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Equine veterinary journal2025; doi: 10.1111/evj.14492

Minimising feeding behaviour interference: A hay-shaker device to assess dust exposure in horses.

Abstract: Organic dust from hay is a primary trigger of equine asthma. Objective: (1) To introduce a novel hay-shaker (HS) device for standardised hay dust generation, enabling simultaneous measurements of various particulate matter (PM) size fractions. (2) To compare these measurements with those in the horse's breathing zone (BZ) to assess the influence of environmental and individual factors. Methods: Comparative experimental study. Methods: A HS generating dust was developed. Total dust (PMT) and size fractions (PM1, PM2.5, PM4 and PM10, representing particle size in μm) were measured from 50 hay samples provided by clients using an aerosol monitor (DustTrak DRX 8534) in the HS (HS-PMx) and the BZ (BZ-PMx) of 50 horses (26 healthy, 24 asthmatic) during hay feeding. Linear regression analysis evaluated the relationship between HS-PMx and ln BZ-PMx for each fraction, accounting for environmental (humidity, temperature) and individual factors (horse characteristics and feeding behaviour, assessed with the Hay Contact Score). Results: The HS generated measurable dust across all PM sizes. Regression models explained 69% to 73% of ln BZ-PMx variance, showing a weak positive association between HS-PMx and ln BZ-PMx across all size fractions. Hay Contact Score had the strongest positive association with ln BZ-PMx. Cohort, ambient temperature and humidity were negatively associated with ln BZ-PMx for certain particle sizes. The final model, incorporating HS-PM4, Hay Contact Score, cohort, temperature, and humidity as predictors, demonstrated robust predictive accuracy for BZ-PM4 (adjusted R = 0.73). Conclusions: Clinical impact of hay dust and poor-quality hay was not assessed. Conclusions: The HS reliably generates hay dust for measuring standard PM fractions, particularly respirable PM4, critical to equine respiratory health. BZ dust concentrations are significantly influenced by feeding behaviour. The HS offers a standardised method for assessing hay quality, enabling informed decisions on hay selection to support respiratory health in stabled horses.
© 2025 The Author(s). Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2025-03-03 PubMed ID: 40028851DOI: 10.1111/evj.14492Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research identifies a novel hay-shaker device used to generate dust from hay standardly in order to measure different sizes of particulate matter and assess the effect of dust from hay on the equine asthma condition. This method was used to assess the quality of the hay and make informed decisions on hay selection to support respiratory health in stabled horses.

Methods

  • The research introduces a new hay-shaker (HS) device that is designed to generate dust from hay in a standardized manner to allow for the measurement of various fractions of particulate matter (PM).
  • A total of 50 samples of hay provided by different parties were processed using the HS method.
  • These samples were then analyzed using an aerosol monitor (DustTrak DRX 8534) in the HS to measure total dust and the different fractions of PM.
  • The measurements obtained from the HS were then compared to those in the breathing zone of 50 horses, 26 of which were healthy and 24 having asthma.
  • A linear regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between the measurements obtained from the HS and those from the breathing zone for each particle size fraction, while accounting for variations due to environmental factors like humidity and temperature, and individual factors like horse characteristics and feeding behavior.

Results

  • The HS device successfully generated measurable dust across all PM sizes from the hay samples.
  • The regression models indicated a weak positive association between the measurements obtained from the HS and those from the breathing zone across all particle size fractions.
  • However, the Hay Contact Score, a measure of the horse’s feeding behavior, showed the strongest positive association with the measurements from the breathing zone.
  • The research also showed that the cohort, ambient temperature, and humidity had a negative association with the measurements from the breathing zone for certain particle sizes.

Conclusions

  • The research concluded that the HS device was reliable in generating dust from hay for measuring the standard PM fractions, especially the PM4, which is critical to the respiratory health of horses.
  • It was also found that the concentrations of dust in the breathing zone were significantly influenced by the horse’s feeding behavior.
  • Hence, the HS provides a standardized method for evaluating the quality of hay, making it possible to make informed decisions about hay selection to support respiratory health in stabled horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Bouverat VMA, Naef J, Dolf G, Lamon I, Sage SE, Gerber V. (2025). Minimising feeding behaviour interference: A hay-shaker device to assess dust exposure in horses. Equine Vet J. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14492

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Bouverat, Virginie Marie Angèle
  • Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine (ISME), Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Naef, Jan
  • Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine (ISME), Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Dolf, Gaudenz
  • Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine (ISME), Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Lamon, Inès
  • Agroscope, Swiss National Stud Farm, Les Longs-Prés, Avenches, Switzerland.
Sage, Sophie Elena
  • Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine (ISME), Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Gerber, Vinzenz
  • Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine (ISME), Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Grant Funding

  • 33-890 / Internal Research Fund of the Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, Bern, Switzerland

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Bouverat VMA, Pradervand N, Wichert BA, Greim E, Dolf GJ, Gerber V. Sensory Assessment of Hay Samples: Abnormal Odor Predicts Increased Dust Levels and Impurities Suggest Microbiological Contamination. Animals (Basel) 2025 Sep 14;15(18).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15182688pubmed: 41007933google scholar: lookup
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