Dusty hay.. Do you soak or steam??

[texansunrise]

Hi, The hay at my yard is very dusty and noticed my horse has developed a cough. Most people feed there hay by a hay net and soak it with the hose for few mins .
I cant use haynets as my horse plays with them , plus i preffer to feed from the ground.. I was thinking about steaming my hay in a dustbin ( by pouring x2 kettle loads over ) rather than soaking then putting as usual on his stable floor. Does any one know how long i need to steam for and can i feed straight after once cooled down a bit?? I have heard both pros and cons on this .. the cons being can cause breeding ground for nasties if left to long.
Does any body steam there hay and agree that this would help . I will soak if i have to its just always a fight to the hose pipe plus i have tried soaking in the past and he leaves it ?? Thankyou x x

 

[Nailed]

dusty hay..I just dont feed it.. Sorry.. if it makes me cough or sneeze when im making a net.. my horse aint feeding it.. soaked or not.

Lou x

 

[milliepops]

Before I found my current supplier, the hay I had in my livery was really dusty. I always soaked that well, in a dustbin for 20mins or more. My mare coughs on bad hay, but seemed fine if I did that. I don't think spraying with a hose does much to reduce dust tbh - often you will find the hay in the middle of the net is still dry

If it is really dusty I would prefer to soak than steam. I think there is a limit to what you can achieve with a kettle if it's that bad. At least if you soak it, you know you have got the whole lot properly wet.

ETA - quite a few horses can be fussy when you first soak their hay - just leave him to it, and when he gets hungry enough he'll eat it. Alternatively, you could try spraying with some apple juice or similar

 

[sammiea]

I would refuse to use the hay. If its included in livery then ask for reduction and buy good hay or haylage in, dusty hay just isnt worth it

 

[ellieplatt]

i dont think dusty hay is worth bothering to soak/steam! a waste of time if you ask me. i use haylage, its great! my horses love it, it does help towards their health, and its not that expensive! hope that helps!

 

[Twinkletoes]

Without a shadow of a doubt do not feed this to your horse. My gelding has COPD and I have to search high and low to find excellent quality locan hay, and yes it can often cost a little bit more, but dont, please, stick to this stuff you describe. Steaming would make the best of a bad situation but, refuse to use that hay and look elsewhere. Haylage may be an option if your horse does ok on it. Good luck