Do you recall that burning sensation that fills your nostrils when you’re mucking out your stalls? How it irritates your sinuses, throat, and lungs. Causing you to cough, and making your eyes sting and water.

That reaction is caused from the harmful ammonia gasses that are filling your animals living quarters. And it’s even more overwhelming for your horses or other stalled or pinned-in animals. Imagine living, eating and sleeping in it.

That suffocating, deadly ammonia gas, produced by your animals urine, creates an environment that is more than just a bad odor… It is a devastating health risk to the humans and animals that live and work in it. Ammonia is a toxic gas that results from urine and waste. With animals, it is an unavoidable occurrence, since their living area is often their restroom as well.

Stall Genie is an Ammonia Odor Blocker, leading to a healthier horse, less Veterinarian bills, and less odor in your horse stalls.

By Laurie Lawrence, PhD

One of the irritating compounds that can accumulate inside a horse barn is ammonia (NH3). High concentrations of ammonia in the air can irritate the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth and possibly increase the susceptibility of animals to respiratory infections. In animal buildings aerial ammonia arises from urine and feces, so ammonia concentrations are usually highest near the floor.

Researchers at the University of Kentucky have examined the usefulness of an ammonia-absorbing compound applied to floors to control ammonia concentrations in horse stalls (Pratt et al, 2000, J. Eq. Vet. Sci. 20:197.) A commercially available ammonia-absorbing product (Sweet PDZ, Steelhead Minerals Inc.) designed for daily application to stall floors was tested in a four-stall barn containing mature Thoroughbred geldings. The dirt-floored stalls were cleaned every morning and bedded with straw.

All stalls were tested in the control condition (no ammonia-absorbing compound applied) and in the treated condition (ammonia-absorbing compound applied after cleaning in the morning). The researchers measured aerial ammonia concentrations expressed as parts per million (ppm) in two locations: near the horses’ heads with a device attached to their halters, and near the floor in the morning before the stalls were cleaned.

The ammonia-absorbing compound did not completely eliminate ammonia from the air in the stalls. However, stalls treated with the ammonia-absorbing compound had lower ammonia concentrations near the head and near the floor than the untreated stalls. At the end of two weeks, ammonia concentrations near the floor were about 25% lower than in the untreated stalls.

The researchers suggested the extent of the reduction in aerial ammonia might have been greater if measurements had been taken closer to the time of application instead of the morning after application. For example, when ammonia concentrations above three urine spots were measured before and 15 minutes following application of the ammonia-absorbing compound, ammonia concentrations were reduced by 60% or greater.

In addition to evaluating the effect of the ammonia-absorbing compound, the researchers in this study also documented changes in aerial ammonia concentration over the two weeks the geldings were kept in the barn. Ammonia concentrations remained relatively low during the first few days horses occupied the stalls, but then they increased rapidly, particularly near the floor. In the untreated stalls ammonia concentrations near the floor exceeded 200 ppm after seven days, even though the stalls were cleaned daily. The level of aerial ammonia that is unhealthy for horses is not known, however levels of 200 ppm ammonia are higher than those found to produce negative effects in other animals.

In this study ammonia concentrations measured near the halter remained relatively low in both treatment groups. Thus, it seems likely these normal adult horses were not exposed to a high level of ammonia. However, for foals or sick adult horses that spend significant amounts of time lying down, high ammonia levels near the floor might present a respiratory challenge. Application of an ammonia-absorbing compound to stall floors might reduce the ammonia exposure and possibly enhance well-being.

Article Source: http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=15077

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.

According to the International Veterinary Information Service, researchers M.S. Davis and W.M. Foster released a paper indicating that “as little as 10 ppm for 5 to 7 weeks can cause dysfunction of the horse’s mucus membranes, which decreases immune response and makes the horse susceptible to other pathogens.”

In 2001, Michigan State University’s Equine Pulmonary Laboratory released a study, which found that stabled young horses during training suffer respiratory distress compared to young horses that are pastured during training. The researchers reported – “We conclude that stabling is associated with inflammation of both the upper and lower airway of young horses.”

The article also reported – “Ammonia’s effects are exacerbated in foals, according to Frederick Harper, PhD and extension horse specialist for the University of Tennessee. According to Harper, approximately 15 percent of all foals suffer a severe respiratory disease before they are one year old, although most occur between 2 to 6 months. Since foals spend a great deal of time on or near the stall floor, ammonia exposure is heightened.

Stall Genie Products can help absorb and eliminate deadly ammonia in stalls, click the button below to learn more about the benefits of using Stall Genie Products in your Horse Bedding.

That burning sensation that fills your head when you enter your horses stall is Ammonia, and Ammonia In Stalls is a serious health risk for horses and especially foals.

The burning in the respiratory system is caused by the buildup of noxious gas from naturally degrading horse urine, but there’s nothing necessary about it.
Here, we look at the problems caused by ammonia and possible ways to make barns safer for you and your horses.

As written by thehorse.com, ammonia is the enemy.

Breakdown of Ammonia
Let’s start from the beginning and look at how ammonia ends up in your horse’s stall. First, excess protein from the diet is expelled from the horse’s body
through urine in the form of urea. Each time a horse eliminates its bladder, 1-1 gallons of urine floods into the stall.

“No amount of bedding, no matter how absorbent it is, will catch that much urine,” Hayes points out. “And, the problem is the urine that gets away.”
The escaping urine trickles through the cracks of the stall mats, down the stall drain, or into overly deep bedding. Once trapped in these dark, oxygen-devoid
areas, naturally occurring anaerobic bacteria get to work feeding on the nutrients of the urea-rich liquid, and the resulting by-product is ammonia.

Ammonia is a pungent-smelling, highly flammable gas, which is colorless at room temperature. It has commercial uses as a refrigerant and in the
manufacturing of fertilizer, plastics, and explosives. Ammonia gas is also highly soluble in water and is used in solution as a cleaning agent.

The presence of ammonia produced from horse urine gives barns their notorious smell. While ammonia is a struggle for horses and their owners when trapped
in barns, the substance otherwise plays a purposeful and natural role in the environment. The interaction of bacteria and ammonia is an integral part of the
nitrogen cycle, the natural path nitrogen takes to cycle from air through soil before being taken up by plants and returned to its original, gaseous form.

Ammonia’s Impact
A 2001 study by the Equine Pulmonary Laboratory at Michigan State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine found that young horses stabled during
training suffered respiratory distress when compared to pastured horses of the same age. While dust and mold in feed and bedding played a part in
pulmonary problems, Hayes believes exposure to ammonia also negatively impacts their respiratory systems.
She notes that ammonia is a caustic gas. “Besides just being unpleasant in a barn, ammonia gas burns the delicate tissues of the respiratory tract and the
eyes and increases mucus production,” Hayes says.

In humans, ammonia exposure causes narrowing of the throat and bronchi, fluid in the lungs, eye irritation, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. According to the
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, extended exposure to ammonia fumes can cause chronic inflammation of bronchi, airway
hyperactivity, and chronic irritation of the eye membranes.

Due to the negative health impact of ammonia exposure on humans, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration includes
ammonia on its list of toxic and reactive highly hazardous chemicals. According to OSHA regulations, employers cannot expose construction workers to
ammonia concentrations of more than 50 ppm.

“That ruling was not chosen arbitrarily,” Hayes points out. “It was based on the established long-term, chronic effect on the respiratory system and the eyes.”
Hayes became curious about ammonia levels in horse barns after seeing the OSHA standard. Following the guidelines set by OSHA, she started testing stables
using a Drager, a small, bellow-like tool that takes air-quality samples. The results surprised her. “I’ve gone to fancy, multi million-dollar show barns, lifted
up mats, and measured ammonia levels at 450 ppm,” she says.

Whether a barn houses high-end performance horses or trusted lesson ponies, ammonia takes its toll on the animals’ athletic abilities and their overall quality
of life. The cough related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or heaves, is often considered an unavoidable result of aging, but research
suggests these conditions are exacerbated by ammonia exposure, says Fredrick Harper, PhD, equine extension specialist for the University of Tennessee’s
Department of Agriculture.

“If you have horses with the propensity for respiratory problems and put them in stalls with high levels of ammonia, you aggravate that situation,” he says.
High ammonia readings at floor level are especially troubling for foals, which spend a majority of their days sleeping at their dams’ feet, says Harper. A 2000
University of Kentucky study examined bedding foaling stalls with straw and cleaning the stall daily. Over a two-week period, ammonia at floor level rose from
2.5 to 228 parts per million (ppm).

“It’s been suggested that a level of just 10 ppm causes problems in other animals, such as calves,” Harper says. “It appears that levels in horse stalls are
probably so much that we might be challenging or damaging foals.”

There are however solutions for this health risk, such as Stall Genie Products, which reduces Ammonia in Stalls, and provides your horses with a clean, healthy bedding and living environment.

If you are interested in purchasing Stall Genie Products – please enter our online store by clicking the button below.