Advice
about Soaking Hay for horses to reduce dust and spores
 Soaking hay is
the the most common method used to reduce dust
and spores in a horse's environment.
Dust and spores in hay
and around the stable can cause and worsen equine respiratory
problems and diseases in horses and ponies.
Suprisingly little research has been been done on the
benefits or effects that soaking hay actually
has. But it is widely believed that soaking acts to stick the
dust particles and spores to
the stems of the hay due to water surface tension.
This ensures that the horse eats the particles
rather than inhales them so causing no harm to the horse or pony.
There is much confusion over how long hay
should be soaked for before it is fed to a horse
or pony.
The general advice about soaking hay is that short soaking times
are the best - as long as the hay is thoroughly wet through.
A 5 minute soak has been found to reduce the
number of particles released from hay by 97% - while a 24 hour
soaking resulted in a 99% reduction, but with a big loss in equine
nutritional values.
However as the hay dries out the effect of the soaking disappears
and the dust content returns to normal.
Hay should always be soaked in clean water - a tank or bath is suitable
for this. The hay is best put into a haynet first
before feeding to your horse.
The haynet should be completely immersed in the water - you can
use a weight to hold it down
After soaking in a tank or bath of clean water the haynet should
be hung up to let the excess water drain away.
Do NOT reuse the water used to soak hay - it now contains pollutants
similar to sewage water.
Research has suggested that the level of protein in hay
is reduced by soaking.
Also carbohydrate levels are affected by soaking as the sugars
are water soluble and "washed out" during the soaking
and draining process.
Hay that has been soaked for
six hours or more also shows significant losses of minerals
and trace elements.
In particular phosphorus, potassium, magnesium,
sodium, copper,
and zinc.
This loss of nutrients could have a significant
effect on a horse or pony if
his diet is mainly made up of hay.
Waste water produced from soaking and draining hay is now classified
as effluent by many water authorities.
This water is a pollutant and should not be poured down the drain.
Large equestrian centres and riding
schools may find this to be a big problem in the future
as tighter controls are made re disposing of waste water.
Steaming hay is a good alternative to soaking
hay. Many equestrian centres and livery
yards now use this method of reducing dust in hay. There
is less loss of nutrients than soaking, very little waste water
and the hay doesn't freeze in winter - which can happen with soaking!
If your hay is of such a poor quality that it needs to be soaked,
or you horse or pony has a respiratory
disease - it is probably better not to feed hay. A good alternative
is to feed haylage |
