New landmark study shows 65% reduction of IAD

Landmark study just published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (the official publication of The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, the European College of Veterinary Neurology, and the European College of Equine Internal Medicine) by Dr Dauvillier and Dr van Erck-Westergren shows overwhelming evidence for the effectiveness of Haygain steamed hay in reducing Inflammatory Airway Disease (IAD) in horses. No other method tested in the study was found to be as effective.

What does the research show?

In a large scale study with over 700 horses, the key findings were: 

 - 88% of horses were found to be suffering from IAD (higher than previous studies have found) 

 - Horses fed steamed hay from a Haygain hay steamer were 65% less likely to develop IAD 

- The impact of IAD on performance was also shown. Poor performance/exercise intolerance was more frequent in horses with fungal particles found in their airway than horses without 

- The alternatives to steaming hay did not significantly reduce the risk of IAD 

- Feeding soaked hay, feeding haylage, or commercial ‘dust free’ hay did not decrease the risk of a positive IAD diagnosis.

Conclusions

This study is in line with a preliminary study showing a high prevalence of IAD and the effect of steaming hay with a Haygain hay steamer, but here we have results from a much larger sample and showing even more impact on IAD from steaming than ever before. The study also found that steaming hay with a Haygain hay steamer had a protective effect against the development of IAD which suggests it should be used in all horses on an ongoing basis as a preventative measure. Read the detailed report in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine:

About ACVIM

The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of animals and people through education, training and certification of specialists in veterinary internal medicine, discovery and dissemination of new medical knowledge, and increasing public awareness of advances in veterinary medical care. The ACVIM is the international certifying organization for veterinary specialists in cardiology, large animal internal medicine, neurology, oncology, and small animal internal medicine.

About JVIM 

The Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (JVIM) is the official publication of the ACVIM, the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, the European College of Veterinary Neurology, and the European College of Equine Internal Medicine.The mission of the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine is to advance veterinary medical knowledge and improve the lives of animals by publication of authoritative scientific articles of animal disease