Haygain products could be back on the market by the end of this year, as the brand has a new owner, which is “thrilled” by the move.

H&H reported in January that Haygain Ltd, which manufactured “patented, science-backed products” including hay steamers, slow-feeders and a padded flooring system, had gone into administration.

Just over two months later, FS animal health has announced its acquisition of the Haygain brand name, “marking a significant milestone in the company’s global expansion strategy”.

“With a legacy spanning over a decade, Haygain is well known for its science-backed approach to hay-steaming and equine health innovation,” a spokesman for the new owner said. “As of today, FS animal health has now secured ownership of the Haygain brand name, together with Haygain’s business intellectual property rights, etc.”

The spokesman added that FS had “a long history of association with the Haygain brand”, between 2012 and 2022.

“Today, we are thrilled to announce the reintegration of the Haygain name into the FS animal health family, joining our brands NUVEQ and Hestevard,” she said.

“As we embark on this exciting journey, our management team is dedicating itself to crafting a comprehensive plan to reintroduce Haygain products to the market and to define its future strategic positioning.”

Another spokesman told H&H that it is early days but that the FS management team is creating a “comprehensive plan to reintroduce Haygain products to the market and to define its future strategic positioning”.

“We anticipate Haygain-branded products will be reintroduced back to the market late in 2024,” he said. “This timeline allows us to ensure a seamless transition while upholding our quality standards.

“Over the past months FS animal health has reached out to all of the staff at Haygain and some of the staff have joined the FS animal health team in the UK.”

The spokesman added that the terms of the acquisition do not mean FS has to honour warranties to products bought before Haygain Ltd went into administration, but that the company is “built on excellent customer service – it’s what we’ve always stood for, and we will definitely find a satisfactory solution for all customers experiencing issues with their current products”.

“Additionally, as soon as we have a spare parts list for all Haygain products, we will also be able to accept orders for replacement parts,” he said.

FS animal health is the wholesale trading name of Farm & Stable Supplies LLP, which has a retail division in the UK called Farm & Stable.

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Haygain HG One hay steamer review *H&H Approved*

£725

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Haygain HG One official description

The Haygain HG One is designed to feed one horse, for everyday use on the yard or for steaming hay when travelling to shows. Due to it’s lightweight and compact design, it is well suited to smaller yards and fits easily on a lorry. It holds up to 8kg of forage – either in a haynet or loose wedges. The robust chest allows temperatures to reach more than 100ºC, which is vital for killing mould spores and bacteria.

Quick and easy to use, the Haygain HG One steams forage in approximately one hour using a 1.5kW steam generator with a water capacity of 3.5l, which is sufficient for one steaming cycle. The HG One’s lid is double-skinned for exceptional strength and thermal efficiency in all ambient temperatures. The lid has been designed to allow the condensation to collect and fall back evenly onto the hay.

First impressions

This steamer looks robust and like it would be quite heavy, but it was so lightweight – while it’s empty you can lift it up with just one hand. It was really easy to put together and work out how to use it, too.

Overview of performance

Put simply, I loved it and the horses loved it. We used it mostly for one horse who is particularly fussy, but he ate all his hay after had been in the steamer rather than just picking at it as he had before. It comes out so much cleaner and it smells like you’d want to eat it yourself. You can steam one full net at a time and we found it would take less than an hour. It’s perfect for travelling as it’s so easy to move about and transport.

Sam’s likes and dislikes

You can’t see how much water you’re putting in from the outside, but it comes with a handy measuring stick. It would be great if there was a clear window, like you find on a kettle, so that you can easily see how full it is, but I imagine this would be hard to keep clear. I would say that it’s really important that you read the manual and follow the cleaning instructions, particularly when it comes to cleaning the filament.

Verdict

*H&H APPROVED* Perfect for a single-horse owner or someone who travels a lot.

In the UK? View now at ebay.co.uk

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Spillers' equine nutritionist Clare Barfoot provides one H&H forum user with some helpful advice on how to feed when hay quality is changeable

Q: “I was hoping for some advice about supplementary feeding. The hay that we get in this part of Scotland is, erm, variable as it’s not generally known to be good haymaking weather up here. It’s good enough to keep my cob ticking over, but he’s always rather lacklustre come spring. This year I wish to do more with him, but feel he needs a bit more from his food as more effort will be asked of him. Oats agree with him, but mixes don’t due to the molasses. So I suppose my question is, can I feed a few handfuls of concentrates to counteract the lower nutritional value of the hay (that they have plenty of)? If so, to work this out, do I need to get my forage analysed or can one ‘guesstimate’ it? I’m fairly new to the area and I don’t know any local horse owners that I could ask about this. I really want to do the best for him to feel and be healthier. Any help would be appreciated.”

A: Thank you for your question and you are to right to be thinking about balancing the deficiencies in your hay as even the best made, nutritious hay and haylage can’t be guaranteed to provide a fully balanced diet. If you want to check on what your hay is actually providing, you can have it analysed but it’s not entirely necessary as long as you chose an appropriate product to balance it. If your hay source isn’t consistent, analysing it might not be the most practical solution either.

As your hay isn’t the best nutritional quality it is important that it is at least hygienically clean or it may contribute to colic or respiratory issues. If you are worried about dust, it is advisable to submerge your hay for 20-30 minutes to swell any mould spores so they stick to the hay shaft and are not inhaled. Or if you are lucky enough to have access to a hay steamer, this will significantly improve the hygienic quality.

Continued below…

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When it comes to choosing a feed to complement your cob’s hay, the most important consideration, as you have suggested, is making sure your gelding has a balanced diet as this could be one of the reasons he appeared to be a little lack lustre at the end of the winter last year. Which feed you chose should depend on his current condition and how well he holds his weight. If he holds his weight well and is in ideal condition, a balancer designed to complement a forage based diet is ideal. SPILLERS Lite and Lean Balancer is perfect in these situations as it contains all the vitamins and minerals your boy needs plus very high levels of the important amino acid lysine which is often lacking in hay especially hay of poorer quality that can be very low in protein. This can be mixed in a smaller amount of low calorie chopped fibre.

If he requires some condition opt for feeding a high fibre cube or a chopped fibre feed that is low in sugar and starch, it’s always best to try this approach before opting for conditioning products especially with natives.

Continued below…

For more information on feeding your horse this winter call the SPILLERS Care-Line on 01908 226626.

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Hay steamer company, HAYGAIN, has launched a new website.

HAYGAIN’s steamers work to improve the quality of forage whilst maintaining nutritional value and goodness.

The new website explains the process and the science behind the development, as well as supplying product specifications and the latest news.

A spokesman said: “HAYGAIN steamers are scientifically proven to kill mould spores and bacteria in hay and haylage to produce a warm palatable forage, helping maintain a healthy respiratory system.

“Soaking hay boosts bacteria growth by 1.5 times in just 10 minutes. Steaming kills 99% of bacteria in 50 minutes.”

The company, that has been up and running for three years, has three models on offer that all steam forage in less than 50 minutes.

For more information go to www.haygain.com or call 0333 200 5233.

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Residents at equine charity HorseWorld have benefited from the donation of a hay steamer by HAYGAIN.

The company gave its top model, the HG-1000, to the Bristol-based charity last year and HAYGAIN director Becky James recently visited the yard to see her product in action.

“The HAYGAIN steamer has made a huge difference to many of the horses at the centre,” said HorseWorld communications manager Elizabeth Goddard.

She added: “The steamer saves us a lot of time and allows us to feed hay that retains its goodness, whilst still preventing coughing.

“We have used it on several horses and ponies that suffer from respiratory problems and they all seem much happier eating steamed hay than soaked. It will continue to help cases in the future.”

For more information on the HAYGAIN range, visit www.haygain.co.uk

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Haygain has launched a new boiler — the HG-PB Power Boiler — to be used with all Haygain hay steamers in the range.

The model is “exceptionally robust” with a rapid warm up time, stainless steel boiler case and a 2.9 Kw stainless steel heating element together with a run dry alarm buzzer.

The capacity is seven litres — enabling at least two cycles per fill and it is guaranteed for two years.

“The HG-PB has been developed from the renowned and proven Propress clothing steamer, used worldwide since 1980 in commercial retail environment,” said a spokesman for the company.

Field trials have been carried out at racing, dressage and other competition yards and the company says the feedback was “exceptionally positive in all cases”.

Haygain Hay Steamers are sealed to give “optimum thermal efficiency” and work by steaming from the centre of the hay — ensuring that temperatures of more than 100C, are reached to kill all fungal spores, bacteria and dust mites.

For more information visit: www.haygain.co.uk.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now