ANSWER:
The recommended course
is to purchase different roughage without the
dust/mold that causes horses to
cough.
Since many people are
unable or unwilling to purchase different feed,
watering the hay down works but of course only until
freeze-up in our northern climate.
Steps to follow for
round bales are:
(1) Always
peel the moldy outside of round bales and dispose of
by burning or composting. The outside of the bale
has the worst mold, unless the hay was baled to
damp, then the mold is evident through out the
entire bale. If mold is evident even after peeling
some outside layers, then you must buy different
feed!!! Such mold is often but not always
evident (greenish, bluish, grayish) as you keep
trying to dispose of the outside layers.
(2) If it is dust
causing the coughing, it will be throughout the
entire bale from cutting the crop to low to the
ground, hay came from a field next to a busy dirt
road where every passing vehicle churned up dust
that drifted onto it, etc.
(3) The hay should be
forked to the horses so it is spread out on the
ground so that the Dust can dissipate as they walk
through it, paw it and air currants can help remove
it. Never feed dusty/moldy bales in round bale
feeders as the horses bury their noses in it as they
eat. Never feed such hay in solid type hay bunks
where again, the dust/mold cannot dissipate.
(4) Some hays may
contain "Allergens" from certain
vegetation and weeds. Such Allergens will affect
certain horses no matter what you do.
(5) NOTE: It is very
easy to distinguish between Dust or Mold. By
disturbing the bale of hay with your hand or with a
pitch fork, dust goes "Poof" and quickly
disappears. Mold Spores on the other hand,
travels upwards and outwards like SMOKE before
settling. Very easy to do once you get the hang of
what your trying to determine. Really Moldy hay,
you would swear when you hit the bale with your hand
or whatever, that smoke is traveling up!
(6) Water by gently
spraying the feed once it has been fed.
Feed only enough for that day's feed. Wet
feed must be consumed within 24 hours as left over
feed quickly spoils. Spoiled feed must be disposed
of before horses eat it.
