Why Do People Wet Their Horses Hay?

Many studies have shown soaking hay can reduce respirable particle concentration by at least 88%. Soaking can also reduce the amount of mold present. Nutrient content Some horse owners soak their hay to reduce the amount of sugars, or nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC), in the forage.

Why do you wet hay?

Why soak hay? Soaking hay in water is a common way to care for horses diagnosed with one of the following. Soaking hay for 15 to 60 minutes in water reduces water soluble carbohydrates (WSC), potassium (K) and dust. Each of these elements play a role the diseases mentioned above.

Should you wet your horses feed?

Typically, feed is soaked to soften it and make it easier to chew. Horses with poor dentition are the primary beneficiaries of this practice. But even if your horse has perfect teeth, you can still soak feed. Soaking feed helps increase the amount of water your horse consumes.

How long should hay be soaked for?

Soak hay for 30 to 60 minutes to reduce the sugar it contains. Don’t soak the hay longer or you’ll risk leaching beneficial nutrients. Soaking hay to remove sugars that can exacerbate metabolic conditions such as insulin resistance takes more time.

Can soaking hay cause colic?

Soaking hay can increase the bacteria content by almost 150%, including bacteria that can contribute to colic. Steaming with Haygain helps to reduce harmful bacteria.

Is wetting hay good for horses?

Many studies have shown soaking hay can reduce respirable particle concentration by at least 88%. Soaking can also reduce the amount of mold present. Nutrient content Some horse owners soak their hay to reduce the amount of sugars, or nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC), in the forage.

Do horses like soaked hay?

Soaking hay for horses can be invaluable when feeding a hay that is a little dusty as a result of soil contamination or where it was stored in the barn. Horses that have allergies and are sensitive to the natural dust and particles in hay can benefit significantly from wetting or soaking hay.

Will wet hay hurt horses?

Wet hay typically goes through a fermentative state, of sorts, and it would not be good for the horse to eat it while this was happening,” she continued. Caution should be used in purchasing hay that was wet when baled. Too much moisture affects the quality of baled hay.

Can horses get sick from wet hay?

High moisture hay can also lead to the proliferation of bacteria, molds and fungus that can produce mycotoxins that are dangerous to horses and other livestock species. Some forage laboratories will test for the presence of mold and mycotoxins. If hay is moldy, do not feed it.

Is it true that horses don’t drink dirty water?

Horses will not drink bad water if it smells or tastes foul, but when contaminated with harmful substances without an abnormal taste or smell, horses may consume it, so be sure your horse’s watering buckets and troughs stay clean! Many people believe that horses can distinguish safe drinking water from bad.

Does soaking hay help horses lose weight?

It is advised to soak your hay for at least 4 hours in clean water before feeding it as this helps to reduce its calorie & sugar content. Grazing should be as limited as possible.

How much soaked hay should I feed my horse?

You may also be soaking hay for an hour to reduce nutritional value, thus helping to avoid laminitis issues. We all now know that the correct amount to feed if horses are well covered is 1.5% of their body weight, or 2% if they are just under or at their optimum (best/recommended) weight.

What happens if you soak hay for too long?

In warmer conditions, soaking hay for more than two hours is also likely to result in the hay starting to ferment and this is not desirable for then feeding to horses. Studies have shown that soaking for longer periods such as 9 hours, also increased the microbial contamination in the hay.

Is wet hay okay?

If rained-on hay is not again dried fully, mold and mycotoxin growth can occur which can put livestock health at risk. Furthermore, baled wet hay can combust due to the temperature increase caused by microbial growth – putting a producer at risk of barn fire.

Is wet hay safe?

Wet hay poses a higher fire risk than dry hay. If hay is put into a barn or stack when it has more than about 22 percent moisture, not only does the hay lose forage quality, but it is also at a higher risk of spontaneous combustion.

Does wet hay burn?

“Strange as it may seem at first, wet hay is more likely to spontaneously catch fire than dry hay,” said Josh Bushong, Oklahoma State University Extension area agronomy specialist for western Oklahoma. “Excessive moisture is actually the most common cause of fire in hay bales and stacks.”

Does wet hay smell?

Some hays that are baled with high moisture content (higher than 20 percent, roughly) will have a tobacco-like smell and brown color.

Does wet hay get moldy?

Even in bales that are not at risk for fire, wet bales will continue to decrease in quality. Mold will often occur, which uses plant tissues as an energy and protein source for growth, resulting in decreased quality.

Can horses survive on hay alone?

Many pleasure and trail horses don’t need grain: good-quality hay or pasture is sufficient. If hay isn’t enough, grain can be added, but the bulk of a horse’s calories should always come from roughage. Horses are meant to eat roughage, and their digestive system is designed to use the nutrition in grassy stalks.

How long after soaking hay can you feed it?

Soaking To Remove WSC’s
If you have a horse on a low sugar diet, it is recommended to soak hay in cool, clean water for 60 minutes before feeding. Studies have shown that this removes 30-40% of the WSC’s (explained above) present in the hay, without removing other nutrients.

Should horses eat hay off the ground?

If the ground is grassy and relatively dry, consider feeding hay on the ground to mimic the way a horse naturally grazes. However, if your soil is sandy or gravelly, elevate hay off the ground when feeding via a hay net or manger, as horses can ingest sand or gravel which can lead to impaction colic.