Large animal vets often need something to stand on when examining large farm animals like horses. Until recently, a bale of hay has always been the go-to item. Usually available on a farm and fairly lightweight, the hay bale has worked OK for the most part but has a couple of drawbacks. First, they can be heavy weighing between 40 and 70 lbs or even more if they are wet. Secondly, they may not be the same density throughout making standing on one a bit precarious.
For the past several years, more and more vets have been purchasing light weight EPS blocks (commonly referred to as Styrofoam) cut to about the same size as a bale of hay. Unlike a haybale, the EPS is completely stable and can be used for years. A 14” x 24” x 36” blocks of nominal 1 lb EPS only weighs 7 lbs. A nominal 2 lb density block the same size is only 14 lbs. The blocks are available in any size and are easily transportable. The attached photos are an example of what can be done to really make the blocks easy to carry.
