Recently reported by horseandcountry.tv, recent research has revealed a link between ammonia exposure in horses and lung problems.

The presence of ammonia in stables, which is caused by the decomposition of a horse’s urine and faeces, has long been a concern of horse owners and yard managers, and DIY liveries leaving stables un-mucked out until the end of the day has been the cause of many complaints. But there has been little scientific research to back up the link between respiratory problems and ammonia until now.

Research funded by The Horse Trust has found that stabling, regardless of bedding or forage types, results in increased levels of environmental ammonia and respiratory inflammation.

The research, which was led by Professor Sandy Love at the University of Glasgow, studied eight yearling Welsh Mountain ponies, who were serially alternatively housed then grazed for periods of three weeks. Three times each week, a variety of substances were monitored, including dust, endotoxin and ammonia within the environment, and the level of various gases and pH of the horse’s exhaled breath. The forage and bedding within the stables were varied to test whether this had any impact on the pony or the stable environment.

Love found that the stabling of horses resulted in increased exposure to environmental ammonia and that this was associated with an increase in the pH of the horse’s exhaled breath. Under the study conditions, no significant differences were found in ammonia levels under the different grazing and stabling conditions. Love was also able to confirm earlier research, that stabled horses are exposed to dust and endotoxins.

“Horse owners have long worried about the ammonia smell in stables, but there has been little scientific evidence to back this up. These findings confirm that ammonia is linked to poor respiratory health, although further research is needed to confirm whether and how ammonia causes respiratory problems,” said Love.

It is unclear at present how ammonia impacts respiratory disorders in horses, but in other animals exposure to ammonia has been found to result in increased mucin production and reduced pulmonary clearance.

In the next phase of his research project funded by The Horse Trust, Love’s team are carrying out a large-scale field study to quantify the environmental risk factors – such as bedding, feeding and ventilation – that predispose horses to respiratory inflammation. The results from this field study will be available next year.

“We are pleased that the research we have funded has improved understanding around the causes of respiratory problems in horses. We look forward to receiving the results from the final stage of Professor Love’s research, which we hope will give horse owners practical advice about how to reduce the risk of this distressing condition,” said Paul Jepson, Chief Executive and Veterinary Director of The Horse Trust.

To lower the levels of ammonia in your horses stalls and increase overall horse health, read 4 Indoor Horse Health Tips – and consider the purchase of an ammonia odor absorbent and odor blocking product such as the Stall Genie system.

If your horses are kept in a stall, there is a chance that they may be suffering from harmful ammonia exposure – even if you cannot smell it. If you are looking for a simply, easy to use product to absorb harmful ammonia fumes and promote the health and performance of your horses, then Stall Genie products are definitely your best choice.

Benefits of Stall Genie Products
Application of Stall Genie allows the Capture of Ammonia, which over time will allow your horse to perform better by having fewer Non Noticeable respiratory problems. Why do you think you can see blood coming out of Race Horses nostrils while running…bleeding from the lungs…use of our system over time will reduce or eliminate that, and will allow all equine Athletes to perform better with fewer vet bills.

Stall Genie Works With Your Choice of Bedding
Stall Genie works WITH your choice of Horse Stall Bedding, to reduce ammonia levels, with the added affect of absorbing moisture which works to reduce fly and parasite populations.

Easy to Apply
The application of Stall Genie is simple and straightforward, you can read the complete Stall Genie Application Guide Here; however, the basic process is spray Stall Zyme liquid spray on the floor of your stall or trailer which acts to eat residual ammonia even after drying, once this is done you will spread Stall Genie granules over the floor, and next you simply lay down the bedding material of your choice – its that simple!

Reduce Veterinarian Bills and Improve Horse Health
By taking these simple steps and applying Stall Genie you will have increased the health of your horse lowering costly veterinarian bills, resulting in a healthier, happier horse.

In an article by horses-and-horse-information.com, entitled “Clearing the air: Reducing harmful stable odor is easy”, Rebecca Colnar covers the basics of how an Ammonia Absorber used in your horse stable can reduce ammonia odor making your horse happier and healthier.

As your eyes meet, there is a compelling attraction. Without loss of eye contact, you stride to his side, tears welling in your eyes. You love your horse, but you realize, as your nostrils are assaulted by ammonia fumes, that these are not tears of endearment.

These are the harmful smells of Ammonia Fumes that are being described; now imagine eating, resting and sleeping in these fumes all day long as your horse does.. fortunately there is a way To Reduce Harmful Stable Odor.

As annoying as they can be, the smells associated with barns — especially ammonia smells — are often the least significant problem from prolonged exposure to ammonia inhalation. Ammonia poses a threat to health — yours and your horse’s– when the smell becomes noticeable.

Fortunately, a regular maintenance program that draws on common sense

with products to control odor will handle the threat. Daily cleaning of stalls is a must. But how you control odors does matter. For example, hydrated lime, which is caustic, can cause problems for mature horses and is very risky with foals. The substance can burn the soft part of a horse’s hoof, and lime dust poses difficulty for the horse’s respiratory system and eyes.

Natural desiccants that absorb water without breakdown — thereby extending bedding life — make good sense.

The better ammonia-absorbing products effectively eliminate the odors at their source by locking up the molecules of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide — or, in some cases, changing the bacteria population — so less ammonia is released into the air. Several products on the market are natural, non-toxic and non-caustic. One either sprays or sprinkles the ammonia-absorbing products on the stall floor, concentrating especially on the wet areas.

Besides better smells, you’ll enjoy the added benefit of lessening the fly population in the barn and adjacent areas by creating an inhospitable environment for insect egg-laying and maggot growth. When buying an ammonia-controlling product, consider your objectives — less dampness, less ammonia, safety (non-toxicity), economy and environmental compatibility.

Stall Genie Products offer the ammonia and moisture absorption that the author refers to, by applying Stall Genie you will have increased the health of your horse lowering costly veterinarian bills, resulting in a healthier, happier horse.

As reported by petplace.com, every horse owner has a horse stall bedding preference sometimes based on tradition, some like the smell of sweet cedar shavings, some the traditional look of a deep straw bed, while others prefer the softness and absorbency of peat moss. But which bedding is really best for your horses?

Best Bedding for Your Horse

In a study conducted at the Equine Research Centre in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, five different beddings were put to the test. The main criterion was absorbency. Theoretically, the more absorbent a bedding is, the lower the levels of moisture (promoting mold growth) and ammonia (a noxious gas that irritates the airways) there should be in the barn. This should improve the respiratory health of the horses. Absorbent beddings also tend to be less dusty and easier to muck out because the soiled bedding clumps together, aiding removal and perhaps allowing less bedding to be used overall.

Researcher Susan Raymond compared straw, shavings, peat moss, hemp fibers and shredded paper in her absorbency test. When water was added to 10 grams of each bedding material, shredded paper came out the clear winner, absorbing 100 milliliters, as compared to hemp (45 ml), shavings (30 ml), and peat moss (30 ml). The most traditional bedding, straw, was the least absorbent of the samples, soaking up only 25 ml of water.

Bedding and Respiratory Health

Paper, being the most absorbent substance, might protect the horse from ammonia. To do so, it must “hide” and “trap” ammonia. It will take further testing to confirm this feature of paper.

Molds, on the other hand, thrive in moisture so paper bedding should reduce molds if it is removed promptly. Herein lies one of the problems of a highly absorbent substance for bedding. Because it is so absorbent, the moisture accumulates in spots, exposing the horse to clumps of moist bedding, unless it is meticulously managed.

Maximum Absorbency Brings Added Weight

Of course, with maximum absorbency comes a downside: added weight. Anyone who has mucked out a truly soaked stall can attest that it can become backbreaking labor. In this regard, shredded paper might be a liability because Raymond’s study showed that at maximum water absorption it could increase its weight by a staggering 900 percent. By comparison, hemp – at its maximum absorption level – increases by 400 percent, peat moss by 300 percent, shavings by 250 percent and straw by 225 percent.

Also, you can make your straw or shavings just as absorbent as paper, by adding three times as much, which is typically done. The use of more straw adds other benefits of course, such as greater floor padding, less direct contact of the horse to the moisture, and a “thermal barrier” from the ground.

Molds in Bedding

Other studies performed by the ERC’s respiratory health research team have indicated that when it comes to mold, straw comes out the loser, harboring hundreds of times more mold spores than other beddings even when it appears clean and bright.

Mold is incorporated into straw at baling time, originating from the natural environment and the grass itself. Moisture present at baling time increases mold growth. Straw that was bailed very dry will harbor much less mold than straw that was baled damp. You can’t smell or even see the mold in many cases, as the spores (dormant stage of the mold) are microscopic. The significance of mold of course is that it can be breathed in, causing inflammation in the airways, leading to cough, exercise intolerance, and worse, heaves.

Bedding Mares and Foals

Straw is still the bedding of choice, however, for foaling mares. Most farms find that straw is far less irritating to the mare and newborn foal and the stall much easier to clean afterward. The foals like to sleep in the straw and get some thermal protection from the cold ground when it is thickly bedded. Straw allows the moisture to seep through, so there is less direct skin contact with urine on straw. Within a week of foaling, many farms switch the bedding to wood shavings or another clean, absorbent bedding.

Horses That Eat Bedding

Straw is a favorite snack of some horses, and because it is so dry, the horse needs to drink more water. If a horse really goes for the straw, it may promote digestive problems (e.g. impactions) if they’re not used to it. It may also substitute for more nutritious feeds.

Disposal of Beddings

In terms of compost, straw breaks down faster than other types of bedding, with the possible exception of hemp. Shavings and shredded paper, in particular, may not significantly change their composition on your manure pile for months or years.

All of these factors may have a bearing on which bedding you choose. But you also will have to take into account local availability, cost, your storage facilities and the type of horses you’re housing.

To lower the levels of ammonia in your horses stalls and increase overall horse health – consider the purchase of an ammonia odor absorbent and odor blocking product such as the Stall Genie system, which can be used in conjunction with your chosen type of horse bedding. To learn how Stall Genie can work with your chosen bedding read How to Apply The Stall Genie System.

Inspire Health, LLC of Stall Genie Products in association with Bar F and Pelham Ascot products are proud to announce that sponsored rider Fallon Walker has been invited to ride with Dutch Dressage Star Edward Gal.

Press Release

“We are amazed at the response and the quality of riders that have come forth to ride with Edward,” says Kelly Gage, Partner of TEAM ENGAGED. Presented by Succeed, the exclusive one-day clinic on September 18th clinic at GAYLA DRIVING CENTER, Georgetown, Ky, will play host to FEI riders and their horses. “Gayla is a fantastic facility, and we feel incredibly appreciative of Debbie Banfield and her crew helping us host this high-profile event,” noted Vicky Esquivel, partner of Team EnGaged. “On behalf of Team EnGaged, I would like to thank our title sponsor Succeed and our other sponsors County Saddlery, Back on Track, Tempi Change Productions, Windschant LLC, Rancho Los Equestres, EquiChord, Holloa Away Dressage Ponies, Bobcat, Smartpak and many individuals who have made this and other educational events possible,” said Gage. “We would also like to thank Gayla Driving Center, who is graciously hosting this, and Debbie McDonald Clinic in April 2011.”Leading up to the announcement of Gal’s clinic, Team EnGaged hosted an online guessing contest via Facebook, first prize being a coveted auditing pass to the event. Giving out monthly clues until the end of May, it received over 100 entries per clue. The winner was Karen Taylor of West Lafayette, In.

“To me it is a tremendous opportunity to watch one of the world’s greats. I am extremely grateful and you better bet I am going to take lots of notes!” said Taylor. Since the public announcement, more than half of the 50 auditing spot have filled. “Since the response has been so over-whelming we have entered into negotiations alongside EquiChord for the production for online programming,” said Gage. World and FEI champion Edward Gal (NED) is the current world’s leading rider on Mooreland’s Totilas and is ranked number one in the FEI dressage standings.

Team EnGaged Clinics are professionally hosted equestrian events based out of Lexington, Kentucky. Started in 2008, with the idea of bringing highly available, premium education to the region. It quickly progressed to an encompassing thought of rider-centric education that incorporates community participation. The goal of the group is to bring equestrian education through world class clinicians and premium facilities. Team EnGaged believes that education is the foundation of all progression and continually strives to provide educational opportunities for all who wish to learn.

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Living inside a stall can be harmful to the health of horses due to ammonia, which can build up into high concentrations causing respiratory infections, allergies, and heaves which are frequently seen in young foals who lie close to the stall floor.

In the summer you may choose to keep your horse indoors for show preparation, or not having the space available to turn the horse out. In winter the climate in most states is cold enough to where most people likely have their horses inside a tightly sealed barn – if this is the case then you need to be aware of the ammonia health risk your horses face.

One of the more stressful things done to our horse’s respiratory tract is to keep them in a barn with the doors shut. Horses spend a lot of time with their head on the floor close to harmful ammonia. Ammonia is a very toxic compound to lung tissue. Ten parts per million (ppm), the level where you can just detect an ammonia smell, is already toxic, and at 30 ppm your eyes will water. In one study, men working a 40-hour week in 11 ppm of ammonia developed ulcers in their lungs. Air circulation studies in English barns point to increased ammonia and dust as significant factors in the development of allergic lung disease such as heaves in horses and foals.

Sometimes it is hard for horse owners to realize the level of harmful ammonia in a stall, because they do not get down to the horse’s level and smell the ground, especially after a horse has spent 12 or 15 hours in the stall. If you walk into your barn in the morning and can smell ammonia there is a severe problem, and in those barns I see a much higher instance of respiratory disease. However, many barns have an ammonia problem and the owner does not know it, because the humans that inhabit the barn have become accustomed to the smell. Ask a friend who has no horses if they can smell ammonia in your barn after it has been closed up all night. Believe their answer; theirs will be the most objective opinion.

4 Indoor Horse Health Tips

Tip 1: During the winter when your barn is most likely sealed up – and likewise during the summer, be sure to open doors and windows periodically to let sunlight in and air the stalls out.

Tip 2: Try to avoid the use of blowers in the barn, they kick up an amazing amount of dust further putting stress on your horses lungs. Try a good old-fashioned broom, unless the horses are out of the barn.

Tip 3: If you are not using an ammonia odor absorbent like Stall Genie, then try to clean the wet spots in your stalls each day; allowing these wet spots to build up, then cleaning the stall once a week increases the ammonia at nose level for the horse, even though you may not smell it when inside the stall. However, using an ammonia absorbent and odor control product such as Stall Genie can lessen the need to clean stalls daily.

Tip 4: Most straw or horse bedding is not very absorbent, and will allow the build up of ammonia and moisture housing parasite populations; use an ammonia absorbent and odor blocker system such as Stall Genie Granules and Stall Zyme sprayer to help eliminate harmful ammonia odor and the diseases that accompany the exposure to ammonia in horse stalls.

Letting your horses out to exercise and breathe fresh air, even in the winter can vastly improve their overall health; however, for when they are kept inside the stall, following these 4 tips can greatly reduce harmful ammonia exposure and increase the horses overall health, resulting in less veterinarian bills for horse owners, and happier, healthier horses that perform at their peak.

When harmful ammonia accumulates in the stalls, trailers and barns where your horses reside, numerous studies have shown that it is more than simply a bad odor – Ammonia is harmful to your horses health, providing respiratory conditions, with horse foals especially vulnerable as they stand lower to the floor of the stall where the ammonia fumes emit.

To learn what experts in the field have concluded through numerous studies in the health of horses when in contact with ammonia, please read the following articles:

Harmful effects of ammonia inhalation include burning of the delicate tissues of the lungs and eyes, narrowing of the throat and bronchi, fluid in the lungs, airway hyperactivity and COPD.
Ammonia is the Enemy

That pungent barn smell is a sign your horse is breathing a hazardous chemical.
Ammonia Beware

How Can Stall Genie Help?

Simple, Stall Genie Products work by absorbing and eliminating deadly ammonia fumes and moisture. The absorption of moisture will help eliminate populations of parasites and flies which thrive with moisture, while the Ammonia absorption will improve the health of your horses and foals reducing veterinarian bills and resulting in a happier healthier horse.
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Do you recall that burning sensation that fills your nostrils when you’re mucking out your stalls? That is the smell of deadly ammonia fumes, which hurt the health of your horse. Stall Genie can help absorb these harmful ammonia gasses and here are 4 reasons why.

Reason 1: Ammonia Absorption & Elimination
Stall Genie products were developed to absorb harmful ammonia gasses before they can reach the lungs of your horse or foal. Recent studies have shown that ammonia is harmful, especially in foals who can suffer from heaves due to ammonia exposure.

Reason 2: Reduces Fly & Parasite Populations
Stall Genie also acts as a dehydrator, reducing harmful fly and parasite populations in your horses stall. Stall Genie nutrients stimulate the growth of aerobic microbes that digest the biological matter in the bedding material. This activity and the increase in microbe population remove moisture out of the bedding and help keep it dry.

Reason 3: Compost Booster
Stall Genie treated bedding retains un-metabolized urea, a valuable nutrient in the compost.

Reason 4: Beats the competition
Stall Genie Products outperform competitors in the performance chart below.

Stall Genie Products WORK

Simple, by absorbing and eliminating deadly ammonia fumes and moisture. The absorption of moisture will help eliminate populations of parasites and flies which thrive with moisture, while the Ammonia absorption will improve the health of your horses and foals reducing veterinarian bills and resulting in a happier healthier horse.

Foals spend much of their youth near the floor of the stall where ammonia resides, leading to a much higher ammonia health risk in foals. In addition to this, foals are weaker and the ammonia’s adverse health effect’s are even more pronounced in young foals. According to Frederick Harper PHD written for the University of Tennessee, up to 15% of all foals will suffer from a severe respiratory health disease before one year of age.

AMMONIA AND FOALS DON’T MIX

Dr. Frederick Harper
Extension Horse Specialist
Animal Science Department
University of Tennessee

It is the time of year when many of us get colds, or at least do a lot of coughing and sneezing. Also, it is that time of year when foals are starting to be born. It is also a frustrating time for horse breeders. About 15 percent of all foals have a severe respiratory disease before they are one year of age. Problems appear from 1-12 months of age. But, most respiratory diseases occur when the foal is 2-6 months of age.

Not only are these diseases costly and time-consuming to treat, but they disrupt other farm activities, such as foaling, breeding mares, training and showing. Horse breeders need to review management practices, seeking methods to reduce insults to foals that place them at risk. One of these is reducing the level of ammonia. High ammonia levels have been associated with respiratory problems in foals, as well as other animals. Protein in the diet is broken down by the body, resulting in urea that is excreted in the urine and volatilized to ammonia in the environment.

Often, horse owners keep barns shut up to keep out the cold. They may even heat their barn in winter, especially if they have show horses. A strong ammonia odor can often be smelt when entering these barns. Much of the ammonia is near the floor where young foals spend a lot of time. Young foals also have an immature respiratory system, making them more susceptible to disease. Ammonia levels as high as 400 parts per million (ppm) were measured in foal stalls in one study. But, it has been reported that 10 ppm of ammonia is the level above which one might expect problems in animals. So, it is important to reduce the level of ammonia in foaling stalls, and all stalls in barns were foaling occurs.

In a University of Illinois study, the ammonia level was the same regardless of whether straw, sawdust, sand or shredded paper bedding was used. But, 1-2 pounds of hydrated lime reduced the ammonia levels when sprinkled on the stall floor after cleaning and before re-bedding. Ammonia levels were noted 48-72 hours after the hydrated lime was applied with straw, but not until 72 hours with sawdust. A commercial product prevented detectable ammonia levels at either 48 or 72 hours with either straw or sawdust. In another study at the University of Pennsylvania, researchers lowered ammonia levels

to non-detectable levels when 10 pounds of sodium bisulfate were placed on the floor of a 10 x 10 foot stall (100 square feet), before bedding with 33 pounds of straw. Afterwards, sodium bisulfate was sprinkled on top of the bedding daily, then 4.5 pounds of straw was spread over the old bedding. Straw is the preferred bedding material at foaling. Afterwards, mare and foal can be bedded on sawdust or other suitable bedding materials. It is also advisable to check the level of protein being fed to broodmares. Excess protein in the diet results in greater levels of ammonia. Not only can this negatively affect the foal, but excess protein is a waste of money.

Horse breeders need to remove waste and soiled bedding daily, and apply hydrated lime, sodium bisulfate or a commercial stall product along with additional clean, fresh bedding to reduce levels of ammonia in foal stalls.

How Can Stall Genie Help?

Simple, by absorbing and eliminating deadly ammonia fumes and moisture. The absorption of moisture will help eliminate populations of parasites and flies which thrive with moisture, while the Ammonia absorption will improve the health of your horses and foals reducing veterinarian bills and resulting in a happier healthier horse.

Tip 1: Ammonia inhalation into a horses lungs can hurt the health of horses, with foals being especially vulnerable.

As written by Tracy Williams in Equus Caballus, Tracy discusses the hazard which ammonia places on your horses health, in which a very small inhalation of only 10 parts per million over a 5-7 week period can cause dysfunction.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, ammonia is a toxic, reactive and highly hazardous chemical. Their recommendations warn that concentrations of greater than 50 ppm can cause serious harm to human beings. Even in the cleanest barns, ammonia levels in equine stalls exist well above this concentration. Furthermore, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services warns that humans exposed to ammonia can suffer chronic inflammation of airways, airway hyperactivity, and chronic irritation of eye membranes

Read The Complete Article: Ammonia Beware

Tip 2: Pay Particular Attention To Foals

Foals spend much of their youth near the floor of the stall where ammonia resides, leading to a much higher ammonia health risk in foals. In addition to this, foals are weaker and the ammonia’s adverse health effect’s are even more pronounced in young foals. According to Frederick Harper PHD written for the University of Tennessee, up to 15% of all foals will suffer from a severe respiratory health disease before one year of age.

About 15 percent of all foals have severe respiratory disease before they are one year of age. Problems appear from one month to one year of age. But, most respiratory diseases occur when the foal is 2-6 months of age.

Not only are these diseases costly and time-consuming to treat, but they disrupt other farm activities, such as foaling, breeding mares, training and showing…High ammonia levels have been associated with respiratory problems in foals, as well as other animals.

Young goals also have an immature respiratory system, making them more susceptible to disease. It has been reported that 10 ppm of ammonia is the level above which one might expect problems in animals. But, ammonia levels as high as 400 parts per million (ppm) were measured in foal stalls in one study. So it is important to reduce the level of ammonia in foaling stalls, and all stalls in barns where foals reside.

Keeping a clean, ammonia-free stall is especially important when it comes to foals, who are at greater risk for respiratory disease than older horses.

Read The Complete Article: Ammonia and Foals Don’t Mix

Tip 3: Reduce Flies in Horse Stalls

Ammonia gas and fecal matter have the dangerous effect of attracting flies and parasites. Stall Genie will eliminate moisture in the bedding, insect and internal parasite eggs need moisture to survive, so the reduction in moisture will improve the horse’s environment in more ways than just odor control. Essential oils in the product replace the harmful ammonia gas with a pleasant smell and serve as an insect repellent.

How Can Stall Genie Help?

Simple, by absorbing and eliminating deadly ammonia fumes and moisture. The absorption of moisture will help eliminate populations of parasites and flies which thrive with moisture, while the Ammonia absorption will improve the health of your horses and foals reducing veterinarian bills and resulting in a happier healthier horse.