Better than a bucket, The Soaker, a new product that automatically fills, soaks, and drains hay. Made in the U.S.A., "The Soaker", created by Jennifer Azevedo, is a nonelectric automatic hay and feed soaker that has standardized hay soaking. It is a timed, portable, self-contained unit that only requires a pressurized water source to run.
Less work - better nutrition
The Soaker will fill, soak, and drain automatically leaving your horse's food cleaned and hydrated like clockwork.
Once connected to a water source with hoses and timers, The Soaker will fill, soak, and drain automatically leaving your horse's food cleaned and hydrated every time like clockwork.
Dressage rider, trainer and clinician, Volker Brommann explains, "The Soaker is a time and labor saver. It does a better job soaking the hay than we can with a bucket and net." The Soaker can provide freshly soaked hay at feeding time. Up to 4 flakes can be loaded, automatically soaked and drained, then removed and fed. In a barn setting multiple units can be time-overlapped for multiple horses and meal times throughout the day. The Soaker's design diverts run-off water from the unit to the desired location.
After grass has been cut, dried and baled, its natural water content has been drastically reduced from about 80% to less than 10%. This water reduction actually increases the feed's concentrations of sugar, potassium, acidity, and contaminants. Keeping hay dry is necessary for storage - like most of our own dry food (grains, rice, beans, etc.). But, dry may not be the best way to eat it. "My horse Moose dunks his hay. He knows that it should be clean and wet." states Linda Brown of Chicago.
Often recommended by veterinarians as a preventative treatment, soaking dry feed or hay in water increases the overall health of a horse by significantly reducing excess sugars and commercial contaminants while naturally increasing the horse's hydration. A single flake of hay can absorb between 1-2 gallons of water. “The Soaker is great as a water replacement to increase intestinal mobility and hydration” states Leslie Phillips, DVM.
Anyone who has ever soaked hay knows the tedious, messy, time consuming, and backbreaking labor involved. Standing with the hose, filling buckets of hay with water, dumping the dirty water, Hauling sopping hay, getting wet two to three times a day for your horse. The Soaker is automatic. The user fills the unit with dry hay. The Soaker will fill, soak, and drain the hay.
The hay will be soaked, drained, and ready to feed at the appropriate feeding time. The user removes the freshly soaked and drained hay and refills the unit with dry hay for the next feeding time. The process repeats at each feeding time. The Soaker removes human error and standardizes hay soaking. The Soaker soaks the hay the same way and the same time every time.
Azevedo created The Soaker for her off-the-track Thoroughbred named Max. When Azevedo rescued Max, The horse was foundering in all four feet and was 250 pounds underweight. After researching remedies for Max’s ailments, Azevedo immediately began soaking Max’s feed the good old fashioned way…in a bucket. Three times a day, seven days a week.
Azevedo quickly learned that soaking hay was a back breaking, wet, heavy, and time consuming endeavor. “I was getting up at 5:30 in the morning to soak his hay. I knew there had to be an easier and more reliable way” states Azevedo. Thus, The Soaker was invented.
Azevedo started working on creating and building a unit that would hold flakes of hay and automatically fill, soak, and drain. Azevedo applied for patent and began the process of manufacturing the units in the USA. “Portability and reliability are key. My horse depends on the benefits of soaked hay.” says Azevedo.
To learn more: Better than a bucket!