Soaking hay in water before feeding it to your horse can be a good way to dampen dust and fine particles and lower sugar levels. It’s a strategy often used to manage horses with equine metabolic syndrome, laminitis risk, or asthma.
To start, you’ll need a clean tub or bucket, a hay net, and a water source. Place a flake or two of hay in the net and submerge it fully in a tub of cold or warm water.
To reduce dust, a 30-minute soak is usually enough. For metabolic horses needing sugar reduction, aim for 30 to 60 minutes. Don’t soak the hay too long, or it will lose its beneficial nutrients.
Feed the hay immediately after soaking, and don’t allow it to sit uneaten for long periods, because it can start to ferment. Also be sure to dump the sugar-rich soak water and rinse the tub before reusing it.
Related:
- Smarter Feeding: Using Hay Nets for Horses
- How To Measure Your Horse’s Feed and Hay
- Hay Testing: When, Why, and What Do the Results Tell You?
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