Soaking Hay - how long??

[walkandtrot]

I've recently changed my horses diet, to help reduce weight and amongst the things I'm doing I've been advised to soak the hay to reduce calorific content, I've been soaking it for 24 hours, but I really dont like the colour of the water thats left and have to question myslef is that doing my horse any harm??
How long to soak to reduce nutritional content (rather than spores as it is good hay)??

 

[charlie55]

12 hours gets rid of the calories x

 

[CPW]

I have been told that soaking hay for 20 mins takes out all the dust spores, anything over that starts removing calories.

I have a horse that is prone to laminitis and is a good doer and I only soak for half an hour - anymore than that and he won't eat it or gets a runny bum.

I hate hay that has been soaked for 24 hours - if I had to do this would dunk it in clean water after!

 

[teddyt]

As charlie said, 12 hours. Then rinse before feeding

 

[trendybraincell]

I now soak for 1/2 hour to an hour for dust spore, but when I was soaking for weight control I would soak for approximately 12 hours, and then thoroughly rinse and drain before giving to horse.

 

[Janesomerset]

CPW, my pony's EXACTLY the same! Our vet said he had never heard of a pony getting a runny bum on soaked hay. At least I know there is now another one in the universe.

 

[kellyeaton]

i soak mine for 12hrs than but a bucket of clean water over the top then let it dripp dry all day and feed at tea time in stable!