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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Reducing Respiratory Health Risks to Horses and Workers: A C...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2015; 5(4); 965-977; doi: 10.3390/ani5040394

Reducing Respiratory Health Risks to Horses and Workers: A Comparison of Two Stall Bedding Materials.

Abstract: Stable air quality and the choice of bedding material are an important health issue both in horses and people working or visiting horse stables. Risks of impaired respiratory health are those that can especially be avoided by improving air quality in the stable. The choice of bedding material is particularly important in cold climate conditions; where horses are kept most of the day and year indoors throughout their life. This study examined the effect of two bedding materials; wood shavings and peat; on stable air quality and health of horses. Ammonia and dust levels were also measured to assess conditions in the stable. Ammonia was not detected or was at very low levels (<0.25 ppm) in the boxes in which peat was used as bedding; but its concentration was clearly higher (1.5-7.0 ppm) in stalls with wood shavings as bedding. Personal measurements of workers revealed quite high ammonia exposure (5.9 ppm8h) in the boxes in which wood shavings were used; but no exposure was Animals 2015, 5 966 observed in stalls bedded with peat. The respiratory symptoms in horses increased regardless of the bedding material at the beginning of the study. The health status of the horses in the peat bedding group returned to the initial level in the end of the trial but horses bedded with wood shavings continued to be symptomatic. The hooves of the horses with peat bedding had a better moisture content than those of the horses bedded with wood shavings. The results suggest that peat is a better bedding material for horses than wood shavings regarding the health of both horses and stable workers.
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Publication Date: 2015-10-08 PubMed ID: 26479479PubMed Central: PMC4693198DOI: 10.3390/ani5040394Google 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.

This research explores the effect different types of bedding material (specifically, peat and wood shavings) have on stable air quality and consequently the health of both horses and stable workers. Results indicate that peat bedding leads to healthier stables in terms of air quality and both horse and worker health, compared to wood shavings.

Objective of the Study

  • The study aimed to evaluate the impact that the choice of horse bedding material had on stable air quality, horse health, and the health of workers in a stable environment. The focus was primarily on cold climate conditions where horses often spend most of their lives indoors.

Methods

  • The study compared two different types of stable bedding – wood shavings and peat.
  • Researchers measured the stable’s air quality by monitoring ammonia and dust levels.
  • They also took personal measurements of workers to assess their exposure level to ammonia.
  • Horse health was monitored by looking for respiratory symptoms and assessing the moisture content of their hooves.

Results

  • The results showed very low or undetectable levels of ammonia in stalls bedded with peat, with ammonia levels significantly higher (1.5-7.0 ppm) in stalls bedded with wood shavings.
  • Workers were exposed to high levels of ammonia (5.9 ppm8h) in the stalls with wood shavings, while there was no appreciable exposure in the peat-bedded stalls.
  • Both types of bedding material initially seemed to increase respiratory symptoms in horses. However, horses kept in stalls with peat bedding returned to their initial health level by the end of the study, while horses kept in the stalls with wood shaving bedding continued showing symptoms.
  • The moisture content of the hooves was better in horses bedded with peat compared to those bedded with wood shavings.

Conclusion

  • The research concluded that peat appears to be a better choice of bedding material in terms of improving stable air quality and safeguarding the health of horses and stable workers, when compared to wood shavings.

Cite This Article

APA
Saastamoinen M, Särkijärvi S, Hyyppä S. (2015). Reducing Respiratory Health Risks to Horses and Workers: A Comparison of Two Stall Bedding Materials. Animals (Basel), 5(4), 965-977. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani5040394

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 5
Issue: 4
Pages: 965-977

Researcher Affiliations

Saastamoinen, Markku
  • Natural Institute Finland (Luke), Opistontie 10 a 1, 32100 Ypäjä, Finland. markku.saastamoinen@luke.fi.
Särkijärvi, Susanna
  • Natural Institute Finland (Luke), Opistontie 10 a 1, 32100 Ypäjä, Finland. susanna.sarkijarvi@luke.fi.
Hyyppä, Seppo
  • Ypäjä Equine College, Opistontie 9, 32100 Ypäjä, Finland. Seppo.hyyppa@hevosopisto.fi.

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Citations

This article has been cited 8 times.
  1. Mutungwazi A, Ijoma GN, Ogola HJO, Matambo TS. Physico-Chemical and Metagenomic Profile Analyses of Animal Manures Routinely Used as Inocula in Anaerobic Digestion for Biogas Production.. Microorganisms 2022 Mar 22;10(4).
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