Tack n' Talk
Just another WordPress.com weblogTo Soak, or Not To Soak…That’s the Question!
For many years now, horse owners have been soaking hay to manage horses diagnosed with laminitis, Polysaccaride Storage Myopathy (PSSM), hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but is soaking hay really beneficial?
Soaking hay in water has been known to be a common strategy used to manage the nutritional requirements of some diseased horses. Currently, the hay soaking recommendations are to soak hay for 30 minutes in warm water, or 60 minutes in cold water, for the removal of carbohydrates (Watts,2003). However, how efficient is hay soaking and are additional essential nutrients lost during this soaking process?
University of Minnesota researchers actually conducted several tests to determine the impact of water temperature and hay soaking duration on the actual removal of non structural carbohydrates (NSC), crude protein (CP), minerals and dry matter (DM) from alfalfa and orchard grass hays. In this test, four hay types were soaked by submerging individual flakes for 15, 30 and 60 minutes in 25 liters of cold (72F) and warm (102F) water and for 12 hours in cold water and this was compared to a control non-soaked sample. Water temperatures were determined by using the cold or hot only faucets which would be typical of your standard barn.
Researchers have suggested that diets for horses affected with laminitis (Frank, 2009) should be less than 12 - 10% of NSC value. Reynolds et al (1997) also established that a diet of less than 1% K is necessary for horses diagnosed with HYPP and Moore-Colyer (1996) discovered that soaking hay for 30 minutes reduced respiratory problems for horses diagnosed with COPD or heaves. It was determined that alfalfa hays were tested to be below the 10 and 12% NSC threshold for those horses diagnosed with PSSM and laminitis, so soaking these hays wouldn’t be necessary. However, orchard grass hays were well above these thresholds and after soaking for 15 to 30 minutes, the NSC values were reduced to or below the 10 to 12% recommended value. It is very interesting to note that soaking hay for longer durations did not further reduce the NSC content of the hay.
During the soaking process Calcium (CA) is not as prone to leaching as compared to other minerals while Magnesium (Mg) and phosphorus (P) levels were reduced in all hay types as a result of soaking, with longer soaking times, leading to a greater reduction in these elements. Because Ca is not as water soluble as P, high Ca:P ratios were observed in soaked hays for longer times especially those after 12 hours. Ideally the Ca:P ratio should range between 1:1 and 3:1 (up to 6:1)in horse diets (NRC, 2007) but it was observed that there was a significant deficiency in P.
In conclusion, it has been noted that hay should not be soaked for greater period than 1 hour as soaking hay for any longer durations resulted in severely reduced NSC content, high Ca:P ratios, shortage of P in the diet and significant losses in DM. It was highly recommended that owners should rely on forage analysis as their first method of finding appropriate hay for horses, especially when feeding horses diagnosed with a disease and once values have been determined to take preventative measures. It has been recommended that hay soaking for short durations of 15 – 30 minutes is an acceptable hay management method, but should only be used if suitable hay is not available.
Nosebands: To tighten or not to tighten!
By: Larissa Cox
Are you searching for control, obedience and connection with your horse? If you are truly looking for cooperation and communication with your horse, why would you consider tightening the noseband on your horse while riding?
Nosebands evolved many years ago with the practical solution keeping the jaws of horses from clattering as they galloped into war laden with heavy armor. The design of the modern noseband, however, evolved to limit the horse from opening his mouth and giving the rider more sensitive control over the bit. Fitted correctly, nosebands do just that, but fitted improperly, they cause much pain. Recent research notes that horses wearing tight nosebands undergo a physiological stress response, are sensitized to bit pressure and may have reduced blood flow with potential to cause injuries and tissue damage including nasal bone deformities even when padding is used in the so-called crank nosebands.
Over the last few decades, there has been a steady increase in the design of nosebands to effectively mask the evidence of a horse’s discomfort and pain. The International Society of Equitation Science (ISES) states “that the practice of over tightening nosebands to avoid penalties in competition is covering up poor training at the expense of horse welfare for there is an incentive for riders to over-tighten nosebands as the rules of dressage penalize displays of discomfort such as opening mouths and lolling tongues”. These rules were written by the sport’s governing bodies to promote excellent training and the demonstration of qualities such as freedom, harmony lightness and acceptance of the bit without tension. Restrictive tight nosebands can prevent the horse from displaying unwanted behaviours such as opening, gaping or crossing the jaw and are enabling competitors to mask those signs of tension which judges look for as evidence of inferior training. Thus is has been suggested that nosebands may hinder effective judging.
Hayley Randle, PhD presented a recent study at the October 2011 ISES conference, which I attended, stating “noseband tightness definitely seems to increase sensitivity to the bit, as it has an effect on rein tension applied to achieve medium contact. This suggests that noseband tightening makes the horse more sensitive to the bit. Essentially, tightening the noseband just one hole appears to reduce the amount of rein tension needed to maintain bit contact.”
The ISES recommends the return to the established practice of placing “two fingers” under the noseband and that a standard taper gauge should be used by stewards at competitions. The taper gauge should be placed without force at the nasal midline and be clearly marked to show the desired stop. It has been suggested that with the taper gauge, stewards could ensure that the detrimental effects of over-tightened nosebands could be eliminated or at least lessened.
Horses are very sensitive social beings and their noses are more sensitive than our finger tips. Horses rely on smell and touch for much of their communication and social bonding, so tying up the nerves in discomfort rather than allowing them to be used the way nature designed them to be is counter productive of the goal of proper training. Although nosebands may look good and are a part of equestrian history, we all need to educate ourselves on the science of communication between horse and rider.
Grooming for Health Benefits
How many times have you looked out into the field and watched as horses groom and scratch each other, often amazed at how vigorously they scratch each other. Not only is this a social event but regular grooming is not only for pleasure but more importantly for relaxation. But can you use these same techniques to change your grooming style to create these same health benefits for your horse?
Connective tissue in your horse is either thin and flat such as the fascia between the skin and muscles, or thick and dense like tendons and ligaments. Fascia should glide freely across tissues, muscles, and tendons and the healthier it is as it attaches into the bone or other fascia, the better it can function. With this in mined, cross fiber grooming is a positive change to your regular grooming technique.
When grooming your horse, try to groom him so that he can bend and stretch as you groom. Instead of using a curry comb in the traditional circular motion, try cross fiber massage as it can help break up adhesions and while stimulating circulation, lymphatic drainage and acupuncture points to relax your horse both physically and mentally.
Cross Fiber Grooming
When grooming, use short back and forth strokes about 6 inches in length. Groom lightly at first and feel if the skin is loose over the muscles. Then use the curry to massage deeper into the muscle while watching for signs of relaxation such as licking, chewing, yawning, sighing and bending around. If your horse reacts by flinching as you groom a certain area, don’t ignore that area, but rather groom lighter for a about a minute or so and watch for a positive response, then increase the pressure.
Take your time and observe your horse during your grooming sessions. As the grooming sessions become deeper, use your body to groom and not only your arm and shoulder. This change to your grooming technique can translate into huge benefits for your horse’s posture, performance and health while you turn your pre-ride grooming into a significant conversation with your horse.
- Larissa 
Herbs for Horses!
By Larissa Cox
Ahh…spring is in the air and planting season is almost here. Many of us are visiting our local nurseries searching for that perfect shrub or picking out the perfect vegetable assortment, but what about sharing something with your horse? Horses when left in pastures where herbs grow wild will pick and choose the ones their bodies instinctively know they need. Planting an herb garden for your horse is a great way to share the joy of gardening with your close friend.
Calendula Officinalis
There are many herbs that horses will love to eat that are very safe to plant in your pastures or along fence lines. However, a word of caution, when purchasing herbs for your horse, buy according to the Latin name and plant family. For example, if you want to plant medicinal calendula, you MUST buy “Calendula officinalis”, and not any old marigold plant you see on at your local nursery. Many of us know of Calendula as the “skin healer” not knowing that it is also good for combating stress and the flowers posses antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
Matricaria recutita
For open pastures and large paddocks, three wonderful herbs are dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), German chamomille (Matricaria recutita), and plantain leaf (Plantago major). These herbs are very easy to grow from seed and grow fairly quickly as well as having a long growing season. Horses will usually eat the dandelion leaf when young and tender, and then ignore it as it becomes more mature because of the bitter taste. Horses will graze on the true chamomile herb from late spring through to early fall. Plantain grows all season long as well, but your horse will prefer the tender, younger leaves over the more mature plants later in the season, so will tend to stop eating the mature plants.
When you get close to the edge of the pastures or along the fence line plant any herb in the mint family such as lemonbalm (Melissa officinalis), catnip (Nepeta cataria), peppermint (Mentha piperita), and bee balm (Monarda didyma). The mint plant will be most medicinal right before they go to full flower, as this is when their main medicinal property, the oil, will be at its highest level. Other plants such as, valerian (Valeriana officinalis), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), blue vervain (Verbena officinalis), goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea), nettle (Urtica dioica), and blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus) can be planted just outside the fence line or at the back of the paddock as they prefer not to be continuously disturbed. These plants will be ready for grazing right before going to flower. Goldenrod is particularly good while in FULL flower, as the flowers are an excellent digestive aid.
Herbs that would prefer to be at the back of the paddock would be cleavers (Galium aparine), chickweed (Stellaria media), horehound (Marrubium vulgare), honeysuckle vine (Lonicera periclymenum), passionflower vine (Passiflora incarnata), boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), dog rose (Rosa canina), meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and blackberry (Rubus villosus). Cleavers and chickweed are fairly early spring plants and die back until the next spring year. The honeysuckle vine is usually eaten when in full flower and is a great liver tonic. The dog rose, meadowsweet, raspberry and blackberry plants are e more of a bush or vine and will need propping up by the fence. Horses love eating the raspberry and blackberry vines even though they have thorns so don’t worry about planting these bushes.
Before you purchase seeds or herb plants read all labels carefully and never feed anything to your horse or yourself unless you are absolutely sure of its identity. Above is just a small example of what herbs you can plant for your horse . Our horse’s can benefit greatly from the reintroduction of herbs into their diet as so many of these herbs have many beneficial properties. You’ll enjoy planting them and your horse will REALLY love eating them!
Spring Pasture
By: Larissa Cox
Spring, in many parts of North America, is finally upon us and even our horses are pawing in their stalls wanting to get their first taste of the tender spring grass. We, as owners, must take care as we transition our horses from hay to pasture ensuring our horses have a gradual introduction to pasture which allows for their digestive system to adapt to change.
However, the transistion from hay to pasture for the insulin-resistant poses some issues and extra caution must be taken.
Horses love fresh grass and if allowed, will eat large quantities of it resulting in an overall high NSC consumption. So, when is a good time to turn out our horses? Believe it or not, temperatures and sunlight play a significant role in the amount of NSC accumulation in the grasses. Truly, there isn’t a perfect time to turn out our horses, but a reasonable rule of thumb is in moderate climates it is best before dawn until around 10:00am. Then, turn out again at night, starting at about 11:00 pm.
When the night temperature is below 40 degrees F, the grass is too high in NSC, so caution should be taken. Once temperatures are above 40 degrees F at night, the lowest NSC level is before the sun rises. The NSC level is highest in late afternoon, after a sunny day.
Many of us test our hay, but should we also test our pastures? The answer is yes! A pasture test can give results for digestible energy (horse), crude protein, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc and manganese – sulphur, molybdenum and selenium can also be requested. All these nutrients are necessary at the right levels for optimum health of your horse. Testing the sugar and starch levels will help with determining if the hay is suitable for sugar sensitive or insulin resistant horses.
For the long term heath of pasture, periodic soil testing is also recommended. On the basis of the soil tests, decisions can be made on which soil treatments should be applied to improve pasture health.
There are many variables in managing horses, many of which are out of our control but one aspect we can control is their nutrition for maintaining optimum health. As horse owners, we need to be knowledgeable on any metabolic conditions our horse may have and feed accordingly. But we always need to ensure that the feed our horses are eating is of high quality and contains all of the necessary vitamins and minerals. When in doubt, contact your veterinarian or equine nutritionist for help.
Zoopharmacognosy: Helping your horse self-medicate
By:
Leanne Wrentmore
of Naturally Animals and Natural Horse Solutions
Have you ever wondered why your horse eats a particular plant or makes a bee line for the hedgerow whilst out on a hack? Then Zoopharmacognosy may provide the answer.
Zoopharmacognosy was coined by Dr E Rodriguez, a biochemist and professor at Cornell University and is derived from zoo (wild animal), pharma (drugs) and cognosy (knowing). It refers to the process by which wild animals self medicate and deviate from eating primary metabolites (food) to eating plants higher in secondary (medicinal) metabolites.
Zoopharmacognosy is an evolutionary process which has enabled animals to maintain their health in their natural environment and has been transferred into working with domesticated animals by Caroline Ingraham.
M Huffman is one of the pioneers of this exciting work. By observing chimpanzees scientists have concluded that wild animals exploit medicinal plants as and when required. An ill chimpanzee made a quick recovery from an illness after eating the bitter pith from a Vernonia tree. From this tree, Huffman isolated a compound known as veronioside B1 which they found to possess anti-parasitic properties and when they analysed the chimps dung after eating the plant they found it was infested with parasites.
As herbivores, horses have evolved to roam and graze on a wide range of natural forage in order to obtain all the fibre, nutrients, minerals and vitamins they need to stay healthy. In the wild they would naturally have 20 to 30 medicinal plants in their immediate environment. Wild pastures would contain hundreds of species, including grasses, herbs, hedgerows, trees – all of which combine to provide the range of herbs and medicinal plants required to keep horses healthy. Today, horses are not quite as lucky and are taken away from their natural habitat where the grasslands and herbs suited their constitution. Most current pastures have a very limited range of plants and hedgerows, hence many horses are unable to find what they need to self-medicate and keep themselves physically and emotionally healthy.
Animals have an inherent ability to heal themselves, however are only able to do this if presented with a suitable selection of secondary compounds (natural medicines) found in essential oils, clays, vitamins, algae, minerals and herbs. Zoopharmacognosy facilitates the enhancement of a domesticated animal’s environment by offering them a variety of plant medications in order to heal and rebalance their own health and well being.
As a behavioural science, the key to the success of zoopharmacognosy is the observation of subtle changes and reactions in an animal when offered various plant medicines and noting their chosen route of administration. Horses may chose to inhale a particular medicinal compound, ingest either sublingual or buccal as well as indicate that they want a particular compound topically as is often the case with wounds.
Zoopharmacognosy can help with a multitude of problems ranging from emotional and behavioural to training and health issues. Encompassing zoopharmacognosy into your stable management is of benefit to both you and your horse. Mixing natural medicines in feed, often in the form of ready made supplements, can hide the smell and taste of plants and stop a horse selecting. Many supplements and balancers fed routinely to horses contain animal by-products and artificial compounds that would never be selected by wild herbivores. Even those purely herbal may contain the wrong combination for an individual. Allowing your horse to select what it needs is a much more cost effective way of managing and maintaining your horse’s health as well as treating any current problems they may be facing.
Indeed many herbs are free if you know what to look for and what time of year they grow. I often recommend many owners to take their horses out for a hedgerow walk purely to see what herbs and plants they chose to eat. What a wonderful way to build a bond with your horse.
One particular case I have been to recently was a yard of about 4 horses all infested with pinworms which are notoriously difficult to eradicate. The owner had noticed that her horses had been eating acorns. Although thought to be toxic to horses in some circumstances, acorns contain a high level of tannins which are known to have anti parasitic properties. As their immediate environment was not enriched with many plants, these horses were selecting the next best thing to try and eradicate their worm burden. During the applied zoopharmacognosy, these horses selected various medicinal compounds for detoxification and blood purification to counter act the toxic effect the ingestion of acorns were having on their system. This included seaweed, dandelion root powder, plantain and wormwood. As well as being beneficial for toning the liver, wormwood is also classed as an anthelmintic herb or a vermifuges due to the high concentration of tannins. This means that it causes the expulsion of certain parasites from the body and so therefore is nutritionally beneficial to the body for parasite control, including lice and pinworm.
Once these horses were allowed to self select wormwood in the quantities they needed, they no longer selected acorns.
To conclude, zoopharmacognosy is a non stressful and natural way of allowing your horse to tap into its evolutionary instincts of foraging on plants in its immediate environment in order to optimise health and well being on an emotional as well as physical level. It can be mutually beneficial; as an owner, using zoopharmacognosy equips you with the knowledge that the medicinal compounds chosen are needed by your horse and gives you the confidence you are offering what your horse truly needs and not causing secondary issues by over supplementing. This process can be cost effective in the long term as you are not feeding remedies your horse may not require and will also build an amazing bond with your horse as they will sense that you are trying to facilitate the use of their natural instincts for self selection.
For more information go to www.naturallyanimals.co.uk
Farrier Etiquette
One of the most important members of your horse-care team, is your farrier. Here are a few rules that will help you maintain a positive working relationship.
DO have your horse ready when your farrier arrives. To make the most efficient use of time, catch and clean up your horse prior to your appointment time.
DO have a good place for the farrier to work. Tie or hold your horse in a clean, dry, well lit area out of the weather.
Do try to have a reserve parking spot for your farrier. Parking close to the work area is very convenient for your farrier. If parking is a problem at your barn, try and find a location where you can hold your horse so that your farrier can have good access to his vehicle and tools.
DO teach your horse to stand still. Don’t expect your farrier to train your horse to stand still, that’s your job!
DO keep your horse on a hoof care schedule. Don’t let too much time pass between your farrier visits. Scheduling should be approximately every six weeks, or as deemed appropriate by your farrier. During the winter month’s appointments can be scheduled further apart as your horse’s hooves grow slower.
DO minimize distractions. Distractions can lead to accidents. Farriers appreciate a quiet environment so that horses pay attention to them.
DO have an open dialogue with your farrier. Your farrier is a professional who has been trained to do the job. Do discuss how your horse is going, if you have any particular needs or questions, but let your farrier use their expertise to determine the best solution for your horse’s hoof needs.
Do respect your farrier’s time. Your farrier is on a schedule and appreciates that his time is valuable and is used wisely.
DO pay your bill on time! Have the payment ready upon completion of the visit. If he/she mails you a bill, pay promptly!
DON’T expect your farrier to work on your horse when you are not there without his/her prior approval.
DON’T groom your horse while the farrier is working. All thought this may seem common sense: No grooming of any form while your farrier is working on your horse. Not only are these activities a distraction to your horse but the falling hair and dirt wouldn’t be appreciated by your farrier.
Equi-Oil
By Larissa Cox
I just received my sample of a great new product called Equi-Oil in the post, and can’t wait to try it out!
Equi-Oil is a topical skin treatment for horses that is 100% natural, with a main ingredient of crocodile oil!
Some facts about crocodile oil:
- It’s naturally anti-inflammatory
- It’s anti-bacterial
- It’s transdermally conductive, so it penetrates skin rather than staying on top of the coat
- Holds an abundance of Omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids
- Extremely gentle on skin with no known side effects
Also, I have to add that Equi-Oil smells really nice!
Because of the anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties of the crocodile oil in Equi-Oil, Equi-Oil can be used to treat a variety of skin or coat ailments such as ring worm, lice, mites, rainscald, or mud fever (a particularly persistent problem for my horse Rio).
I can’t wait to try out Equi-Oil on Rio! I will update Tack ‘n’ Talk in the coming month with pictures and a review!
For more information, go to equi-oil.com. Don’t forget to follow Equi-Oil on Twitter: @equioil1
Happy Riding!
-Larissa
Horse Show Mom
By: Barbara Cox (Larissa’s Mom)
It started as a dream…
I always knew at some point in my life, Larissa would come to me smilingly sweetly and say, “Mommy, I want to learn to ride a horse.” As far as I was concerned, that comment came far too early in Larissa’s young life. What was a mother to do? As a City Slicker, my knowledge was limited to the few trail rides I took as a child, so I did what every mother would do…”I’ll talk to your Dad!” Speaking to Dad proved useless as he totally supported Larissa’s dream. “Why not?” he said…”It would be good for her, she will develop self-discipline and patience…” Panic stricken, I mumbled…”But she’s so young… she was just learning to walk a little while ago!”
So the search was on. Locating a suitable lesson stable wasn’t as easy as I had thought, never mind determining on whether a particular instructor was right for my child, but I pressed on. Larissa was soon enrolled in a summer program and she loved every minute of her day. The summer program lead to weekly group lessons, which lead to private weekly lessons which lead to “Mommy, I want my own horse!”
Larissa and Crystalz Jubruq (Bruq) 3rd Level Dressage Champion
Twenty years later, one horse lead to four and her dream became a reality. This Mother’s journey has been filled with triumphs and tears and very frustrating trying to understand the complicated national and regional championship points systems!
My evolution of a horse show mom was “I will never use a porta-potty!” “Never” quickly became “only in emergencies” to “just this once” to “only this weekend” to “they have really nice porta-potties here at this show!”
Good show moms also know that working with Dad can sometimes be a bit of a challenge. Larissa’s Dad is one of the few great show dads who get up early, drive the truck and trailer, muck out the stall and fill that water bucket. But really, have you ever seen a dad shine a pair of boots or wipe slobber off the face of a bitted horse? No, not really. How many of you have seen horse show moms carrying a bucket, filled with ring side necessities, in one hand, and in the other, the dressage test booklet, show jacket and camera. This mom has learned how to back the horse trailer, clip horse whiskers, lead nervous horses and to make just the perfect horse show bun! Not only that, I am an expert used tack purchaser and horse show photographer. In addition, I can quickly sub in for the pre-show coach, on the ground trainer, horse massage therapist and seamstress! Packing the trailer is now an art form which is admired by all at the barn. At the show itself, my red horse show apron can be spotted from great distances. The apron itself, with its multitude of pockets, holds all the necessary requirements to handle any horse ring emergency…from bottled water, Back’s Rescue Remedy for horse and rider, boot brush, towel, lip balm, leather towelettes, dressage test booklet, horse cookies, emergency sewing kit with extra buttons, camera and backup battery to show clothes hook and hanger. Dad carries the video camera.
The years that Larissa has been in the United Kingdom continuing her education has been very difficult. The barn isn’t the same, the excitement of the show season has come and gone and the two horses remaining at home have been on an extended vacation. However, 2012 is a new year and the anticipation of Larissa’s return home is being met with great excitement and once again the horse mom will carry on…there will be triumphs and tears and there will still be difficulty understanding that championships points system!
WINTER TACK CARE
By: Larissa Cox
As winter sets in, turning your riding arena and paddocks into a sea of snowdrifts, you may not feel like riding and your tack can be at the barn for weeks at a time…untouched. But the winter weather isn’t just difficult on your unprotected skin, your expensive leather equipment is going to need some extra tender loving care as well.
Moisture and mod spores are leather’s worse enemies, often causing quite a great deal of damage. If you do intend to ride during the winter months, keep your saddles and bridles covered – an old terry cloth towel will come in handy if you don’t have a saddle cover. Whenever you see mould, wipe it off with a vinegar and water solution as soon as your notice it. I use products containing beeswax and I massage it in well with my fingers to keep the leather supple and flexible. Also, I always keep a can of Lysol spray handy in my tack cupboard and spray my leather equipment prior to cleaning them. However, below are some handy winter tack care tips that may help keeping that “fur coat” off your tack!
Did you know that glycerin soap, a humectant, holds moisture giving mould a great growing environment. So, during the winter months, you should stop using this form of cleanser. Use a water-based, pH neutral product such as Leather Therapy Wash to remove embedded dirt and organic residue that aids future mould and mildew growth.
Have a good supply of old rags or towels ready that you are prepared to throw away. Please note that washing towels after using them to clean mouldy tack does not remove all the mould spores. Wipe as much surface contamination as you can with the wet towel, then discard. Repeat with a clean wet rag. Be sure to discard the towels in a way that won’t allow spores to spread further. Don’t rinse and reuse the rags/towels as you will never remove all spores on the rags. I use an old toothbrush to clean stitching lines and in-hard-to-clean crevices. Also, I always clean any mouldy tack outside so that spores do not land on another host.
Allow your saddle to naturally dry in a well lit, ventilated area. Do not put a damp saddle away in your tack cupboard. Once your saddle is dry, condition the leather using a pH neutral product. A produce that I often use is Leather Therapy Restorer/Conditioner. Apply with a sponge and use very sparingly as the leather will only absorb what is needed. This conditioner will soak in and disappear, so you won’t need to wipe it off.
Always cover your saddle with either a saddle cover or towel before putting it away.
There is nothing more discouraging than “damage control”. The best way to deal with mould and mildew is to prevent them from invading in the first place. Spending a few minutes on prevention is much less time consuming than the hours in cleaning up the problem.
