Soaking Vs Steaming Hay

For some horses, having their hay soaked or steamed is a vital part of their management routine.

Choosing how you provide your horse's forage might depend on a number of variables, but often it may be because of looking to promote good respiratory health, or indeed as part of providing a ‘low calorie,’ diet. Whichever your requirement might be, here is our quick guide on forage selection.

Reducing starch & sugar levels

Soaking hay reduces the volume of starch and sugars present more than steaming. The loss of water-soluble carbohydrates in soaked hay can vary from a minimum of 8% to over 50%, whereas the loss in steamed hay is only typically between 0-18%. For those on restricted diets, the need to restrict soaked forage can be slightly relieved and a higher volume can sometimes be provided. Research has found that removing forage for approximately 4 hours could be shown to increase the risk of the horse developing gastric ulcers, and so being able to provide an increased level of fibre can be beneficial in avoiding long periods without the horse chewing.

Nutritional quality

Prolonged soaking of hay starts to remove the nutritional value of the hay, however for those with respiratory conditions, soaking the hay for 15-30 minutes was found to not lead to any nutrient deficiencies. For those that are having their hay soaked for longer periods to reduce calorie intakes, ensuring adequate vitamin and mineral supplementation is crucial in order to support health and performance.

Steaming hay preserves the nutritional value of the hay, including the protein content. It also removes the bacterial content from the hay almost completely, proving to be a very useful tool for those with compromised respiratory health. As it can make little alterations to the WSC’s present, it may not always be as of greater benefit for those with metabolic issues.

Soaking hay can increase the bacterial profile of the hay, and so it is important to consider optimal soaking times, the amount of hay soaked at any given moment and whether it is able to be fed as soon after removal from the water as possible.

Extending eating times

Steamed and soaked forage takes longer for the horse to chew than dry forage, which can extend the length of time the horse spends eating. Chewing stimulates the production of saliva, which will act as a natural stomach buffer.

NEED SOME GUIDANCE

Our nutritional team on are on hand to help! Call 01622 718487 or email nutrition@saracenhorsefeeds.co.uk