Time of harvest affects nutritional value and digestibility of haylage since plants are in different developmental stages. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of plant maturity of haylage cut in June, July and August on digestibility and Faecal particle size in horses.Forage and faecal samples used for the analysis of apparent dry matter digestibility (DMd) and particle size distribution in faeces were from a feed-study performed in the autumn of 2009. Twelve horses were used in the study, divided into three groups in a change-over experiment. Each group was fed haylage harvested in June, July or August during three periods. Faecal grab samples were taken from each horse and pooled so that one sample represented one horse during one period.

The main purpose of this study was to determine the impact of bedding material on the faecal microflora of horses. Another objective was to investigate the hygienic and physical qualities of the bedding materials used and how these may change in the course of the trial period. The bedding materials used were sphagnum peat and wood shavings. Six horses had each material as bedding for a three week period in a change?over experiment.

Icelandic horses are becomming increasingly common in Sweden. The owners of Icelandic horses in Sweden usually believe their horses to be different from other breeds. Icelandic horses are predominantly considered to be less reactive, less neophobic and easier to handle than other breeds. Swedish owners of Icelandic horses also usually try to house and handle their horses in a way similar to the traditional extensive Icelandic way. There are no scientific studies of breed differences between Icelandic horses and other breeds, or of the housing of Swedish Icelandic horses.

Fuel pellets are in Sweden mainly produced from sawdust and cutter shavings. Before the pelletising process the raw material is dried to attain consistent moisture content and ground up in a hammer mill. In the densification process (pelletising) the ground material is forced through holes in a rotating die. This heats up the wood particles which cause them to soften and self bond. After the process the pellets are cooled, sieved and bagged. The milling process creates a wide range of particle sizes.

Proliferative enteropathy (PE) caused by Lawsonia intracellularis has been reported in horses in the USA, Canada, Australia and Great Britain. Diarrhoea caused by Brachyspira antigen-containing spirochaetes has been diagnosed in a horse in Japan. The presence of Lawsonia intracellularis or Brachyspira spp. have neither been investigated in healthy nor in sick horses in Sweden. The purpose of this study was to survey the occurrence of the two bacteria in Swedish horses. Faecal samples were gathered from 108 foals without any clinical signs of illness in the age of four to eight months.

Horses are herbivores that spend almost all day grazing. While grazing they are infected by different endoparasites through ingestion of infective eggs or larvae on pasture. The most significant equine endoparasites in Sweden are the equine roundworm Parascaris equorum, small (Cyathostominae) and large strongyles (Strongylus spp), the tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata and the pinworm Oxyuris equi. For many years have horses been dewormed on regularly basis, which has resulted in the development of resistance to many anthelmintic classes. Because of the problems with resistance it is since 2007 necessary to have a prescription on anthelmintics and faecal sampling is also recommended.

Working horses in developing countries are mostly used for transportation. They are often owned by people with limited economical resources and lack of knowledge about how to take care of the horses and due to this the horses often suffer from problems such as dehydration, poor body condition, lesions and parasitic infections. The aim of this master thesis was to investigate if free veterinary care improved the health and hydration status of working horses in Nicaragua and it was performed as a part of a project called ?Free veterinary assistance for working horses and training of their owners as veterinary promoters in the Pacific coast of Nicaragua?. Five parameters were used to investigate whether free care improved the health of working horses in six towns along the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua.

Fieldstudys on 22 farms (23 silos) to study relationships between the actual particle size of the maize silage and the theoretical length of cut. The measure of theoretical length of cut were stated by the farmers and not measured by us. Particle size of maize silage was determined using the New Penn State Forage Particle Separator. SLU Skara made a special sieve for us, that had larger holes than de original sieves. The samples were shaken after instructions and then the material was weighted. We have also been taking out samples for microbiological analyses from the silos on 13 of the farms.

Manure evaluation has been suggested as a cheap, fast and easy method which can give information about the digestibility of the ration, the function of the rumen, where in the gastrointestinal tract the feed is digested and the health of the cow. An experiment was conducted to study how manure evaluation could be used as a management tool in Swedish Dairy farming. Manure was collected from cows on Kungsängen Research Station and from 9 other farms. The manure samples were analysed for dry matter, ash, starch, pH-value and particle size (wet sieved). Also, the consistency of the manure was determined on a 5-point scale and the colour and smell were noticed. Penn State Forage Particle Separator was used for determining the particle size of the roughage.

The German equine housing system, HIT Active Stable?, are adjusted for keeping horses in groups, and are well establishes in Germany. Now the system attracts attention here in Sweden. The purpose of this study was to investigate if the horses have any be-haviours need of free access to roughages like straw or hay, after they have been visit the concentrate feeding station. A study was carried out at family Krohn?s active stables in Bönningstedt, Germany.

During a fire large amounts of particles and unhealthy agents occur.  Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and toxic metals are examples among many others. These agents have a capacity to bond to particles and when the fire is extinguished, the particles can be transferred with the extinguish water into the soil and to the groundwater.Recent studies in particles have been conducted. A study by Ulrika Iverfelt (2014) reviled that the particles from a fire contained large amounts of both PAH and metals, which is consistent with earlier analyses. Her column experiments with particles in the size ? 11 microns and ?100 microns in silica sand, reviled that the larger particles was immobilized because the transportation was influenced by sieving or physiochemical particle and surface interactions.The transport of the particles in soil and groundwater is regulated by two main mechanisms: physiochemical surface interactions and straining.

In this study we have interviewed eight teachers about when and how particle concepts should be taught. All of the surveyed teachers argue for an early introduction. This view is also consistent with the scientists on when the particle concepts should be introduced. By an early introduction teachers and scientists consider the age between 6-12 years old. A majority of the scientists and the surveyed teachers use concept of change as a entery point to talk about particle ideas.

Today it is common to have adult horses stabled for most of the day. This limits the horses? ability to perform some of their natural behaviors such as foraging and movement. The purpose of this review was to compare the feral horses? diurnal rhythm and time budget with stabled horses.

In today?s horse keeping, there is an increasing awareness of the importance of movement and activity for the horses comfort and tenability, while tradition has it that horses should be kept in boxes and small paddocks. In order to develop housing systems that fulfils and optimizes the horses needs regarding movement and activity, we need to know more about factors that influence the activity patterns of horses. A first step is to be able to record and analyze the gaits in horses with an automated system. This could be done by use of accelerometer data.In this pilot study, existing accelerometer technique was used to characterize the different gaits in horses (walk, trot and canter) by studying how their respective signal patterns differ and how this is influenced by the size of the horse.The accelerometers being used in this study measures the movement in three different spaces; horizontal, lateral and vertical.

The purposes of this study were to estimate genetic and phenotypic parameters for conformation traits in Swedish Ardenner, a heavy draught horse, and to investigate the inbreeding status of the population. Additionally, a breeding scheme proposal was created, based on the results achieved in the study. The data studied were obtained from the Swedish Horse Board and from the Swedish Ardenner Association. The data included 1632 three-year-old horses, mainly mares, and 356 stallions, judged between 1986 and 2005 at conformation shows. The traits studied were type, head-neck-body, legs, walk and trot at hand, total score and height at withers.