Soaking Hay

[Dyllymoo]

Can someone tell me about the best time frame to soak hay to reduce calorie content?

I've read so many different things from 30 minutes to 12 hours.

I need to reduce J's calorie intake. I cant find oat straw near me so I just need to use hay.

What is the optimum timeframe?

Thank you

 

[HappyHollyDays]

My vet recommended a minimum of an hour but the important bit is rinsing it well several times until water starts to run clear. It is not a job for the faint hearted during the winter.

 

[Dyllymoo]

My vet recommended a minimum of an hour but the important bit is rinsing it well several times until water starts to run clear. It is not a job for the faint hearted during the winter.

I've soaked his hay for a year but just wanted to make sure I was doing it for long enough, it appears not! Thank you

 

[Midlifecrisis]

An hour is plenty of time..hang up, rinse with hose and hang til dripping stops.

 

[SEL]

If you are dealing with EMS or some PSSM horses then the longer the better (but rinse it). The vets at Liverpool recommend 8-12 hours for those that really need to shift blubber.

 

[Dyllymoo]

If you are dealing with EMS or some PSSM horses then the longer the better (but rinse it). The vets at Liverpool recommend 8-12 hours for those that really need to shift blubber.

Thank you, not EMS or PSSM just too much food vs not enough exercise

 

[tatty_v]

I soak mine for 8 hours (basically all day whilst he’s out in the field), then rinse it and hang it up. He gets a little haynet immediately (so it’s still quite wet) but his bigger overnight net doesn’t go in until 10pm so it’s less soggy! It is a PITA in the winter

 

[holeymoley]

Ideally you should get it analysed to see exactly what you’re dealing with. When my guy was actively laminitic I soaked for 6 hours. Now he has recovered I analysed his hay which is 7% combined sugar and starch so pretty decent stuff. I only soak for 1 hour max.

 

[Dyllymoo]

Ideally you should get it analysed to see exactly what you’re dealing with. When my guy was actively laminitic I soaked for 6 hours. Now he has recovered I analysed his hay which is 7% combined sugar and starch so pretty decent stuff. I only soak for 1 hour max.

How can I do that? The problem is all the bales wouldn't be the same would they?

Edited to add I would be able to soak for 12 hours or up to 2 hours max (no time in-between as I will be at work unfortunately)

Edited again - I've seen Forage plus do a nutritional analysis. I will look at this next payday

 

[ycbm]

I've soaked his hay for a year but just wanted to make sure I was doing it for long enough, it appears not! Thank you

Oh goodness me, no, a year is far too long!

???

 

[Dyllymoo]

Oh goodness me, no, a year is far too long!

???

??? Ooops! I wondered why he was angry.... ?

 

[ycbm]

PS I soak for 24 hours in winter, it suits my regime best.

 

[zandp]

I've invested in 2 haycubes this year and am loving them, soak for an hour normally, but sometimes 20 minutes with warm water. The undoing of the plug at the back and the water draining is strangely satisfying, rinsing is really easy and then you just wheel it in and put it safely on the bracket - or if you're me and your drill has just broken - you cross tie it into the stable with baling twine !

 

[Dyllymoo]

I've invested in 2 haycubes this year and am loving them, soak for an hour normally, but sometimes 20 minutes with warm water. The undoing of the plug at the back and the water draining is strangely satisfying, rinsing is really easy and then you just wheel it in and put it safely on the bracket - or if you're me and your drill has just broken - you cross tie it into the stable with baling twine !

I've got one but I cant use it at current yard. Its more about the timing so I think I'm going to up it to over an hour and see how I go.

 

[tankgirl1]

I'm only soaking for asthma so do 10-20 mins fully submerged

 

[holeymoley]

Yes forageplus do the testing, it takes about 2-3 weeks. As long as your hay is off the same batch/same fields then it’s pretty much the same quality. You take a sample from 6-8 bales I think it was to get an average.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

If you can't get it straw, use packaged oat straw chaff, Halleys or Honeychop. You can buy them both online and have them delivered. I got an obese when I bought her mare to lose over100kg on oat straw chaff. It took about 3 years

 

[Red-1]

Mine is EMS and Lami, I only just bought him (just off the box rest) but the old owners had got him to lose a load of weight by soaking 12 hours minimum. Now he is at the desired weight, my vet says 3-4 hours would be sufficient now.

I also feed straw chaff, top chop zero. Just as a tummy filler.

I would love a hay cube, but he scoffs for England so has 4 sittings with 2 nets in each. One net a normal small hole one and one a teeny tiny holed one. That way, each sitting he troughs the chaff, then has a while on a more normal net, then the tiny holed one eaks it out longer, sometimes he still has a handful left at next sitting, which then gets ut in the rug for immediate, glorious, unfettered consumption!

I found the amount recommended by the vet was a lot less than I expected. For a 15.1 cob, he was allowed only 8kg (unsealed weight) of hay. The Top Chop Zero could be in addition. Exercise is also key to weight loss, plus no rugs!

 

[Dyllymoo]

Mine is EMS and Lami, I only just bought him (just off the box rest) but the old owners had got him to lose a load of weight by soaking 12 hours minimum. Now he is at the desired weight, my vet says 3-4 hours would be sufficient now.

I also feed straw chaff, top chop zero. Just as a tummy filler.

I would love a hay cube, but he scoffs for England so has 4 sittings with 2 nets in each. One net a normal small hole one and one a teeny tiny holed one. That way, each sitting he troughs the chaff, then has a while on a more normal net, then the tiny holed one eaks it out longer, sometimes he still has a handful left at next sitting, which then gets ut in the rug for immediate, glorious, unfettered consumption!

I found the amount recommended by the vet was a lot less than I expected. For a 15.1 cob, he was allowed only 8kg (unsealed weight) of hay. The Top Chop Zero could be in addition. Exercise is also key to weight loss, plus no rugs!

To be fair at the minute he is getting 7kg as his night time hay and 1kg split between morning and when he first comes in. He does have access to grass from 9am - 4pm. Unfortunately exercise at the minute is limited due to his rehab.

I've tried him on top chop zero and he refused to eat it, do you just give it in a bucket and do you include it in the 8kg or as extra (I know you said additional)

 

[Dyllymoo]

If you can't get it straw, use packaged oat straw chaff, Halleys or Honeychop. You can buy them both online and have them delivered. I got an obese when I bought her mare to lose over100kg on oat straw chaff. It took about 3 years

Do you give the chaff in a separate bucket to feed? Do you include it in the weight of the hay (I.e he has 7kg hay, would that include the straw chaff or would straw chaff be separate). unfortunately it would have to be the packaged straw chaff as we don't get any oat straw locally.

 

[Red-1]

For mine to lose weight, the 8kg of hay was not in addition to time out at grass.

If he had 1 1/2 hours out, with a muzzle, he could only have 6kg of hay. If he was out for 3 hours with a muzzle then only 4kg of hay over the 24 hour period.

The vet also said he was safer with no grass, plus for weight loss it is impossible to know what they are eating when out, so he would have his hay cut back drastically 'just in case' and even with a muzzle, which didn't seem fair.

So, he is turned out on my arena for 10 hours a day, no time at grass, just his soaked hay, but a decent amount, and yes, the top chop zero is in addition to the 10kg he is now on for maintenance.

I weigh tape him every week, and actually after this weekend, he has gone to 11kg. He is now at the correct weight so we can add 1kg a week until he puts on, then cut it back 1kg to find perfect maintenance. At 11kg he actually has some left when the next lot is due.

The idea of the top chop zero isn't that they eat it, it is there in case they feel starving, nothing worse than a hangry cob! Mine is still eating all of his, but occasionally, if the hay lasted, he is leaving it. I feel that left top chop zero is a success and I bin it and give fresh.

I think harsh dieting is awful for them and the chop helps him feel not starved and me a bit less harsh.

 

[Dyllymoo]

Unfortunately there isn't any turn out not on grass for J, but I am conscious I need to help him loose some weight. I'm hoping this weekend I will be able to start a rehab plan with my physio and it will probably involve working every day (long lining first I would then) and upping it gradually, so at least he will be moving.

That's a point about the top chop zero, might be worth looking into it for him for over winter, when they come in a bit hungrier with lack of grass but that I don't necessarily want to increase his hay.

Thank you that's very helpful. Maybe I need some top chop zero on my desk at work!