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If you're stuck with dusty hay, it's a good practice to reduce that dust as much as you can before you feed it to your horses. Reducing the dust in your hay is also a great practice if you have horses with sensitive lungs[1] . There are several ways of doing this, all of which include using water.
These methods work both for square baled hay and for hay from round bales.
Steps
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:Immersing the Hay
This method requires a tub of water. After being immersed, the hay should be served immediately. Might not work so well in cold weather (want wet, cold hands?) though!
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:Wetting the Hay
For this method you'll need a large garden watering can and a pitchfork. This method may not work as well as soaking the hay, but generally works just fine if the hay isn't too dusty, and is also more suited for winter weather.
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1Roll or set out the hay across the ground, about a flake or two thick. Just set out as much hay as you need for this feeding.
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2Sprinkle the water from the watering can over the hay rather deeply. Shake and fluff the hay using the pitchfork, flipping it upside down as you go.
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3Pour more water over the hay, then shake and fluff it again. Shake it well so the water makes it all the way through the hay.
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4Serve the hay!Advertisement
Things You'll Need
Soaking Method
- Large water tub
Sprinkling Method
- Garden watering can, preferably large
- Pitchfork
