Alternatives to soaking hay?

[Pippity]

My horse is on soaked hay for PSSM.

At the moment, it isn't really possible to soak. The well is frozen so we're relying on stored rainwater for the horses to drink, as well as bringing water from home. Even if I could bring up enough water to soak her hay, a) it would freeze, and b) where we drain the hay, the water would form an ice rink. It's just too dangerous.

Add in, she's spending a lot more time inside than usual, because the fields are frozen/rutted/icy, and she's basically getting way too much sugar and way too little exercise.

We have straw available for bedding, but I'm not sure whether it's wheat, barley, oat or what. Would it be okay to mix in with her hay no matter what type it is?

Also, it only gets delivered once a week, so I wouldn't be able to get any until Monday. Would it be possible to mix something like TopChop Zero into a net of hay, or would it just fall straight through? She's a picky weirdo who's very reluctant to eat from a bucket, so it would probably get ignored if I fed it alongside a net.

 

[HorseMaid]

Off the top of my head could you steam it? I think fairly easy to make a home made hay steamer from a wheelie bin a steam wallpaper remover

 

[Polos Mum]

If you have top chop zero I would feed that rather than bedding straw (which can be sprayed with all sorts of chemicals and can be quite sugary too!)

If you put a bucket of horse quality feed (all be it the equivalent of rice cake flavour) in her stable and she chooses not to eat it, I personally think that is OK. If she is hungry or needs forage - she will get over her dislike of a bucket !
for a horse with known medical conditions who can't have her usual soaked hay
if the alternative is too much sugar which will make her ill.

There are some brands of low cal haylage (tested to be such) depending on whether you can easily get that and whether you are happy to sell a kidney to pay for it !!

 

[Lady Jane]

Off the top of my head could you steam it? I think fairly easy to make a home made hay steamer from a wheelie bin a steam wallpaper remover

Doesn't do much to reduce the WSC but is better than nothing

 

[Nasicus]

If you have top chop zero I would feed that rather than bedding straw (which can be sprayed with all sorts of chemicals and can be quite sugary too!)

If you put a bucket of horse quality feed (all be it the equivalent of rice cake flavour) in her stable and she chooses not to eat it, I personally think that is OK. If she is hungry or needs forage - she will get over her dislike of a bucket !
for a horse with known medical conditions who can't have her usual soaked hay
if the alternative is too much sugar which will make her ill.

There are some brands of low cal haylage (tested to be such) depending on whether you can easily get that and whether you are happy to sell a kidney to pay for it !!

Yeah I'd be inclined to give her a trug of TCZ or the like and tell her to have at it, if she's hungry she'll eat it. If she needs convincing, maybe something more appealing than TCZ but still suitable for her PSSM needs.

 

[MereChristmas]

I’ve never used it but would a little fenugreek work if added to TCZ? I believe it is supposed to increase palatability

 

[poiuytrewq]

Soaking is such hard work in this weather. Every year I’m Adamant I’ll save and buy a decent steamer.
At the moment I’m just having to feed dry and hope for the best.

 

[PurBee]

I’d personally switch to marksway timothy haylage, than any bagged straw product, as its certified low sugar/protein, also made fairly ‘dry’ so easy to switch to it directly from hay without much gut distress like you get with wetter ryegrass haylages.


I use their timothy and their high fibre ryegrass - mix it - it sure beats hauling water about and soaking in these winter conditions and is mould/toxin-free, low sugar etc

heres the nutritional info on their timothy:

Ingredients
Typical Nutritional Analysis (on a dry matter basis):

• Protein 8 - 9%
• MAD Fibre* 35 - 37 %
• Calcium 0.4 – 0.6 %
• Energy 8 - 10MJ/kg
• Sugar <5%
• Starch 1 - 2%
• Dry Matter 60%

*MAD Fibre – Modified Acid Detergent Fibre (This is a measure of the digestible part of the total fibre in a feed)



Composition

Timothy grass mix

 

[PeterNatt]

Whatever hard feed you give her make sure that you add lots of water to ensure your horse is taking in water and add some apple juice to make it more attractive.

 

[Jenko109]

I'm another who wouldnt shy away from haylage to tide you over.

There are some suitable, albeit expensive, low sugar haylage options.

 

[maya2008]

Blue or purple horsehage or other tested low nsc high fibre haylage.

 

[Melandmary]

Another vote for bagged low sugar haylage. I would actually rather sell a kidney than ever have to soak and lug wet hay nets around ever again ?

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I’m just throwing two buckets of water over my nets and leaving to drain hung up next to the midden so the water drains into there. It’s what I’ve got at the moment.

Can you take it home? Do it at home in a trug in the kitchen? I know it’s not great but you could drain the trug and use it to transport the hay back and forth??

 

[poiuytrewq]

I’m just throwing two buckets of water over my nets and leaving to drain hung up next to the midden so the water drains into there. It’s what I’ve got at the moment.

Can you take it home? Do it at home in a trug in the kitchen? I know it’s not great but you could drain the trug and use it to transport the hay back and forth??

Just DO NOT try and take it home and do it
In the shower…… take my word for it ?‍

 

[MuddyMonster]

Just DO NOT try and take it home and do it
In the shower…… take my word for it ?‍

????

Oh my. I'm going to ask my OH if I can do this just to see his reaction.

He looked concerned enough by me making up Fast Fibre in the kitchen ?

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I saw this on another site (FB) which I'm on, where people were recommending you just chuck a haynet in a bin and then bung in a kettle-full of boiling water.

Not tried it - yet - but sharing in case it helps.

 

[Widgeon]

Just DO NOT try and take it home and do it
In the shower…… take my word for it ?‍

This was kind of you to test this on behalf of the whole forum. Now the rest of us don't need to suffer

 

[cauda equina]

I've never done this
but often wonder what would happen if you put a haynet inside - say, a duvet cover - tied the top up tight, and put the whole lot in the washing machine (no soap powder, obvs)

 

[SEL]

I saw this on another site (FB) which I'm on, where people were recommending you just chuck a haynet in a bin and then bung in a kettle-full of boiling water.

Not tried it - yet - but sharing in case it helps.

I used to do just this for my PSSM mare. We could boil the kettle at the yard which helped.

After rather too many years of managing PSSM all I can say is in weather like this don't beat yourself up. You cannot manage the disease well when its minus 7 at 10 in the morning (yup, really ) , turnout is restricted, riding is dangerous and your horse won't eat a frozen hay lollipop.

Just be on top of bringing her back into work slowly and carefully. One of my most dramatic tie ups was turning mine out next to a horse who had been on house arrest for a week. Mine had been going out every day so wasn't bothered but that one turned himself inside out, took down the fencing and had them all galloping about. Stiff muscles for days.

If you can do a slow steady return to exercise you'll be fine - don't start off with a long hack or an hours lesson or a mad gallop in turnout or you'll be in trouble.

 

[Surbie]

I’m just throwing two buckets of water over my nets and leaving to drain hung up next to the midden so the water drains into there. It’s what I’ve got at the moment.

I do similar, though tbh I've been feeding dry for the last week and hoping it's ok. Looking forward to the weather breaking on the weekend, though not so much looking forward to a week of rain.

Marksway timothy is lovely, but 1 bag now costs the same as 2 bales of hay here. It's eye-wateringly expensive. (Have to buy through yard, can't buy in bulk)

 

[Widgeon]

I've never done this
but often wonder what would happen if you put a haynet inside - say, a duvet cover - tied the top up tight, and put the whole lot in the washing machine (no soap powder, obvs)

If you would like to test it and report your scientific findings to the community I'm sure we would all be appreciative

Any other members of your household may not feel the same, but ignore them, your are working for the advancement of science

 

[maya2008]

I do similar, though tbh I've been feeding dry for the last week and hoping it's ok. Looking forward to the weather breaking on the weekend, though not so much looking forward to a week of rain.

Marksway timothy is lovely, but 1 bag now costs the same as 2 bales of hay here. It's eye-wateringly expensive. (Have to buy through yard, can't buy in bulk)

We’ve been feeding half bagged haylage and half straw for exactly that reason. Stops them getting too fat, fills them up and makes the overall cost similar to hay.

 

[cauda equina]

If you would like to test it and report your scientific findings to the community I'm sure we would all be appreciative

Any other members of your household may not feel the same, but ignore them, your are working for the advancement of science

If I ever do it I certainly will!
I can't see why it wouldn't work, and with a decent spin should come out reasonably dry
For the time being though we're on Timothy Horsehage, expensive but so convenient

 

[tallyho!]

I could no longer face the soaking for my PSSM mare... I had to switch supplier, shop around and even though delivery is more expensive at least I don't have to soak :-( oh the thought... I've had no issues.

Try the horsehage if you can't find a supplier to give you the analysis.