Dear fellow horse enthusiast,

           Do you feed your horse steamed hay? Have you ever wondered what the benefits could be? This survey is being distributed to people within the equine industry in Ontario to understand the prevalence of the practice of steaming/soaking hay within the province. We currently know that steaming reduces dust in hay significantly, and soaking reduces the sugar content in hay. The objectives of this study are to understand who within the industry steam/soaks hay, why it is done, where in Ontario it occurs most often, and what other factors make affect the practice.

           This survey has been approved by the Research Ethics Board of the University of Guelph, and will contribute to the completion of a Master's research project in Animal Behaviour and Nutrition. Results from this survey will help to learn more about this practice within the province of Ontario. It will also help educate the horse owner about how steaming and soaking will affect hay quality, and help make educated decisions about whether to steam or soak hay.

            Please take 5-10 minutes to complete this survey. In order to participate, you must be at least 18 years of age and living in Ontario. Your input will remain confidential. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

https://uoguelph.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7Ped3a8jbYGWWZT

Feel free to forward this email to other interested people.

Thank you for your time!!

Lindsay McDonald

M.Sc. Candidate

(705) 618-1016

lmcdon04@uoguelph.ca

Dr. Katrina Merkies: Faculty Supervisor