Posted 2016-04-06 10:00 AM Subject: Hay Soaking Ideas
Veteran
Posts: 195
I am having to start soaking my horses hay because of RAO and I am wanting to get some different ideas on how to soak his hay. I have done it a few ways hay net and just rinse, hay net in tub and fill with water and let soak for a little bit. It works but thought someone may have some other great ideas. Has anyone ever used one of the hay steamers or made a home made one? Thanks!!!!
Posted 2016-04-06 10:02 AM Subject: RE: Hay Soaking Ideas
Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443 Location: Oklahoma
I used to ride for a lady that soaked her orchard hay. The mare got 2 flakes twice a day. They hay was put in a muck bucket and soaked for 12 hours. Before feeding, the water was poured out and the hay fed out of the muck bucket.
Posted 2016-04-07 8:27 AM Subject: RE: Hay Soaking Ideas
I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387 Location: Pacific Northwest
I always put the hay in a hay net, put that in a muck bucket and soaked it like that. When it was time to feed I would take the hay net out and let it drip for a little bit before feeding it to my horse. I wish I could have just fed him from the muck bucket but he's a jerk and would tip it over.
I've used both a homemade steamer and Ive bought steamers from two companies. The homemade one works exactly the same as the Store bought. The problem with the homemade steamer is the steamer portion broke ALL the time. I think I had to replace it like 3 times. Then I tried buying a Happy Horse hay steamer and the "travel" version is pretty much no different than a homemade hay steamer. It uses the same exact wallpaper steamer and it broke too. So I sucked it up and bought a Haygain steamer and it works a lot better. I just got the smaller size.
My horse has inflammatory airway disease and steaming his hay worked much better than soaking it. I noticed a huge improvement.