Selena O’Hanlon Adopts A Steaming Hot Tip From The Top

Selena O’Hanlon Adopts A

Steaming Hot Tip From The Top

Canadian Olympian and World Equestrian Games equestrian Selena O’Hanlon took a tip from the top in adding high temperature steamed hay to her horses’ routine. It came from Sir Mark Todd, the six-time New Zealand Olympian designated by the International Equestrian Federation as its “Rider of the 20th Century.” 


In the case of Foxwood High, aka “Woody,” he was initially fed haylage at Todd’s farm, but Selena noticed the big horse was not eating very much of it. His appetite improved significantly once he began steamed hay, and he stayed on it for the next three weeks before Badminton. That alone sold Selena and mother, Morag, an extremely experienced horsewoman, on steaming’s benefits.


A Lot Less Coughing...

Back home at their base, the Datta family’s 100-acre farm in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, the O’Hanlons have seen steamed hay help all their horses. 


“Over time, we’ve had a few horses with allergies and Haygain steamed hay has made a big difference,” Selena reports. “We’ve seen a lot less coughing.

The Benefits of Steamed Hay

  • Aids in the management and prevention of respiratory conditions

  • Eliminates respirable dust particles

  • Kills mold, bacteria, fungal spores and mites

  • Retains the nutritional value of hay

  • Improves the palatability of forage

  • Increases shelf life of hay

  • Is suitable for laminitic, colic-prone and post-operative horses

What Champions Say

What Veterinarians Say

"It’s been a game changer Havanna loves her hay, she’s eating well and she’s not having the allergic skin symptoms. She is shiny, well muscled. It smells so good I want to eat it myself. It’s a fabulous machine that I can’t say enough good things about.” 

 Ashley Holzer Team USA 

was Team Canada

4x Canadian Olympian 

Olympic medalist   


“We all know that dry hay even of the best quality contains dust that affects horses’ respiratory system. So to be sure my forage is clean, and free of any dust or spores, I use Haygain.” 

 Sir Mark Todd KNZM, CBE 

 Team New Zealand

 6 Olympic medals 

 4 World Championships 

 Voted FEI Rider of the 20th century 


“Horses live and work in environmental conditions thatpromote chronic respiratory inflammation. The prevalenceof lower airway diseases is largely underestimatedbecause it is not always accompanied by obvious clinicalsigns . Medications treat the symptoms but not its initialcause, which often lies in the environment. Changes inenvironmental management are essential to bring longterm relief. Haygain hay steamers are a simple, fool proofsolution to improve our horse’s respiratory health . Irecommend it for my patients and those owners who haveadopted it really see the daily benefit it brings to theirhorses and would not revert to normal hay; and the horseslove it!” 

Emmanuelle van ErckWestergren DVM, PhD Dip. ECEIM 

Equine Sports Medicine Practice, Waterloo, BelgiumBelgian team veterinarian, FEI Equine ProhibitedSubstances List Expert Group, Board Member ofInternational Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology 

“We have used Haygain for foals with severe Rhodococcus equi pneumonia to aid in reducing the amount of inhaled allergens when they eat hay . For our colic surgeries that are not eating well, we have used Haygain to entice those horses to consume more roughage. The fresh aroma after the hay has been steamed appears to increase many horse's appetite post-surgery. I have first hand experience with this product because not only do I use Haygain at my hospital, but for my own personal dressage and racehorses as well." 

Nathan Slovis DVM 

Dipl. ACVIM, CHT 

 Director of the McGee Critical Care and Medical Center 

 Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, Lexington, Kentucky