Respiratory health begins with eliminating urine escape routes. Traditional stable mats have seams and gaps
which allow urine to seep through the floor of the stable. This urine decomposes to form urea, which gives
off ammonia. ComfortStall’s sealed flooring system prevents this.
"The inhalation of high concentrations of ammonia in air causes immediate burning of the nose, throat and respiratory tract. This can cause bronchiolar
and alveolar edema, and airway destruction resulting in respiratory distress or failure."
New York State Department of Health
By installing ComfortStall®, which is completely impermeable, it is possible to eliminate this major source of equine and human ill-health.
Musculoskeletal Health Benefits.
The complex and delicate musculoskeletal system of the horse, conformation abnormalities and horses' natural flight instinct means that horses are very prone to injury and lameness.
ComfortStall's orthopedic padded flooring absorbs shock and provides cushioned anti fatigue support to joints, tendons and ligaments thereby helping to prevent and manage musculoskeletal health issues.
ComfortStall is used and recommended for musculoskeletal health by internationally renowned veterinarians, professional riders, horse owners and trainers.
Prevent
Hock Sores
Injury from casting
Joint strain from walking or weaving
Injury to unsettled horses such as mares in season or stallions
Injury to horses on stable rest
Ashley Holzer
Team USA Olympic Showjumper
"His hocksores have completely disappeared and he comes out raring to go"
Mild
Joint Stiffness
Joint inflamation and mild joint pain
Ligament and tendon damage
Hoof pain, abscesses and thin soles
Mild/early laminitis
Mark Silverman
Sports Veterinary Services
"Whenever you dampen the concussion on the entire skeleton, that's good. The overall cushioning is good for all horses and specially those with sore feet, thin soles or other issues."
Severe
Acute lameness
Traumatic injury or Recovery from surgery
Hoof Founder
Osteoarthritis
Conformation defects
Kissing spine
Chari Perce
Aspen Equine Clinic, CA
"We stabled a foundered horse on the ComfortStall. He was a big gelding and was up and down a lot; he didn't develop any pressure sores."
Respiratory Health Benefits.
Stabling horses for long periods of time can affect respiratory health.
ComfortStall has been specifically designed to help create a low dust and no ammonia environment to promote good respiratory health in the stabled horse. See how below.
What respiratory health problems are associated with the stable environment?
Most materials used for horse bedding produces stable dust. This stable dust can cause respiratory conditions including Inflammatory Airway Disease (IAD) and Equine Asthma.
Deep unhygienic bedding and unsealed rubber matting can cause ammonia buildup if stables are not properly cleaned. Ammonia is a harmful gas that can cause immediate burning of the nose, throat and respiratory tract leading to long term and serious respiratory health problems.
Why should horse owners be concerned about respiratory health?
Mild to severe respiratory conditions can not only have a negative impact on a horse's well being but it can affect rideability and performance. Symptoms can be very subtle with or without coughing and nasal discharge and are often missed but they can be signs of inflammation in the respiratory tract.
Normal lung function can’t be improved through training - any inflammation in the respiratory tract can lead to the development of scar tissue and results in loss of lung function.
88% of horses have some form of IAD* and the stable environment is a likely contributing cause.
How can ComfortStall help with respiratory health?
The orthopedic design of ComfortStall means no need for thick dusty stable beds as the flooring itself provides supreme comfort. A small amount of dust free bedding would ensure urea is soaked up.
The fully sealed impermeable Ironclad Top Cover ensures that there are no gap, joins or seams that can hide harmful ammonia gases and bacteria. The surface is easy to keep clean and disinfect on a regular basis thereby providing confident biosecurity for a yard. The top cover also dried quickly allowing the horse to return to it's stall.
NB ComfortStall does not contain Latex. Latex has been known to cause allergic reactions in horses.
Rest and Recovery.
Horses need to feel safe in their environment and comfortable enough in order to fully relax and get the all important REM sleep, both are essential for mental and physical health.
From the orthopedic foam to the thermal anti-slip properties of ComfortStall, this surface provides horses everything they need to rest and recover.
ComfortStall is used and recommended for rest and recovery by internationally renowned veterinarians, professional riders, horse owners and trainers.
How do horses rest?
Horses can rest while standing but they need an average of 60 minutes of Rem sleep every 24 hours. Horses only fall in REM sleep when lying down or in sternal recumbency (with the nose resting on the floor).
Young and older horses require more rest and REM sleep and it is increasingly recognised as one of the key elements of performance and trainability in the horse.
Researches Buria et al observed that horses on traditional rubber mats rarely laid down and did so for less than 30 minutes - only getting half of the REM sleep that is required.
It is essential that horses rest following strenuous exercise to help prevent injury to muscles and other tissues/structures.
For horses on rehabilitation due to injury or surgery, stall rest is an essential part of recovery and horses are often constrained for the stable for several months at a time.
How can ComfortStall help?
The padded shock absorbing anti fatigue design of ComfortStall provides a safe and comfortable environment for horses to lie down more frequently and get the 60 minutes of REM sleep they need each day.
ComfortStall is ideal for horses on stall rest because of injury, lameness, surgery or laminitis. The anti-slip yielding properties of the surface gives horses the purchase they need to get up and down without hurting themselves or affecting their recovery.
ComfortStall has thermal properties which offer protection from extreme cold and high temperatures which is particularly helpful for senior horses who may not be able to regulate their body temperature as well as they use to.
This flooring system also offers a better stable atmosphere due to its sound reducing properties which will help highly sensitive horses to 'zone out' 'switch off' and rest effectively.