Reducing exposure to pathogens in the horse: a preliminary study into the survival of bacteria on a range of equine bedding types.

This research study explores the growth of disease-causing bacteria on different types of horse bedding, and concludes that Pinus sylvestris bedding shows significantly less bacterial growth, indicating its potential for disease prevention in equine health.

Study Objective and Methodology

• The study aimed to investigate the rate of growth of four strains of microbes that infest horses on different types of commonly used bedding.
• In addition, the capacity of each bedding type to hold moisture was examined.
• The bacterial strains tested were Streptococcus equi, Streptococcus zooepidemicus, Fusobacterium necrophorum, Dichelobacter nodosus and Dermatophilus congolensis.
• The bedding types used were Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine shavings), Pinus nigra (Corsican pine shavings), Picea sitchensis (Sitka spruce shavings), Cannabis sativa (hemp) and chopped wheat straw.
• Each bacterial strain was included in a suspension and spread in triplicate on agar media and then incubated in optimal growth conditions.

Findings

• The viable count (colony-forming unit per ml) of each bacterial strain was then determined for the five different bedding types.
• The most significant finding showed that the bedding made from Pinus sylvestris resulted in considerably less bacterial growth of all tested strains.

Conclusion and Implications

• This decreased bacterial growth could be due to antibacterial properties associated with the Pinacea family and the physical properties of the bedding material.
• The study’s findings provide practical insight for disease prevention in the context of equine health and biosecurity, suggesting that choosing a hygienic environment includes using specific types of bedding.
• The choice of appropriate bedding has wider implications for global equine health and disease prevention, potentially offering benefits for other animal species as well.