P I N E
S H AV I N G S
BEWARE of AMMONIA
Ammonia has long been
recognised as a very
unpleasant environmental
hazard in the stable, but
in recent years research
has begun to show that it
can have a real and serious
impact on the health and
performance of stabled
horses.
Risk 1: Respiratory disease
Until 2010, it was thought that
ammonia may not directly cause
respiratory disease, but sustained
exposure to the irritant may
weaken the defense mechanisms
of the lungs, giving pathogens
such as bacteria and viruses the
opportunity to take hold and
flourish.
not treated with an ammoniaabsorbing compound showed
pharyngeal inflammation on
endoscopic examination, compared
to only 25% of those housed in
treated stables.
!
Ammonia is
created by
the bacterial
breakdown
of urea in urine. This creates a
heavy gas with a distinctively
unpleasant, pungent smell.
Livestock farmers and vets in
the UK have for many years
identified ammonia as a cause
of lung disease including
pneumonia in cattle that are
kept inside during the winter.
Bedding: mitigating the
effects of ammonia
Research in the US suggests that
the depth of bedding and how it
responds to urine could mitigate
the effects of ammonia:
“If the bedding is deep enough
that the urine soaks through to
the floor without appreciable
accumulation on the surface,
ammonia odor will be diminished.
If a scant amount of bedding
is used, obvious wet spots or,
in worst-case scenarios, pools
of urine are likely and aerial
ammonia will be profound….
Reducing aerial ammonia will
promote long-term respiratory health
and provide yet another step in
ensuring that equine athletes lead
long, productive careers.”
Kentucky Equine Research
In 2010, The Horse Trust
announced initial results from
research it has been funding at the
University of Glasgow to test and
measure the effect of ammonia
on the respiratory system. The
research, “confirmed that stabling
horses results in increased exposure
to environmental ammonia
and that this is associated with
respiratory problems”.
A research study performed at the
University of Kentucky found that
75% of horses housed in stables
www.bedmaxshavings.com
01668 213467
The new bedding materials that
harbour ammonia are dense, with
no air circulation, and absorbent,
so they tend to remain damp. They
create the perfect environment in
which ammonia can prosper.
Risk 2: Ammonia can
damage hooves
“The hoof horn of normal horses is
remarkably resistant to infections
considering the environment
they inhabit. However, it seems
that horn infections such as
seedy toe, white line disease and
onychomycosis are becoming
more common than they were
10 years ago.
Good stable management is
essential to avoid creating an ideal
environment for infective bacteria
to thrive.
The other important consideration
is the type of bedding provided.
There is a greater variety of
bedding systems available than
there have ever been. At the
Laminitis Clinic we use dry, clean,
whitewood shavings.”
The Laminitis Clinic, UK
“During recent years we have
seen an increase in different types
of bedding materials. The high
absorption of some of these new
beddings can also exacerbate
problems with wet hooves by
promoting even faster drying.
If you notice the pungent smell of
ammonia in stables, more often
than not these will be stables using
one of the new bedding materials.
Ammonia will dissolve natural
oils and fats which protect the
horn. The unprotected horn can
then absorb urea, which will destructure hoof horn and soles at
the molecular level. It unwinds
the keratin molecule, breaking the
intermolecular bonds and leaving
the hoof and sole soft and weak.
Usually the horn below clenches
will start to crumble, the sole will
become prone to bruising and
there will be an increase in fungal
and bacterial infections in the
hoof capsule. These symptoms are
becoming increasingly apparent
in horses kept on dense, absorbent
new types of bedding.
Keratex Hoofcare Ltd, UK
BEDMAX: Combatting Ammonia
We believe that BEDMAX shavings can help combat the health risks
posed by ammonia in the stable in two important ways:
1. Aeration and urine management
We cut our shavings larger because larger shavings create a deeper and
more aerated bed. With greater air spaces between them, BEDMAX
shavings allow urine to drain down from the surface, away from the
horse’s hooves, legs and lungs. On the basis of the research quoted
above, we believe that a deep, aerated bed also helps to reduce the
formation of ammonia in the bed.
2. Can pine kill the ammonia bacteria?
Research has proved scientifically that pine is unique in its antibacterial
effects. Pine kills the majority of common harmful bacteria. We believe
this antibacterial defence mechanism may also attack and/or mitigate
the micrococcus ureus organism that transforms urea in urine into
ammonia.
BEDMAX is currently commissioning a scientific research study to
establish the effects of pine on ammonia production in bedding.
www.bedmaxshavings.com
01668 213467