitehouse. “Even though the researchers identified some changes to neck and back shape, the long-term physical effects of feeding from haynets have not been studied. Right now, the benefits seem to outweigh the potential disadvantages.”

Horses on calorie-restricted diets require optimal nutrition, and this scenario calls for a well-formulated vitamin and mineral supplement, according to Whitehouse. “Because these horses are generally fed all-forage diets, they usually miss out on the vitamin and mineral fortification provided in concentrates. An appropriate vitamin and mineral supplement can fill in the nutritional gaps left by forage.”

For safety's sake: in the study described above, haynets were hung low under the watchful eye of professional scientists. In an everyday situation, whether it's in a trailer or stall, haynets should be hung at a height safe for the individual horse. This will decrease the likelihood of a horse pawing and getting its hoof caught in the haynet.

Are Probiotics Worth The Hype?

Probiotics have their fair share of both devotees and naysayers. Why do the devotees keep probiotics in their medicine cabinet? For diarrhea, primarily. Approximately 80 percent of foals develop diarrhea sufficiently severe to threaten growth and, depending on its severity, survival. Adult horses develop diarrhea for several reasons, including physical and mental stress, disease, and certain medications.

Treating diarrhea medicinally may resolve the condition, but some medications have unwelcome side effects: inappetence, skin reactions (wheals, swelling), and kidney toxicity. The benefits of administering probiotics for treating or preventing diarrhea remain largely theoretical despite the widespread availability of the products.

To shed light on the actual, rather than perceived, benefits of probiotics in horses, Australian researchers conducted a thorough review of the available scientific literature. After combing through many relevant research papers, they selected 18 that examined the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of probiotics in horses and foals. Some of the key findings of this study were:

Probiotics appeared well tolerated in adult horses with few safety concerns;
Substantial concerns were noted in foals. High doses of multistrain probiotics appeared to aggravate diarrhea, particularly when products similar to those designed for humans were used. When the probiotic contained organisms more closely related to the microbes normally found in the equine microbiome, the incidence of foal diarrhea nearly halved; and
Single probiotic interventions appear less effective than multispecies probiotics.

In addition to managing diarrhea, owners sometimes give probiotics to horses whose diets contain large grain meals.

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“High-grain diets can disturb intestinal function, leading to hindgut acidosis, a condition characterized by unusually low pH in the cecum and colon. This drop in pH can change the microbiome, reducing digestibility of feed. Hindgut acidosis may result in loose manure, decreased appetite, behavior changes, colic, and laminitis,” explained Peter Huntington, B.V.Sc., M.A.C.V.Sc., director of nutrition at Kentucky Equine Research.

To combat plummeting pH in the hindgut, researchers looked at offering a probiotic to improve the microbiome and increase digestive function. However, two separate studies failed to identify any benefit in feeding a probiotic to horses given high-grain diets.

“This finding leaves room for more research and alternate approaches to controlling pH in the hindgut. Using hindgut buffers such as the research-proven hindgut supplements created by Kentucky Equine Research are potentially better than using probiotics for this purpose,” Huntington recommended.

While the role of probiotics for intestinal conditions remains unclear, researchers found beneficial effects of probiotics in exercising Standardbred horses. Specifically, those researchers stated that “administration of multistrain bacterial formulations to increase stamina in exercising horses shows promise.”

Huntington added, “Supplemented horses had lower blood lactate levels, which may delay fatigue in exercising horses. At this time, though, researchers are unclear as to how probiotics lower blood lactate levels.”

Also noteworthy, the number of studies examining probiotics in horses was extremely small compared to those for humans. As such, much of the information used to support probiotics intended for horses is actually extrapolated from human studies.

“The anatomy and physiology of the equine digestive tract are very different from that of the human, which makes data extrapolation inappropriate. Using human data for horses may at least partly explain the lack of reported efficacy of probiotics in horses,” Huntington said.

Instead of extrapolating from human medicine, scientists should consider equine-specific research, as many questions remain unanswered. For example, what species of bacteria and yeast should be included in probiotic supplements, and what multistrain products will have the most benefit? How much should be given? How long should horses be given the supplements?

Quality concerns also persist. Do commercial over-the-counter probiotics contain the type or amount of ingredient they claim? The live bacteria that went into the package or syringe may not be viable when actually fed, which negates its usefulness.

“While probiotics may exert positive gastrointestinal and extraintestinal effects, using poor-quality products or administering probiotics incorrectly may delay more appropriate treatments or interventions and are economically draining for horse owners,” summarized Huntington.

*Cooke, C.G., Z. Gibb, and J.E. Harnett. The safety, tolerability and efficacy of probiotic bacteria for equine use. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 99:103407.

Article reprinted courtesy of Kentucky Equine Research (KER). Visit equinews.com for the latest in equine nutrition and management, and subscribe to The Weekly Feed to receive these articles directly (equinews.com/newsletters).

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Research Into Training Programs Needed To Protect Equine Tendons

The superficial digital flexor tendons in a horse's front legs are responsible for much of the animal's athleticism: They store energy and play a critical role in the efficiency of the horse's trot and gallop. However, these tendons are especially susceptible to injury: They are one of the most common causes of lameness in performance horses. Tendon injuries are slow and difficult to heal, so it's imperative that they be detected early and that training methods be adapted to allow time for the tissues to heal.

Drs. Claire O'Brien, Neil Marr and Chavaunne Thorpe investigated the biomechanical and biothermal effects of strain on this tendon and how both forces contributed to microdamage. Though the tendon is essential for efficient performance and locomotion, it has a very narrow window for error, which makes it susceptible to injury.

The trio reviewed 140 scientific papers and discovered that most superficial digital flexor tendon injuries occur during fitness work. Risks to tendons include variations in training intensity and frequency, surfaces and equipment. Individual risk factors include breed, age and sex; variations in tendon blood supply, strength and flexibility may contribute to chronic tendon injuries and longer recover rates.

The team suggest that research be done in several areas so that recommendations based on scientific principles can be made for training programs; these would minimize the risk of tendon injury. They also suggest that those involved in a horse' training understand the following:

The physiologic demands high-intensity training places on equine tendons
Heavy training sessions that mimic competition should be closely monitored and only repeated every 72 hours to allow tendons enough time to repair and adapt. Factors such as the horse's age, history of injury and previous competition experience should help guide decision making on the frequency of training sessions
The effects of other factors like surface type, fence height, bandaging and ambient temperature place on tendon temperature and strain
Training should be increased incrementally over time, using objective measures to gauge each horse's physiologic response

Read the full article here.