Soaking hay

[Boughtabay]

Explain to me like I’m a child how you soak your good-doers hay please - from start to finish.

Temporary companion pony is starting to look rather bulbous. They’re on poor grass but he’s not used to being in at night or having hay (it’s very GOOD hay) so I assume that’s the cause of the extra weight. As I failed to buy myself a scruffy youngster at the sales this week I’ve got to hang onto him into January. This morning I decided I could start soaking his hay - sounds simple but I’ve cracked a water tub, nearly fallen over trying to string up this monstrously heavy net & now it’s dribbling everywhere in the stable so I guess I’m not doing this right!! It’s nights like these I miss my TB

 

[Btomkins]

I use a large flexible tub trug, pop the haynet in, fill up with water and pop a full bucket of water on top to keep the hay under the water.

Leave overnight (mine are in during the day), and in the morning tip the tub with net over on its side. Being flexible it doesn’t crack or break. Drag the net to the side and empty the water bucket that was weighing it down over the net to rinse. Sometimes I might rinse with the hose for an extra few minutes if I think it needs it.

Leave for at least ten minutes whilst I do other jobs so it’s had time to drain a bit and isn’t so heavy to lift and tie up to drain properly. Leave as long as possible before putting in the stable, but usually 10 mins is enough to get the worst of the water out so it doesn’t drip everywhere.

If doing lots of hay, split into more than one net but follow above process.

 

[Boughtabay]

I use a large flexible tub trug, pop the haynet in, fill up with water and pop a full bucket of water on top to keep the hay under the water.

Leave overnight (mine are in during the day), and in the morning tip the tub with net over on its side. Being flexible it doesn’t crack or break. Drag the net to the side and empty the water bucket that was weighing it down over the net to rinse. Sometimes I might rinse with the hose for an extra few minutes if I think it needs it.

Leave for at least ten minutes whilst I do other jobs so it’s had time to drain a bit and isn’t so heavy to lift and tie up to drain properly.

If doing lots of hay, split into more than one net but follow above process.

Right that all sounds like a good plan I’ll try again tomorrow! thanks

 

[Barton Bounty]

Same as @Btomkins except I used a wheely bin

 

[Btomkins]

Oh and one other thing - make sure the cords on your haynets are nice and long, much easier when it comes to tying them up as you can use the cord as a sort of pulley, rather than having to lift the whole thing up!

 

[Britestar]

I used to have 3 haynets.
One soaking in a trug tub, one hanging drying, and one in the stable being eaten.
Pony had toxic laminitis, and this method worked for us.
Also he also had a net of straw at all times.

 

[motherof2beasts!]

I also do in a large flexi trug tip upside tip it out then put Pooh picking tool through handles of flexi bucket and leave on there draining for as long as I have ! I soak for 8-10 hours

 

[supagran]

I use half a 45gallon blue bin, I've put a water butt drain in the side just above the bottom, drilled 4 holes to accommodate string handles (good old baler twine). I fill the haynet, put it into the bin, and either a) put the tie up string from the string handles, or b) use two small carabiners (with safety locks) to fasten the haynet to the string handles. Soak hay for as long a necessary (I usually soak all day to feed at night), drain by turning the water butt drain (preferably over the drain), once empty I then tip the barrel on its side for about 10 minutes or so to get the remainder of the water out. Then just drag the bin to the stable. If necessary the bin can be attached to wall with a clip through the string handle. We use these for all the horses that have soaked hay. If necessary hay can be double netted to slow down the rate its eaten.

 

[2 Dragons]

Another one you using the same system as @Btomkins. I try and leave my nets to drain for a few hours before using. We have a rota of owners and sharers who can help each other out.
My 2 also have little paddocks attached to their stables so they can always have something to nibble.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I bought 2 wide top water butt's with taps at the bottom, I put an old feed bowl in the bottom stuff haynets in fill with water then drain with the tap so the nets drip in the butt then pull out when all drained.

I don't soak hay overnight mine wouldn't eat it so it gets an hour maximum.

 

[Boughtabay]

I bought 2 wide top water butt's with taps at the bottom, I put an old feed bowl in the bottom stuff haynets in fill with water then drain with the tap so the nets drip in the butt then pull out when all drained.

I don't soak hay overnight mine wouldn't eat it so it gets an hour maximum.

Yes I’m not sure what he’ll make of a soaked net, didn’t look too impressed this evening. but I don’t want him getting lami while he’s here and he’s got the option to eat it if he’s desperate!

 

[Boughtabay]

Thanks everyone I’ll try a more methodical approach tomorrow based on your responses went at it all a bit haphazard today! Little fatty will be very disappointed you’ve all helped me make his hay less fun

 

[pistolpete]

I had a designated wheelbarrow I soaked in. Easy to tip out then move the hay around. Otherwise top tip is use two nets no more that two sections in a net or it’s just mauling heavy and miserable!

 

[HollyWoozle]

We only need to soak small nets and use the big flexible trug bucket things. We fill them and put the hay net in (one net in one tub) and use a heavy tile to weigh it down.

When it comes to taking them out, we pull the nets out and sit each one on an empty bucket - this allows them to drain whilst catching the water which comes off them and works really well. We leave them to drain whilst doing other things and by the time it comes to moving them they are a lot lighter.

 

[dottylottie]

i use an old plastic dustbin, the type you’d put feed in, put the net in and put bricks on top, then fill.

i generally soak mine for 12 hours, but as my vet said to me the other day an hour is better than nothing!

i tip the bin CAREFULLY (not carefully enough, one has duct tape all over the top and the other has no handles) to get the majority of the water out, then i’ve found the easiest way is to have a tie ring low enough for the net to just about tie up, but before you tie the knot hoist it up - hope that makes sense, im really not very strong and i found that was the easiest way to get it high up enough

i hose mine until the water runs clear, then let it drain for a bit - i can leave mine overnight and it doesn’t spoil

ETA: we have a “soaking station” outside our brew room, so we’ve got a row of palettes so the water can drain away. i tend to just scrub them with an old sweeping brush once a week or so, otherwise they’re absolutely lethal to walk over

 

[Boughtabay]

i use an old plastic dustbin, the type you’d put feed in, put the net in and put bricks on top, then fill.

i generally soak mine for 12 hours, but as my vet said to me the other day an hour is better than nothing!

i tip the bin CAREFULLY (not carefully enough, one has duct tape all over the top and the other has no handles) to get the majority of the water out, then i’ve found the easiest way is to have a tie ring low enough for the net to just about tie up, but before you tie the knot hoist it up - hope that makes sense, im really not very strong and i found that was the easiest way to get it high up enough

i hose mine until the water runs clear, then let it drain for a bit - i can leave mine overnight and it doesn’t spoil

Oh I didn’t hose off - I got in such a flap wrestling the net (hate haynets at the best of times ) that I just left it hanging with a bucket underneath in the stable in the end … so that’s noted! Rinsing just to get the juices out I guess?

 

[dottylottie]

Oh I didn’t hose off - I got in such a flap wrestling the net (hate haynets at the best of times ) that I just left it hanging with a bucket underneath in the stable in the end … so that’s noted! Rinsing just to get the juices out I guess?

yes pretty much! if you don’t rinse it off all that sugary water is still going to get devoured i actually think rinsing mine so well is what makes it keep for so long when i leave it to drain, but that could be coincidence haha

 

[Sossigpoker]

You need to rinse the hay after soaking as all that mucky water held inside it contains not only the sugars leached out but a lot of bacteria and other crap that's dissolved in the water

 

[Boughtabay]

You need to rinse the hay after soaking as all that mucky water held inside it contains not only the sugars leached out but a lot of bacteria and other crap that's dissolved in the water

Ok, thanks … looks like my first attempt was a complete fail then! Round 2 today - I’ve got the poor doer system down, not fatties!

 

[Horsegirl25]

I just use a large feed bin, it fits 1 5kg net in easily enough and then a brick on the top to stop it floating to the surface lol.
I keep it sitting on grass tho rather than concrete, found the buckets kept cracking if on concrete.
Rinse the nets with the hose to get any excess sugary water off.
I also when it's below 0 degrees and freezing, I take the freshly soaked nets into the barn and cover them with a rug to save them freezing if left overnight.

 

[MuddyMonster]

This is what I do:

• Fill up bin using hose whilst doing other jobs first thing
• Fill up x2 haynets
• Stuff into bin - usually end up standing on them to squash them down - in the morning
• Return in the evening and tip out bin
• Tie up haynets on metal post we have
• Rinse off haynets until water runs clear
• Leave to stop dripping whilst bringing in pony, grooming and changing rugs
• Put haynets in wheelbarrow and transport to stable
• Tie up in stable

Job done

 

[Boughtabay]

Right we’ve got a tub in a wheelbarrow, the hay is in & soaking. All is going well. I will remove and rinse this evening first job, then hang on a gate outside to drain while I do other stable jobs. We’re like a well oiled machine here now

ETA - section A companion was disgusted with his tasteless wet hay… he had eaten some, pulled the haynet down and deposited it in his water bucket. He did finally give in this morning, I watched him tug a bit out and swill it round his mouth with a little frown on directed at me

 

[Mudfukkle]

I drain my wet haynets on an old pallet - it helps them to drain

 

[Polos Mum]

As a less faffy option you could consider swapping some hay for straw. then he could have dry hay (but less of it) and a slice of straw in a net.
Mine only emotionally stoop low enough to eat the straw occasionally. but they could if they wanted to !

 

[Boughtabay]

As a less faffy option you could consider swapping some hay for straw. then he could have dry hay (but less of it) and a slice of straw in a net.
Mine only emotionally stoop low enough to eat the straw occasionally. but they could if they wanted to !

I haven’t got any straw and begrudge even buying hay when we produce our own haylage … but I’ll bear this in mind for when I’m really at my wits end keeping this little gremlin