For those who soak hay to reduce sugars...

[itsonlyme]

...some figures about how much they are removed by soaking. Taken from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/168/23/618.short?rss=1&ssource=mfr

Grasses and hays high in water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) can spell disaster for horses with laminitis or insulin resistance (IR). Some veterinarians and nutritionists suggest soaking hay to reduce the amount of WSC in the hay (because water-soluble means these simple sugars dissolve in water), but how much WSC content does soaking actually reduce? According to one team of researchers, it varies depending on how long the hay is submerged.

High WSC levels markedly affect blood-insulin responses in horses and often cause an exaggerated response in laminitic or IR horses. Exaggerated insulin responses can lead to potentially life-threatening bouts of laminitis.

Led by Annette Longland, BSc, PhD, DIC, of Equine and Livestock Nutrition Services in Wales, U.K., a group of researchers recently set out to test the effects of soaking on the WSC and crude protein (CP, to see how much protein was leached during hay soaking) of nine different hays from England and Wales.

The research team completely submerged two kilograms of the mixed species meadow or ryegrass hays either compacted in the flakes or shaken loose of the flake in large plastic tubs filled with 24 liters of 8°C (46°F) tap water. Hays were soaked for 20-minute, 40-minute, three-hour, and 16-hour periods. The researchers then dried the hays in an oven before analyzing them chemically.

As it turns out, soaking hay in water does reduce the WSC, which are comprised mostly of fructans and the simple sugars glucose, fructose, and sucrose, but "there was great variation between individual hays in the amounts of WSC leached," the team reported.

Learn more about the importance of nutrition, vaccinations, and deworming programs designed to keep your horse healthy in Understanding Equine Preventive Medicine.
Key findings in the study included:

•Soaking hay for 20 minutes resulted in the lowest WSC reduction (5%), while soaking hay for 16 hours resulted in the highest WSC reduction (27%);
•There was no correlation between original WSC content and percentage of WSC reduction for any soaking time period;
•The effects of soaking on CP varied some, but were not significant; and
•There was no significant difference in dry matter or WSC content between soaking hay in flakes or shaken loose.
"For owners of laminitic horses, get the hay tested for WSC ... content--preferably after soaking it--so you know exactly how much your hay contains," Longland recommends. "Otherwise, if hay is tested before it is soaked, use soaking as an added safeguard if necessary."

Further comments

Not as much sugar was removed as one would hope. They did only use tap water at 46 degrees F. For every 18 degrees F increase over that, the amount of sugar diffusing out should double. So 64 degrees F should double the rate and 82 degrees F should quadruple the rate. I don’t think I would go higher than that: at some point you cook the hay and another problem is that bacteria start breeding faster too.

 

[burtie]

Thanks, I soak mine for my EPSM horse rather than laminitis but still useful info.

 

[vicksey]

Very interesting thanks for posting! I soak mine for about 8 hours. Thought it would have taken out more sugars than that

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

i used to soak it half hr now soak over night then rinse it to clear it i found this website use full for ideas

http://equinecare-and-control.weebly.com/useful-ideas.html

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I was soaking mine but have now had to stop as our weather has turned into the usual winter months of snow and ice (Cairngorms). Steaming isnt an alternative as that doesnt reduce the sugars. Instead I am feeding greedy pony 2/3 oat straw to 1/3 hay as its the only way I can think of to keep the sugars/energy down (she also has a kilo of hifilite and a vit/min supp.

 

[vicksey]

Following this post will you all continue to soak your hay?

 

[itsonlyme]

I've moved yards recently & the water supply isn't in yet, so Im having to bring 25l containers. I can only be bothered to bring enough for them to drink at the mo. But they're living out, so having far less than they were at the last place. There, i used to soak for about 8 hours, then i read something that made me reduce it to about an hour. Now i don't even know any more. I think that maybe it's all down to how sensitive your horse is to sugar & how much is in it in the first place. Going to get mine analysed like i did at the old yard, then decide. Would be better if i had access to warm water...

 

[vicksey]

so the research points us towards warmer water, anyone used a steamer. Not that I can afford one...

 

[Equi]

I don't need to soak mine, but i wanted to ask about steaming? Does it have the same effect?

 

[hairycob]

When I was talking to one of the steamer people at Burleigh a selling point was that it doesn't reduce the sugars. That's fine for one of mine as I soak his to reduce dust & try to soak for only 1 hour. But for the other one would get fat on fresh air so it's trying to get fibre without calories for him. I can't find anywhere yto get oat straw around here.

 

[vicksey]

well i suppose soaking for a few hours and some sugars out is better than nothing. All this time I thought I was doing the best soaking my hay, its made me more paranoid than ever now about my horses weight! ahhh the woe's of owing good doers!