During the drying and baling of hay, a considerable amount of dirt may be incorporated. This can reduce the hay's palatability, causing puffs of dust that can irritate the lungs when the horse is eating, and can even cause imbalanced intake of minerals. The quality of hay is often variable too, meaning that the levels of dust, carbohydrates and potassium are hard to monitor. Some of these disadvantages can be offset by soaking hay before feeding it to your horse.

Soaking the hay for horses with metabolic issues can reduce the water soluble carbs (WSC), while respiratory allergies in horses, caused by fungal/mould spores in the hay, can also be alleviated. Soaking may not completely remove these, but it does largely eliminate the possibility of spores being directly inhaled as small, airborne particles.

Tip: watch that weather -  if you leave hay soaking during subzero temperatures, your hay could become a block of ice. Equally, if the weather becomes unbearably hot and humid, the mix will just be a ‘stew’.

If your horse is recovering from colic or dehydration, your vet may recommend soaking your hay. In these circumstances wetter is often better, but it’s best to check the optimum time with your vet, to ensure it’s right for your horse.

Tip: There are lots of ways to soak hay, but one idea involves taking two rubber buckets- one should be smaller than the other. Drill holes in the smaller one. Put hay in one with the holes in and pop that inside the larger one. Fill with water and leave to soak. Then lift out top one and allow to drain.