Why do people steam hay for horses?

Hay steaming is a method of treating hay to reduce the airborne respirable dust which naturally occur in hay, causing respiratory problems in both humans and horses when in close contact.

Why would you steam hay for horses?

You can use steaming to increase forage intake when feeding low mold hay. Horses are highly sensitive to mold and dust particles from hay and bedding. Breathing in mold or dust can result in respiratory problems. Soaking hay for no more than 60 minutes before feeding can help horses with respiratory problems.

Is steamed hay good for horses?

In comparison, steaming hay offers many benefits for the horse, as studies show that all respirable particles are removed and nutrients aren't leached. Using a Haygain steamer kills all of the fungi and yeast and 98.84% of the bacteria found in the hay thanks to its unique manifold system.

Is steaming hay better than soaking?

However, steaming is beneficial for the hygienic quality of the hay and whereas soaking increases the bacterial presence in hay, steaming reduced bacteria numbers by 98%. So whilst steaming hay for horses deals with the respiratory challenges, it is still recommended to soak hay to remove WSC.

What is the purpose of a hay steamer?

Hay steamers ensure that the hay is not harmful to horses. A hay steamer represents a device used to remove dust, mites, fungal spores, and bacteria from hay fed to horses. Hay steamers come in various styles and sizes suitable for steaming a bale of hay or more.

Ask the Vet - Steaming vs soaking hay

Does steaming hay soften it?

Soaking and steaming may help to soften its structure a bit too which may also improve its palatability. Wrapped forages should not be soaked or steamed. In summary, the benefits of soaking hay can be for the respiratory system or to reduce its sugar content.

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.

How long does steamed hay last?

If the hay cannot be fed straight out of the steamer, it can be fed up to 24 hours later. If it is decided to steam the hay up to 24 hours before feeding, it should be stored in a clean dry area off of the ground so that there is the least amount of contamination as possible.

Does steaming hay reduce the sugar content?

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.

Will horses eat soaked hay?

Nutrient content Some horse owners soak their hay to reduce the amount of sugars, or nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC), in the forage. Horses that require a low-sugar diet, such as those with laminitis or insulin resistance, might benefit from soaked hay.

Are hay steamers expensive to run?

Our hay steamer has a 2.3kw heating element so costs around 30p an hour to run. Check your bill for rates in your area but steaming is cheaper than using gallons of water. The hay steamer is a smartly branded wheelie bin available in 3 sizes. It's easy to move around and the steam generator packs neatly away inside.

Is steamed hay good for Laminitics?

Soaking hay and steaming it can benefit horses with respiratory issues, laminitis and those that are sensitive to sugar or require low potassium content. Dry hay can be very dusty, which may trigger respiratory problems in horses, particularly those with equine asthma aka chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (heaves).

Does steaming hay reduce potassium?

Potassium levels decreased by 41% in the 30-minute soaked hay. Soaked hay had a relative doubling of sodium whereas steamed and dry hay did not. Steamed hay did not experience these mineral changes, and in fact, had increased potassium and no change in sodium.

Can you soak hay for too long?

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.

Does steaming hay work?

Steamed hay reduces the particles in the hay by 99%. The key difference being that steaming destroys the particles whereas soaking just makes them less likely to be inhaled. Where steaming hay reduces the bacteria content, studies have found that soaking hay for just 10 minutes can increase bacteria by 150%.

Is it OK to soak hay overnight?

The amount of time for soaking doesn't make much difference after 1-2 hours IF YOU USE ENOUGH WATER. In a study using 25 liters of water for one flake of hay, WSC, ESC loss maximized after 1 hour. (1) There is no reason for soaking hay overnight.

Does soaking hay reduce iron?

While soaking hay helps to remove some of the iron in the hay, if the water contains high levels of iron, one is totally defeating the purpose of soaking the hay and may be actually adding iron to the horse's diet.

Can you steam hay after soaking?

Soaking hay for 10 minutes can increase bacterial content by 150 percent; steaming that hay virtually eliminates fungi, yeast, bacteria and respirable particles. Steaming restores post-soak “diet” hay to a tasty state proven to be preferable to dry and, especially, soaked 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.

How long do you soak hay for a horse with 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.

Can you make your own hay steamer?

There are companies that make hay steamers for purchase. But in case you're feeling crafty and want to save a few bucks, plenty of equestrians have learned to build and use homemade steamers. Here are a few tutorials on how to get started building your own hay steamer.

How much electricity does a wallpaper steamer use?

Wallpaper steamers have been more popular in countries, such as the UK or Europe, using 230 V domestic electricity. This provides around 3 kW of steam generating capacity from all sockets around the house.

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.