Wren Burnley DVM talks about Haygain hay steamers
Along with her veterinary degree and many years experience caring for performance horses, Wren Burnley is an asthmatic herself and understands all too well the impact of a compromised respiratory system on an athlete. That’s why she and JT embraced Haygain steamed hay several years ago. They use it for their own and client horses at their Wrenwood Dressage in Fulton, Kentucky.
By Kim Miller | Equestrian Writer
"I received our first Haygain Steamer about 9 months after losing my favorite FEI partner to COPD, resulting from pneumonia that started at a horse show. I worked so hard to save him including soaking all hay and watering all bedding. I only wished I had known about Haygain sooner."
Steamed hay is a must in the stable of Grand Prix dressage rider and veterinarian Dr. Wren Burnley and her husband, FEI trainer and rider JT Burnley. Along with her veterinary degree and many years experience caring for performance horses, Wren is an asthmatic herself and understands all too well the impact of a compromised respiratory system on an athlete. That’s why she and JT embraced Haygain steamed hay several years ago. They use it for their own and client horses at their Wrenwood Dressage in Fulton, Kentucky.
"Now I not only use my Haygain at home for our competition horses, but also recommend them for my equine patients during many of my veterinary calls. I recommend them for all top athletes that need the best of respiratory health in order to compete".
Any horse presenting symptoms on the equine asthma spectrum stands to benefit from a switch to clean, irritant-free hay created during Haygain’s 60-minute patented steaming process. At Wrenwood, steamed hay is especially key for middle-aged horses competing at the upper levels of dressage. By “middle aged,” Wren means horses that are just hitting their peak from a training and performance standpoint: 10-year-olds and up, generally speaking.
"I also recommend Haygain in my practice for horses with respiratory and skin allergies, COPD, poor appetite and colic issues. I really appreciate you building such a superior product. I never want to go back to soaking hay again; as an asthmatic and an athlete myself, I cannot stick my nose in a regular bale of hay, but I can in a bale that has come out of the Haygain machine!".
Wren also recommends steamed hay for clients’ horses in various phases of life, and not just for respiratory health. Skin allergies, lack of appetite and a tendency toward colic are additional conditions for which she’s seen steamed hay work wonders.
"Since I started to use a Haygain hay steamer, I have seen many changes in horses for the better.” And that’s not to mention her own easier breathing.“As an asthmatic athlete myself, I cannot stick my nose into a regular bale of hay, but I can in a bale that has come out of the Haygain machine.”
A recent survey found that Wren is not alone, when it estimated that one in four people who work with horses have some sort of respiratory condition.
Steaming hay with Haygain is common practice among elite equestrians throughout Europe and beyond. And now savvy owners throughout the United States are swelling the ranks of believers. The Haygain process was developed almost a decade ago in conjunction with the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, England.
Extensive scientific research has proven Haygain hay steamers dramatically reduce respirable dust particles and kill mold, bacteria, fungal spores and mites, while retaining the hay’s nutritional value. In addition, the process adds water, a digestive plus, and palatability to the hay. The enticing scent of fresh hay is a bonus.
