Could your horse benefit from steamed hay?

 

• There are loads of good reasons to steam your horse’s hay! And backed by fantastic science, too. Steaming your horse’s hay is a wonderful way to help the horse with respiratory issues, like heaves. It’s also nice for the horse that has dental issues and needs some softer forage to chew on.

 

Fresh from the steamer. Delicious for horses and smells lovely, too.

 

• Steaming hay keeps vital nutrients intact, so the quality of the hay remains largely the same. The steam also kills most mold and bacteria. And dust! While this is fantastic for respiratory disorders, the dead mold and bacteria, and other formerly living things are still there, which may affect the taste and palatability of the hay.

 

• But, if you start with hay that’s lower in mold spores and steam it, it has been shown to be extra delicious. Picky eater owners rejoice! This is also good for a horse in recovery or that needs some encouragement to eat.

 

HOT HOT HOT

 

• The easiest way to steam hay is with a hay steamer, there are several brands on the market. These contraptions can control pressure and temperature and time. They are also quite easy to use and clean.

 

However – if you are looking for a way to take the “sugars” and NSC’s out of your horse’s meals, steaming is NOT the way to go. Stick to soaking. More on that subject here!

 

 

That handy study I mentioned earlier can be found here, just in case.