Soaking your horse’s hay can be a
helpful management strategy (and relatively easy) for owners of horses with
certain medical conditions. However, it
is important to know the reasoning behind the soaking so that we are not
causing any detriment to our four-legged friends. Conditions that can benefit
from hay soaking include the following:
Recurrent Airway Obstruction (aka RAO, heaves, or COPD):
RAO is a common
respiratory condition of mature horses caused by severe inflammationwithin the respiratory
tract. Similar to human allergies, RAO
is managed best with environmental
control of allergens such as dust.
Researchers have found a decrease in as many as 88% of respirable
dust particles after only 30 minutes of hay soaking. This is enough to provide a big improvement for the old “heavey”
horse.
Laminitis, Insulin Resistance, Equine
Metabolic Syndrome, PSSM, and Obesity:
The conditions listed above
are similar in that horses affected by them are quite sensitive carbohydrate
intake, specifically non-structural carbohydrates (NSC or more simply, sugars
such as
fructans). Soaking grass hay for 15-30
minutes can decrease NSC levels to below 10-12% (the level recommended for these horses). Most alfalfa hay is naturally below the
10-12% leveland therefore soaking
would not be of any benefit.
HYPP (Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis):
Horses affected by HYPP have
high levels of potassium within the blood which can lead to muscle
twitching and paralysis. Soaking hay can
help to leach excess potassium out of the hay. However,
soaking to leach minerals often takes longer (~60 minutes) and when leaching potassium,
you will often leach other important minerals such as calcium or phosphorus. If you are
going to soak hay to help manage your horse with HYPP, it is really important
to have your hay
tested prior to and after soaking to calculate the need for mineral
supplementation.
Rules of Thumb for hay soaking:
1- Consult with your veterinarian to
know if soaking hay would be beneficial for your horse and to have your hay
analyzed to determine if soaking is necessary with your hay type.
2-Soaking hay for short
durations (15-60 minutes maximum) can be a helpful for certain equine
conditions. Avoid soaking hay for prolonged periods because of the risk of
excessive nutrient and mineral loss.
3- Soaked hay should be fed immediately after soaking to
reduce the chance of mold within the hay.
4- The temperature of water used has little effect on the
amount of nutrients leached or dust reduced during hay soaking.
5- The liquid remaining after soaking your hay may contain a
large amount of phosphorus (can be a pollutant) and should be disposed of
properly (in random grassy areas, not close to water sources).
If you have any questions regarding hay soaking or for a
nutritional consultation, don’t hesitate to contact us at Badger Veterinary
Hospital (608)-754-1888.
References:
1-Martinson et al.
“Hay soaking: all washed up or a good management option?” University of
Minnesota Extension, http://extension.umn.edu/agriculture/horse/nutirtion/haysoaking/
2- Hay Soaking” thehorse.com Fact sheet. The
Horse:Your Guide to Equine Health Care.
Blood Horse Publications. Accessed online: 2013.
3-Moore-Coyler, MJ> Effects of soaking hay fodder for horses on
dust and mineral content. Journal of
Animal Science. 1996;63: 337-42.
