Opinions on roundbales and causing heaves?

[busterwells]

What has everyones exerience been on using roundbales?

I have am boarding at a stable that has been using them for a couple of years. I have one horse who has developed heaves in the last year, she is older and has had previous allergy problems and is now on 2 meds for this. Now, I have a 12 year old mare having mild heaving problems. I know we have had dusty roundbale problems before and the BO's have replaced them and are diligent about checking to make sure they are not dusty.

I do love the BO's and they take care of my horse's wonderfully and I trust their judgement. But it seems ever since we have had the roundbales my horses are getting the heaves.

I know that there are alot of seasonal allergy problems this year. Can heaves be caused by allergies and not dust issues? Are roundbales generally a bad idea? As I do love to see my horses munching all day, I am worried about the heaves?

[KnKShowmom]

I boarded in a barn that fed roundbales - we supplied square bales for our horse but the round bale was kept at one end of the aisleway. They kept them stored inside from the time they were baled to the time they were fed, but they were still dusty and moldy and didn't smell right.

Several of their horses over the years have had respitory issues/heaves but I too developed terrible allergies while we were there to the point of having asthma attacks, having to take several medications a day and going for allergy shots. After a year we left and over time I was able to not only stop the daily meds but also the allergy shots and now have no symptoms at all.

Makes you wonder doesn't it......

[Elfe]

The quality of round bale hay should not be different from square bales, i.e. if the hay is bad it should not be fed.
To minimize dust inhalation, position the bales sitting on the flat side, so that the horses eat from the top rather than bending sideways and getting their heads in and under the bale.
When feeding this way the bale needs to be under roof since it will no longer shed the water.

[busterwells]

The quality of round bale hay should not be different from square bales, i.e. if the hay is bad it should not be fed.
To minimize dust inhalation, position the bales sitting on the flat side, so that the horses eat from the top rather than bending sideways and getting their heads in and under the bale.
When feeding this way the bale needs to be under roof since it will no longer shed the water.

We do not have a roof, but the horses eat the round bales withing a week. So, would it still be better to put them on the flat side? Hmmmmmm

[andylover]

I heard in Utah or may have been ID a couple cases of botulism contracted by horses eating off of roundbales. from what i read, when the hay was baled, some mice were caught and died and that spread the botulism.

I feed roundbales but only in the summer and end it before the rains come. i also make sure i have a couple of roundbales to make sure the horses always have a choice, just in case.

hope it helps, what little info i did provide :)

[katarine]

fed them for yrs without issue. Set them on their rolly side, LOL so they shed water, stood up, as it were, not flopped over and stable, in a ring, they eat them w/in a week or two. I don't use them when it's going to pour rain. The weasels I mean horses will burrow holes in them, for fun, regardless of how they are set up.

BS that it causes heaves. I am feeding up 200 squares and a dozen rounds, the same field, same hay, same quality.