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Respiratory disease has been well documented
as one of the major causes of poor performance in equine
athletes.
Viral and bacterial infections and poor hygiene can all
contribute to respiratory disease.
Research has shown that a significant
number of hay samples contain fungal spores, which are
released into the air the horse breathes, causing allergic
reactions in the horse' s lungs. (Indeed it has been calculated
that 1kg of hay can contain as many spores as there are
people on the earth!)
Most hay samples are contaminated with
fungal spores - the degree of contamination is largely
dependent upon the moisture content at bailing. In general,
the higher the moisture level the greater the degree of
contamination with fungal spores.
Many of these spores are very small
(usually 3 - 7 um) and can penetrate deep into the lungs
causing allergic reactions resulting in increased mucus
production, inflammation and spasms of the airways(bronchiospasms)
and other problems. these allergic reactions reduce the
horse's ability to breathe efficiently and to transport
the vital oxygen to his muscles to allow him to work.
A 500kg horse at rest needs to breathe
90 litres of air per minute. As the horse begins to work
and muscular activity increases, the demand for air increases
dramatically, such that, at a steady canter the
volume of air required increases to 380 litres per minute.
(A standard bucket of water contains 15 litres, so the
horse needs to breathe the equivalent of '25 buckets of
air' per minute in order to meet the oxygen demands of
a steady canter!)
A Galloping horse needs to consume oxygen
at a rate 20 - 30 times faster that at rest and it must
also synchronise its breathing with its stride - as the
front legs hit the ground, air is driven from the lungs.
So in the horse whose lungs are obstructed by extra mucus
and a narrowing of the airways caused by breathing in
fungal spores, exhalation (breathing out) cannot keep
pace with inhalation (breathing in) and the horse may
'hold its breath' - causing it to slow down dramatically
- sometimes called 'blowing up'.
Even if the horse does not 'blow up'
his speed will be effected, since he will not be able
to increase the stride frequency (speed) as his lungs
cannot work fast enough.
EuroBale is a mildly fermented grass
forage where the fermentation process naturally inhibits
fungal growth, resulting in a virtually negligible
spore count.
Using EuroBale as part of a dust control
management regime can significantly reduce the degree
of respiratory challenge.
EuroBale - HELPING TO OPTIMISE
PERFORMANCE |
