Hay or Haylege for good doer with cough

[Lucky788]

Each year around this time my horse develops a cough. He can’t live out sadly but his stable is very airy and vet is happy with this but he picks up a cough around this time, dusk free bedding and spends as much time out as possible at least 10hours a day.
He’s on a respiratory supplement (equine america) and hay but frustratingly he will not touch soaked or even wet hay to the point he won’t eat all night and gets worked up! But he holds his weight well and is slowly dropping off and I don’t want him to put weight on, would you feed haylage or persevere with wetting hay or I could do a mix?
Thank you

 

[PapaverFollis]

A hay steamer would be the answer... but it would be expensive unless a home made one could be effective enough. You could try haylage. My mare was still coughing on haylage this year though. So now I'm soaking hay (really want a steamer!).

I've had a good doer on haylage and not had them put on too much weight. I would just feed a weighed amount and put it in a small holed net if he eats it too quickly.

 

[be positive]

I have all of mine on haylage and don't have an issue with their weight, if you cannot soak hay you have no real choice otherwise long term his lungs will get worse, if he gains weight then it may needs restricting or a serious increase in work.

 

[Lucky788]

Thank you for the replies. Someone at our yards uses a hot kettle and tips into a bin and closes the lid so I could try steaming hay that way.

 

[windand rain]

You can buy high fibre haylage made from timothy grasses which is designed not to add weight but a kettle of water sounds like a good try

 

[TotalMadgeness]

I use timothy only haylage with my sensitive good doer who has a seasonal cough in the summer. I do however also use piriton (as the cough is a reaction to pollen) and equine america coff-less. Also I give him equimins respiratory boost liquid before exercise. I get my timothy haylage from devon haylage.

 

[Lucky788]

Would Timothy haylage be best? There is a local supplier that has Timothy haylage

 

[poiuytrewq]

Thank you for the replies. Someone at our yards uses a hot kettle and tips into a bin and closes the lid so I could try steaming hay that way.

So many people do this, it’s not really the way. Hay needs to reach a certain temp in the middle of the bale/net to be steamed properly.
Its just not possible with a kettle and a bin

 

[Pinkvboots]

Timothy is not as rich as rye give it a try, I have found that the Lincoln horse cough syrup can help it's not expensive and my horses love it, we get a sort of seasonal cough thing round here a lot of horses get it in April and September and I have used it then.