Promotional Feature with Haygain UK by Joe Stockdale
You could say I’ve grown up with Haygain.
My dad Tim Stockdale was one of the first to embrace Haygain hay steaming and I remember him getting quite excited about it when he brought me out to show me this new bit of kit.
He was always looking for some new gadget or method that would be beneficial for the yard and our horses. I have a memory of him showing me the hay steamer and that he thought it was fantastic.
Haygain has been part of our yard ever since. Today, we have all of Haygain’s three steamer models, including one that may be an original model chest. All my horses get Haygain steamed hay and they all prefer it to normal hay. Sometimes, we try to slide in a piece of unsteamed hay and they don’t really want it as much.
We have our steamers on timers, so it’s built into our routine and we’re never short of steamed hay fresh out of the box. It’s dead easy to do, and the benefits far outweigh that little bit of organization it takes to set up the routine.
Any way we can improve the yard and give our horses that little extra percent that makes all the difference. All the little bits make a huge difference in their performance.
Along with our ongoing reliance on steamed hay, I’m excited to be in an expanded partnership with Haygain. We recently added Haygain’s ComfortStall Sealed Orthopedic Flooring and the Forager Slow Feeder to our program and we love these additions to Haygain’s line-up.
For us, it’s all about going with the products and partners that we believe in and that we use. It’s important to have partners with whom our morals and everything else aligns.
ComfortStall – give and stability
When I first saw ComfortStall I knew it would not only be an upgrade to what we had in our stables, but that it is a product that’s leading the way in its field. It’s a new idea and new technology and ComfortStall is doing what no other product is doing.
ComfortStall Sealed Orthopedic Flooring consists of dense foam cushion topped by a durable rubber, single-piece cover that seals to the stable wall for an impermeable surface.
We had it installed in August and I could immediately tell the horses loved it. Equine America Cacharel, aka “Cash,” walked straight into the new stall, took a few sniffs and steps, then got right down on it. After a few moments of realising it was something new, 90% of the horses got right down on the new flooring and had a play on it.
The cushioned surface encourages horses to lie down for the deep rest and sleep that all athletes need. And the smooth, tractioned surface makes it easy for the horses to get up and lie down.
We had normal rubber matting over concrete before, with massive amounts of bedding, but it didn’t really do the same job as ComfortStall. ComfortStall’s cushion is great and being fully sealed to the stable wall eliminates shavings, dirt, muck and moisture that used to get under the matting.
More than just comfort
I think ComfortStall will provide much more than comfort to my horses. I think the flooring has the perfect balance of give and stability. When the horse is standing still, they’re solid – they’re not losing their balance. As they walk on it, they are using all those little muscles around the foot because of the extra give. It’s like them walking in a field.
In the long term, I think it may make them stronger.
It’s a bit like why we like to work our horses on a variety of surfaces, including slightly uneven ground. It builds proprioception and natural balance that helps with agility, flexibility and strength. I think the time my horses spend on ComfortStall will also help build those qualities.
My top mare Cash is also a big fan of the Forager Slow Feeder. Its most popular use is for horses that need to eat more slowly. For Cash, it’s helped her eat, full stop.
She’s a very fussy eater. She’s very alert and sticking her head out the door to see what’s going on to the point she almost forgets to eat. It’s really kind of funny. As soon as we got the Forager, she just keeps picking away at her food. I think it’s a bit of a game for her – a challenge. Whatever it is, it’s great because we’ve always struggled with keeping weight on, and
this helps.
An athlete’s mindset
I think people are starting to realise how these extra little bits can make a difference and we are being more picky about how we choose to train the horses. There are so many more factors coming into it that kind of got overlooked in the past. It used to be the rider might see a physio, but not the horse. Which made no sense!
I’d like to think that if a professional footballer came to our yard, he’d see very few things done in that sport that we’re not doing for our horses here.
Ice boots, massage rugs and a water treadmill are among the everyday therapies our horses enjoy and benefit from. Plenty of time in turn-out and a varied routine throughout each day, and in their conditioning and training routines, helps their bodies and brains.
They have plenty of hands-on time with me and the grooms, and time to do as they please in the field or indoor school.
Many of the variables involved in reaching our goals in this sport are not in a rider’s control. But the care, comfort and feeding of our horses is very much under our control. That’s why I’m proud to partner with Haygain and its line of innovative, science-backed horse health equipment.
