Does steaming hay get rid of sugars?

Steaming and soaking hay both reduce the number of particulates that your horse can breathe in and can reduce the “sugar” levels in the hay.

Does steaming hay remove nutrients?

Soaking hay and steaming hay are strategies that are used to reduce respirable dust particles for horses but may result in variable nutrient losses, including nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) and minerals.

Does steaming hay help laminitis?

Steaming hay with Haygain retains nutritional value, improves palatability and helps manage respiratory issues, laminitis, insulin resistance, colic and post-surgery recovery.

Does soaking hay take sugar out?

In addition to removing sugars, soaking also reduces some minerals. Crude protein, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium concentrations all decrease with soaking.

How do you get sugar out of hay?

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.

Ask the Vet - Steaming vs soaking hay

Does soaking hay reduce calories?

For horses whose calorie intake needs controlling, it is suggested that soaking hay for as long as 12 hours will help leach out many of the calories, leaving just the fibre element.

Is it OK to soak hay overnight?

Soaking for longer than one hour removes more WSC, but also removes more of the other nutrients we feed hay to provide. All soaked hay will, however, start to degrade when wet. Make sure that you: Choose your container wisely, do not use drums that have been previously used to store chemicals.

What hay is best for Laminitic horses?

Generally, a mixture of grass hay and alfalfa is the best hay combination for horses prone to laminitis.

How long should hay be soaked for laminitis?

Soaking hay for 12 – 16 hours in cold weather and no more than 3 – 6 hours in warm weather can help to reduce WSC content by up to 50% in some cases.

Does soaking hay help a horse lose weight?

Horses did lose weight, but researchers found that soaking the hay actually took away a bigger portion of the available digestible energy than intended. Although a . 5 to one percent loss in body mass per week is considered acceptable, horses in the study lost roughly . 1 percent to two percent of their body mass.

What are the benefits of steaming hay for horses?

Steaming hay kills live mold and increases DMI of low mold hay, compared to soaking. We don't know if there's a benefit to feeding dead versus alive but wet moldy hay to horses. Regardless, neither soaking or steaming should replace the main goal of feeding hay with low mold and dust content.

What type of hay has the lowest sugar content?

Low sugar hay is extremely important in a horse's diet due to its health properties and the enormous benefits it can offer. While lucerne usually has lower sugar than a lot of grass hays, it more often than not tests HIGHER in sugar, starch & protein compared to our Low Sugar Hay.

How long should you steam hay for?

Steaming hay is so much quicker than waiting hours for hay to soak. Most steamers steam hay in around 30 mins. It's important to note that hay that has been pulled apart or shaken out will steam much more quickly.

Are hay steamers worth it?

Overall, I think if your horse has any dust related problems, investing in a hay steamer is a must, even if you need to make do with one of the cheaper options. If your horse is fine and happy with dry hay or just soaking the occasional dusty bale, I think if you can afford a Haygain, it is definitely worth having.

Do hay steamers work?

Haygain Steaming uses substantially less water than soaking hay, a less effective and outdated method of reducing respirable particles from forage.

Does steaming hay make it more palatable?

Steaming hay produces more hydrated and easily digestible forage making the feed more palatable for the horse. Handling steamed hay will effectively reduce the risk of humans developing dust-related respiratory problems.

Does hay lose sugar over time?

One concern about storing hay for a long time is its nutritional value. The longer it stays in a barn, the more nutrition it loses. In fact, after just a few months, the losses will start, and within a year it could lose 5% of its value. This includes protein, fiber, vitamins, sugars, and minerals.

What should laminitic horses not eat?

Cereals (oats, barley, maize) or bagged feeds containing cereals or molasses with combined sugar/starch exceeding 10%. Never starve a horse with laminitis - this can cause hyperlipaemia (which has a high fatality rate) particularly in pony, donkey and miniature horse breeds.

How long should you soak hay for to reduce sugar?

Sugar can be leached out of hay in significant amounts by soaking for 10-12 hours in clean fresh water. Sugars will be lost quicker in warmer water so in winter months using warmer water will assist the process. The quantity of water is also important as the sugar is lost by diffusion down a concentration gradient.

Can too much hay cause laminitis?

It has become evident in recent years that although the over consumption of grass or feed high in starch or sugar is still commonly associated with horses developing laminitis, up to 90% of cases have an underlying hormonal cause.

How much hay should a laminitic horse?

Feed up to 2% of your horse's body weight (10 kg/day for a 500 kg horse) per day as low quality, low NSC forage, including mature or stemmy subtropical grass hays and/or weather damaged alfalfa/lucerne hay.

Is hay OK for laminitic horses?

Conserved forage, such as hay and haylage , is the cornerstone of the laminitis prone horse's diet; as they typically spend longer periods stabled, or in a no-grass area.

Does soaking hay reduce protein?

Highlights. Soaking may induce a reduction of the content of energy, crude protein, amino acids and minerals. Variable wash-out effects complicate proper feeding according to the requirements. Soaking might moreover reduce contents of prececal digestible crude protein and amino acids of the hay.

Should you rinse hay after soaking?

Some folks choose to soak the hay in scalding hot water for an hour before feeding to cook out the sugars. At night, the hay for the morning can sit in cold water. If you go the hot-water route for your hay soaking, please drain and rinse in cold water before you serve on that silver platter.

Why do horses put their hay in water?

If a horse has recently scratched his throat a little on some coarse forage, he may be adding water to his hay to make it easier to swallow. Dental problems. Dunking hay can soften it and make it easier to chew. If a horse has dental issues that cause pain he may discover that chewing wet hay feels better.