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Equine respiratory disorders in horses have shown a marked increase in incidence and severity during the last years. This is mainly because of the widespread practice of keeping horses in individual stalls in enclosed stables and riding them in enclosed riding arenas, leading to continuous exposure to high concentrations of airborne particulate matter (APM). Correct management and treatment of horses suffering from airway diseases are of vital importance. However, the prevention of airway diseases is also becoming increasingly important. Apart from the living environment (pasture, open stables, stalls with close-by paddocks, and stalls with exterior and interior windows), special attention has to be given to the quality of forage, concentrated feed, and bedding materials as well as maintenance of the surfaces in riding arenas to protect horses from high concentrations of APM. Since most horses are kept in stables, it is of cardinal importance to ensure that activities causing high levels of APM such as mucking out, cleaning the stable corridors, etc. are only carried out when the horses are not present in the stables. Because of the significantly lower sedimentation rate of fine particles (which are a major factor fostering the occurrence of airway diseases), they can still be found in high concentrations in the stalls hours after these activities. To reduce APM in stables, it is possible to use bedding material and forage with low contents of particulate matter such as straw pellets, wood shavings, haylage, and silage. These are (without requiring prior treatment) especially suitable for horses suffering from chronic and allergic equine respiratory disorders. Alternatively, specific treatments may be applied. Beside the use of fluid additives to concentrated feeds, it is possible to treat forage by steaming or soaking. The concentration of APM in the air of a riding arena is mainly dependent on the location (free standing or attached to the stables), the type of footing material, the humidity of the footing material, and the number of horses being trained at the same time. Because the riding arena is an important location for equestrian sports, its relevance for respiratory health of horses is very high.

Bedding material used in stables is an important factor affecting the welfare of horses. One of the factors used for investigating the level of welfare of animals is behavior observations. The aim of the study was an assessment and analysis of impact of straw (S), peat moss with shavings, and crushed wood pellets beddings used in the stables on the behavior of horses. In this study, among the observed behaviors were behavioral events and behavioral states showing the comfort of animals (standing at rest, occupation with bedding, resting in sternal, and lateral position), as well as comfortable behavioral events (laying down into sternal and lateral position, and occupation with the bedding) undesirable behavioral events, including the behavior of demonstrating a lack of occupation (lignophagia, walking around the box, and biting the bars) and aggressive behaviors (threatening neighbor, biting the neighbor, and kicking the box). Compared with peat moss with shavings bedding and crushed pellets, the application of S led to significantly longer duration and higher frequency of occupation with bedding and, in turn, shorter fractions of standing. The longest total time spent on recumbency was observed during usage of S. Except for “neighbor threatening,” the undesired behaviors appeared the least frequently during usage of S. In addition, the smallest percentage of horses manifested undesired behaviors when the S bedding was used. Regard to the obtained results, it was concluded that S bedding was the best in terms of fulfilling behavioral needs of horses staying in boxes.

The effects of three different bedding materials (straw, wood shavings, and straw pellets) on the behavior of six warmblood horses (four mares, two of them with foals) housed in single stalls were analyzed. Each material was used for 2 weeks in three consecutive runs. The behavior of the horses was videotaped and analyzed on the first and last 3 days for each bedding alternative in the last of the three runs. The time budgets for the behaviors including standing, eating, lying, occupation with bedding material, and other were generated. Compared with straw pellets and wood shavings, the application of straw bedding led to a significantly higher frequency and longer duration of occupation with bedding material and in turn, shorter fractions of standing and other behaviors. The total duration of lying was significantly longer on straw than on straw pellets. Straw pellets resulted in the least mean recumbency duration per occurrence of this behavior. Because occupation is one of the important functions that bedding material is supposed to fulfill, we concluded that in regard to horse behavior, straw bedding was the best among the three materials analyzed. Further investigations with a more homogeneous group of probands are necessary to verify the observed behavioral reactions.

Among other factors (eg, feed), bedding material has an important effect on stable air quality with respect to airborne particle formation. This study was designed to establish which material is suited to create an improved stableenvironmentforhorses.First,thefollowingmaterials were analyzed under standardized conditions in a laboratory experiment: wheat straw, dry wood shavings, hemp shives, linen shives, wheat straw pellets, paper cuttings (unprinted newspaper). The second investigation was carried out under in situ conditions in which three of these bedding materials (wheat straw, wood shavings, and straw pellets) were analyzed under practical conditions. In both experiments, airborne particle concentrations were detected online with the gravimetrically measuring analyzer TEOM 1400a (Rupprecht & Patashnick Co., Franklin, MA). In the laboratoryexperiment,theTEOMwasequippedsuccessively with different inlets to measure the particle fractions PM1 ,P M2.5 ,P M10, and PM20. During the in situ experiment, only the fraction PM10 was detected. In thelaboratoryexperiment,hempandlinenhadthehighest generation of airborne particles in all fractions. The lowest particle generation was detected with straw pellets. Results of the in situ investigation supported results of the laboratory experiment with respect to mean particle generation of straw pellets. With an average of 111.2 � 149.2mg/m 3 ,itwas significantlylowerthan the mean particle generation of wheat straw with 227.5 � 280.8 mg/m 3 . The particle generation of wood shavings had an average of 140.9 � 141.9 mg/m 3 and also was significantly lower than the generation by wheat straw. An activity-correlated variation of particle concentrations was found. In conclusion, taking both experiments into consideration, straw pellets seemed to be suitable for horse stables, to promote an improvement in the stable climate in relation to airborne particle formation.

Bedding material is an important factor in determining stable air quality in terms of ammonia formation. The objective of this study was to analyze different bedding materials used for horse stables under standardized conditions, to determine which material is best suited for improving the climate of a stable. The particular concern was a reduction in gaseous ammonia concentrations. Therefore, the following materials were examined: wheat straw, wood shavings, hemp shives, linen shives, wheat straw pellets, and paper cuttings. Twelve containers were constructed in an environmentally controlled room, and the same material was placed into two containers, with the amount of material used being determined by its carbon content. A defined ratio of horse manure/urine mixture was added daily to each container over a period of 14 days. The concentrations of gaseous ammonia, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and water vapor were measured continuously above the bedding within the containers. Means of gaseous ammonia were found to be 178.0 mg/m 3 for wheat straw, 155.2 mg/m 3 for wood shavings, 144.6 mg/m 3 for hemp, 133.7 mg/m 3 for linen, 60.3 mg/m 3 for straw pellets, and 162.6 mg/m 3 for paper cuttings. In conclusion, the results of this study have shown that straw pellets are suitable for horse stables, not only to improve air quality but also, first and foremost, in relation to ammonia binding and ammonia transformation within the bedding material, respectively. However, straw pellets may also have disadvantages. The high substrate temperatures that were measured in straw pellets could favor the growth of pathologic germs that can adversely affect animals' health.

The air quality of the stable and management and composting of manure can be improved by choosing bedding material with certain desirable properties. The optimal bedding material doesn't cause hygiene problems in the stable. It absorbs ammonia, is economic in use, and decomposes quickly with manure. The objective of this trial was to compare both quality of different bedding materials and their influence on the composting process of horse manure. Bedding materials used in the study were wood chips, straw, peat, hemp, linen, sawdust, shredded newspaper and the mixtures, peat/wood chips, peat/sawdust, and peat/straw. Peat and peat mixtures had the best quality of ammonia absorption, water holding, and manure fertilization value. The number of fungi and bacteria were lower in shredded newspaper and wooden materials than in straw, linen, hemp, and peat. The composting temperature became high enough for at least a partial destruction of parasites and seeds within the rubbish heaps in all boxes. Only peat manure was ready for further plant production after one month's composting period. Other bedding materials were decomposed only partially or not at all during the study.

Summary Wheat straw, wood shavings and pelleted recycled newspaper were used as bedding materials and compared in maintaining horse hair coat cleanliness. Each material was sampled prior to use and after use having been wetted with urine in a bedding study conducted with 4 adult horses in box stalls. Because feces were removed daily during stall maintenance, frehhly voided feces were also collected so that all components in a used bedding (clean portion, wetted portion, feces) were represented. Hair coat cleanli-ness was measured in vitro by exposing a tanned pony hide with hair to clean and wet beddings as well as feces. Cleanliness was evaluated in terms of the amounts of moisture, volatile-N and solid matter transferred from each component and type of bedding material to the haired hide. Transfers to wool flannel were also measured as a comparison to the haired hide. Woolen products are used in the horse industry and also come into contact with components of used bedding. Freshly voided feces and used beddings transferred more (P