Did you know that soaking your horse’s hay can help horses diagnosed with certain diseases? Well, now you know. That’s right, soak your hay for 15 to 60 minutes in water to reduce water soluble carbohydrates, potassium and dust. Here are the details. Also, if you are looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property today and speak with one of our horse-person realtors.
Reasons to Soak Your Hay
Soaking hay in water is a common way to care for horses diagnosed with a wide array of equine ailments. These include Laminitis, Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy, Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, also known as the Heaves, is often abbreviated as COPD. However, it is different from the COPD that humans can be diagnosed with. The equine COPD is similar to asthma in humans and is a common reason for some horses persistent coughing. This can be tough to diagnose because affected horses do not have a temperature and they appear well.
Reducing your horse’s intake in carbs can help reduce their risk of developing these diseases. The experts suggest complete rations should contain less than 10-12% nonstructural carbohydrates. This is especially so for horses with laminitis and Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy. Also, horses with Hyperkalemic Pulmonary Disease need complete diets less than 1% of potassium. For more information, talk to your equine clinician soaking your hay in water.
