Do you soak your hay??

[hazel23]

Hello,
I am doing a project for uni about soaking hay, just for some background information does anyone routinely soak their hay to reduce dust levels? If so how long do you soak for and why??
Thanks!

 

[Lotty]

I soak my hay for 12 hours then give it a good rinse afterwards. I do this to remove all the sugars as my girl has had lami in the past.

 

[hazel23]

Thanks Lotty, so you are soaking to remove nutrients, not dust?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I soak her 3 haynets 12 hrs the rinse through and the last haynet of the day 24 hrs then rinse

she is recovering lami so its to reduce the laminitis coming back

 

[hazel23]

I soak her 3 haynets 12 hrs and the last haynet of the day 24 hrs

Thanks Leviathan, are you doing that to reduce nutrients or dust??

Sorry didnt read that properly, obv to reduce nutirents

 

[barehoofhannah]

Hello, I presume you've got all Katy Watts stuff, and/or on her subscription group? http://www.safergrass.org/ good luck on project. I'd soak and rinse, soak and rinse if my horse's hay was too high a sugar content for me to give him free choice loose hay. I used to feed in haynets but the twisting pulling action isn't great for horses, nets not so good on teeth either.

Juliet Getty (USA) and Clare McLoed (UK) are other independent nutritionalists that could possibly point you in good and bad, interesting research studies.

I'm finding it interesting looking at the methods behind the studies which is something Katy points out about different studies being undertaken.

I have a few customers who leave the hay in the water and feed it to the horses, and I have to keep reminding them that all the sugar will be in the water that they are drinking surrounding the hay! I think that's the case any how, best wishes Hannah

 

[sharky]

One of ours has his hay soaked for half an our to remove the dust as he gets a cough from dry hay.

 

[hazel23]

I have a few customers who leave the hay in the water and feed it to the horses, and I have to keep reminding them that all the sugar will be in the water that they are drinking surrounding the hay! I think that's the case any how, best wishes Hannah

Thanks for all that info! I agree about the leaving the hay in the water... no logic in that! unless soaking to reduce dust... then it may work!

Am really looking for people who soak just to REDUCE DUST... anyone??

 

[hazel23]

One of ours has his hay soaked for half an our to remove the dust as he gets a cough from dry hay.

Thanks Sharky, why did you decide half an hour was a good length of time??

 

[sharky]

We had the Vet out for his cough and the vet suggested that the min was 20mins so we went for half hour.

(vet also suggested we gave him benylin to help soothe his cough and the little sod almost became addicted to it - he'd follow you around looking for it and got really excited when he saw the syringe - made giving wormers a lot easier though)

 

[Milkmaid]

Yep, for one as he has a dust allergy and for the other because he`s a fatty!

The one who needs a dust free enviroment also needs all the calories he can get as he has to have his grazing restricted because he lives with fatty!
For this reason his hay gets as little time as possible in the water (usually just a dunking while i`m mucking out/fetching in so about 20-30 mins, and then hung to drain for a further 10 mins.

Fat boys hay gets as long as poss, usually at least 16 hrs and then rinsed!

 

[hazel23]

We had the Vet out for his cough and the vet suggested that the min was 20mins so we went for half hour.

(vet also suggested we gave him benylin to help soothe his cough and the little sod almost became addicted to it - he'd follow you around looking for it and got really excited when he saw the syringe - made giving wormers a lot easier though)

Thanks, that's really helpful

 

[Doris68]

I don't soak my hay, but put it in an old bath (no plug) and then hose it thoroughly to lay the dust and soften it slightly. My mare is nearly 27 and a very good doer, my hay is home grown meadow hay. I feed hay in a hay bar and have never used hay nets in the stable. Prior to the hay bar, I fed hay from the floor.

 

[cavalo branco]

I soak hay to reduce dust for both my boys - the older one coughs on dry hay (only slightly, but it cures it) and the younger one as a preventative. I just don't think the air quality is good enough around dry hay, however undusty the hay looks.
So I only soak for about 15 mins, drain and feed. Hope this helps!

 

[ribbons]

I feed haylage in the main but i do use hay in the summer when they just come in out of the heat for a few hours.
None have any weight or breathing problems but i always plunge the net in a trough of water to settle dust.
Fully submerge it and straight back out. Drain and serve.

 

[splashgirl45]

i edo the same as ribbons, plunge in container , then drain and feed...just to lay the dust...

 

[Chocy]

I soak 2 reduce dust.
Started doing it bout 18mths ago as he started coughing a bit & it seems 2 have solved the problem.
Horse wil occasionally cough when start riding him if hes had a lot of dry hay eg after travelling (wet hay in box makes way 2 much mess!)
He can cope with a small amount if unsoaked hay- when I bring him in on my days off I give him a few handfuls just 2 keep him happy while I faff around grooming & getting ready 2 ride

 

[4x4]

I soak for 20 mins - home made meadow hay -vet said 20 mins is long enough, he reckons I have 'controlled' the mild COPD by doing this. I also steam it from time to time, sling it in a wheelie bin and add one or two kettles of boiling water. The vet said it's not as good as soaking but if my hose is frozen or I'm short of time - then I steam for about 10 mins or until it goes cold. Hope that helps you.

 

[whizzer]

Mines back on hay for the 1st time on years, hay used to make him cough so swapped to haylage. Now having gastric ulcers issues so I've gone back onto hay, it's a little dusty so I'm soaking for 10 mins to dampen this down, also he's very fussy & seems to be enjoying it more soaked. He's a very poor doer so I'm not soaking for long as cant afford to lose any nutrients!

 

[Nessyt]

I dampen my hay down to reduce dust. He will get a cough with dry hay, iv found Just one or two bucket of water over his hay before feeding it to hin works, no more cough. Iv also used cough syrup designed for humans, they work wonders.

 

[Dogstar]

I soak mine due to dust allergy, but only for literally a few minutes in a water filled dustbin, this works perfectly for my horses, no coughs

 

[CallieAndFrankie]

Just. Hose mine down for 5 to reduce dust. And let the water drain off while I ride or muck out.