Commercially available pelleted feed generated lower particulate matter concentrations by a factor of 10-12 compared to uncleaned oats, while cleaning oats or steam flaking barley effectively reduces particulate matter release by 80%. When comparing airborne respirable dust in the breathing zone and general stable zone the dry hay and straw produced more airborne respirable dust in American barns compared with single stables indicating that neighbouring stables share dust and collectively produce higher levels of airborne respirable dust compared with when horses are in individual stables with their own space.Ĭhoice of concentrate can also impact particulate matter exposure. Straw and dry hay produced the most amount of dust in both the stable zone and the breathing zone. The lowest respirable particle concentrations for both stable designs were with shavings and Haygain steamed hay. You can see in this picture how the researchers have used some familiar horse equipment to rig up the cyclone next to the horse’s nose to measure the dust in the breathing zone while the horse goes about its usual stable activities! Image courtesy of the Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester, UK. The researchers measured dust levels in 72 individual stables, measuring airborne respirable from both the stable zone and the breathing zone. Moreover, breathing zone total and respirable dust levels were reduced to 3% of that measured under the conventional management practices.Īuger and Moore-Colyer investigated the relationship between airborne respirable dust in the breathing zone and the general stable zone when horses were kept on different management regimes, in either American barn or straight block stables. Woods and colleagues demonstrated that switching from poor quality hay and straw bedding to complete pelleted feed and wood shavings as bedding r educed dust by more than 50%. Other air samplers can measure changes in real time using a laser photometer or piezoelectric balances techniques. These operate by removing larger particles from the airstream using centrifugal motion before entrained smaller (respirable) particles reach the collecting filter. Particle numbers can then be counted or weighed and expressed as airborne respirable particles per litre of air.Īn example of a personal cyclone air sampler. Researchers use cyclone personal air samplers to measure the level of dust in the horse’s breathing zone. The choice of bedding and whether you muck out each day or do deep-litter influences the level of dust in the general environment but the major influence in terms of what the horse is inhaling (its breathing zone) is the forage. So the activities that take place while the horse is in the stable, such as mucking out and sweeping can have a major impact. Multiple studies have demonstrated that the level of dust within the stable is influenced by forage type, bedding material and management regime. If your horse spends a lot of time in the stable it is important to try to minimise exposure to this dust to avoid inducing respiratory problems. The dust is composed of pollen, mould, bacteria, insects and plant fragments. Becky James BSc MSc describes how researchers measure dust levels in the stable and most importantly- the breathing zone.Ī stable is not a natural environment for the horse, potentially exposing it to a high concentration of airborne respirable dust.
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