Feeding 8-10 hour soaked hay - how much?!

[mollymurphy]

We've been soaking our hay for up to 10 hours every day as part of our fatties diets.

My theory is that since everything (or almost everything) is soaked out of it, it can be fed ad lib without putting any weight on the horsies. But my sister is arguing and saying i'm wrong and that they dont need any more than 3 leaves each (2 for the section A). I'd just much rather they weren't just stood in their stable with nothing to do, so would prefer to feed ad lib, but at the same time, they're fat enough!

So who's right?

Thank you in advance!

Lou. x

 

[ISHmad]

You are. The whole point of soaking it is to be able to feed good doers ad lib to keep the hindgut moving etc without adding calories. And as you say, it also stops them being stood in with nothing to do as well.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

You're correct.....you've soaked virtually everything out of the hay, all that is left is fibre...they can eat that ad lib without any worries

 

[mollymurphy]

Yay, I knew it! I love being right! Thank you both! Off to go and make her read this or she wont believe me!!

 

[amandaco2]

i feed my lami mare (15.2hh) two slices of soaked hay in the day and 2 at night.she gets adlib straw too.
you can feed more of it as alot of the sugars have gone(as long as your water is changed!) and its mostly fibre left.