Abstract:
Horses appear to be more sensitive to dust than other species of livestock, and the association between dust and respiratory diseases is much stronger (Woods et al. 1993). The concentration of airborne particles is influenced by many factors in strawbased pig shelters, including the quality of bedding (Banhazi et al. 2000). The effects of three different bedding treatments on air quality in horse stables were assessed during the experiment and compared to "standard" sawdust bedding (control). The effects of (1) sawdust impregnated with canola oil at the inclusion rate of approximately 7% (w/w), (2) straw bedding and (3) "horse-nappies", which prevent the bedding material to be contaminated with faecal material on the concentration of airborne particles inside four horse stables were studied.