Soaking hay

[LouS]

I've just started soaking hay for my horse as I've been told it cuts down the calories in it? As I want to feed him more while he is out of work but he cannot put any weight on.

How long do I need to soak it for? I'm hearing such conflicting things. I have been putting a net on to soak overnight then one through the day, but this morning it had obviously started to ferment, the water and the hay smelt very, very strongly vinegary/sweet/sickly so I chucked it and gave him dry.

Will soaking the hay for just 30 mins be enough to cut down on the content?

 

[Spit That Out]

Hi, I have soaked my hay for 24hrs but changed the water every 8-12hrs and given the hay a quick spray in between soaks.
I also double netted so it lasted longer.
I did this daily for 3 months while a good doer was on box rest, it help him to lose weight and then abled me to maintain his weight without starving him as I could still feed the same amount he would normally have.
Just make sure you change the water regularly and don't use the same water twice.

 

[Lotty]

I soak 2 nets all night, then soak 2 nets all day. When I take them out the bucket I thoroughly rinse them, with this warm weather I have moved my buckets in the shade and they're not smelling as much.