Soaking hay vs steaming hay - how do you do it in the winter?

[awaywego]

My senior horse has decided he will only eat soaked hay - which is fine for now, but I don’t know how to manage this going into winter and dealing with freezing temps. He’ll be in overnight with a hay bag and their forage is primarily hay when turned-out in the winter - they eat out of large hay boxes. The water bucket in his stall will get ice when the outside temps are below 20 degrees (F) at night, which can be pretty frequent throughout the winter. Outside temps are also typically below freezing when they are turned out in the morning.

I’ve been looking at some of the DIY hay steamer boxes. If I make this one (https://www.adamshorsesupplies.com/make-your-own-hay-steamer) and can steam a bale at a time, it should be enough for him overnight in his stall plus turned out for the day with a buddy. So if I steamed in the evening, would I be able to leave the remaining bale in the steamer overnight so it’s all set to go outside in the morning?

[2Below]

I have a DIY steamer I’ve been using for my RAO horse for nearly 2 years. We often have weeks of below 0 (F) weather and are well below 20 for months in winter. I steam hay for the stall at night. I clean the steamer out after every use and bring the actual steaming apparatus (a wallpaper steamer) in the house. The bin stays outside. In very cold weather I bring it in so the plastic doesn’t shatter. I wouldn’t leave hay in it over night, it will definitely freeze and be a big mess. I would just put the steamed hay aside for morning and clean the steamer (hose it out) after every use.

[Dressurfrau]

@2Below

I have a DIY steamer I’ve been using for my RAO horse for nearly 2 years. We often have weeks of below 0 (F) weather and are well below 20 for months in winter. I steam hay for the stall at night. I clean the steamer out after every use and bring the actual steaming apparatus (a wallpaper steamer) in the house. The bin stays outside. In very cold weather I bring it in so the plastic doesn’t shatter. I wouldn’t leave hay in it over night, it will definitely freeze and be a big mess. I would just put the steamed hay aside for morning and clean the steamer (hose it out) after every use.

2Below - Can you give us some info on how you actually made your steamer? Thx!

[2Below]

DH made mine while I was gone but I’ll give the basics-I sent him a bunch of pics from the web and this is what he came up with. It’s a Rubbermaid bin with wheels, not as heavy duty as the one OP has in the link. That would be better. There’s a hole about an inch from the bottom on the side. He made a rectangle of pvc that fits the bottom of the bin, drilled a bazillion holes in the pipe and necked the pipe out through the hole. The pipe coming out the hole is a male end. He pulled the end off a wallpaper steamer and attached a female end of pipe so it twists onto the bin. I’ve replaced wallpaper steamers maybe 5 times in going on 2 years, steam in all weather (it gets -20+ F for weeks here). It cost less than $100 to build, including the $60 steamer.

[awaywego]

@2Below

DH made mine while I was gone but I’ll give the basics-I sent him a bunch of pics from the web and this is what he came up with. It’s a Rubbermaid bin with wheels, not as heavy duty as the one OP has in the link. That would be better. There’s a hole about an inch from the bottom on the side. He made a rectangle of pvc that fits the bottom of the bin, drilled a bazillion holes in the pipe and necked the pipe out through the hole. The pipe coming out the hole is a male end. He pulled the end off a wallpaper steamer and attached a female end of pipe so it twists onto the bin. I’ve replaced wallpaper steamers maybe 5 times in going on 2 years, steam in all weather (it gets -20+ F for weeks here). It cost less than $100 to build, including the $60 steamer.

Do you steam all year round or do you soak when the weather is milder? Five steamers in 2 years seems like a lot unless you are using 1-2x/day all year round.

I am trying to come up with the easiest way to do this because I will not be the one dealing with this on a daily basis. :o

[2Below]

I steam year round-soaking did nothing to help my RAO horse. I just steam once a day. I think considering that wallpaper steamers were definitely not made to do this job, and most likely not in all temperatures, I think they’ve been doing pretty well. I would love a commercially made one, but can’t justify the cost, especially since this is working. It travels with to shows and clinics and is much easier to deal with than soaking was. The horse I steam for is my FEI horse, and the difference it has made for him is well worth the effort.