Soaking hay

Depends how much hay you're planning on soaking. Ideally, you need to have a container large enough that the hay can be totally covered in water. I weigh mine down with a heavy rock to keep it submerged. Otherwise the hay tends to float to the top and not get properly soaked. I use a lidded dustbin; pop the hay in, place the weight on top and then fill the bin with water just enough to fully cover the hay. If I'm soaking for dust, I leave it for about 45 mins (but can be for as little time as 20 minutes I've read, and still be effective). For removing sugars, I soak over night - ensuring the bin is placed in a cool location, out of the sun/heat (to prevent it heating up and fermenting the hay). In the morning I drain off the water, run a hose over the soaked hay to remove the last of the brown water, hang the net to drain for a few minutes and then feed it.

Interesting post, on the subject - http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=501590
 
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We have limited options due to location of taps, drains & stables and so we have to keep soaking hay outside our stables so has to be easily portable.

I use giant tubtrugs, 2 of them (2 nets at a time). I soak hay for a min of 12hrs (ideally 16hrs). I also stand on it in the trug to make sure it is fully wet and all the air is out and then weight it down if required with a small bucket of water on top.

You should also rinse it too after soaking but that is difficult for me to achieve so I usually just drain for a bit. My mare will eat it wet and due to times I can get to yard around work I can't always let it dry, but hang it over a trug in stable to catch the worst of the wet so it doesn't all go in her bed.

It is blimming hard work - pony on box rest and I have to do 4 nets per 24hrs :(

I use 2 trickle nets and 2 double netted small holed nets, she gets one of each per 12hrs. Don't make your nets too heavy or you'll put your back out - I can fill the nets more than I do but then they are too heavy to lift, better to do several smaller nets IME.
 
I'm pretty sure they are 75 litres, I like them becasue they are a) cheap and b) light for moving about.

If I didn't have to move them then I'd go for a bin or similar - but I have to keep outside stable so need something quite portable and not too heavy.

You do have to angle the nets and squash them in, but I manage to soak 3 large sections in each trug.
 
I use a normal black bin with a lid, soak for 8-12hrs normally & i also change the water half way through the day. Then i fully rinse & leave to hang for a long as i can before using.
 
I have 2 trugs very similar to the one you mentioned, mine is the Stubbs large manure buckets. I have to weigh and soak hay for my mare, I normally put 5lb of hay in a net and she gets three on a night.
 
thanks everyone! i have a tubrug for his water bucket and looking online im guessing it is the 38 litre one. will have to look in my local tack shop to see if they sell the bigger ones, if not wheres the best place to get them online?
 
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