Soaking Hay... How Long For?

[Dyllymoo]

I want to feed my little coblet more hay as he has finished by the time I get to the yard, but I am conscious about his weight.

He currently has a double netted net and then one section on the floor.

I'm thinking of soaking as it will hopefully reduce the sugar a bit and also take him longer to eat.

I used to soak my mares hay overnight but Ive seen someone recently mention 30 mins soaking vs overnight there is very little difference.

How long do you all soak for, and do you work on the 2% of bodyweight for forage?

Thanks

 

[LaurenBay]

I was always told 8 hours plus for sugar and then rinse. Happy to be corrected though as I have only ever soaked for an hour to reduce the dust.

 

[PapaverFollis]

I soak for an hour maximum. I read somewhere that the benefits of a longer soak are negligible. A rinse in fresh water after the soak is a good idea though.

 

[windand rain]

Friends vet recommended an hour for her EMS horse she had been soaking for hours on end a good wash is the essential bit as the sugars are on the surface attached to the water

 

[Dyllymoo]

Thanks all. I will try the hour soaking, especially in winter as there isn't loads of grass in the fields and just monitor his weight

 

[hollyandivy123]

if you use warm water for an hour then it is close to the benefits of 8hr soak, its a bit like making tea work better the warmer the water

 

[NinjaPony]

I’m soaking for an hour, then rinsing and draining.

 

[vmac66]

I soaked for an hour then a, good rinse. Its 2% for weight maintenance and 1.5 % for weight loss. That's total feed including any hard feed.

 

[JillA]

From Liphook via The Laminitis Site

"Interestingly Liphook are suggesting soaking hay for an hour before feeding, (not the 12 hours that is so often suggested in the UK and which often causes hay to become slimy and unappetising) - this is in line with the ECIR group's recommendations. TLS tends to suggest soaking for around 1 - 6 hours, depending on the environmental temperature (sugar will be lost more slowly in colder temperatures) - what is important is the quantity of water used, as hay loses sugar by diffusion down a concentration gradient, so the more water used, the greater the gradient and the more sugar can be lost. If the sugar in the water equals the sugar in the hay, no more sugar can be lost from the hay, no matter how long it is soaked. Changing the water midway increases the concentration gradient and should lead to more sugar being soaked out."

 

[MotherOfChickens]

From Liphook via The Laminitis Site

"Interestingly Liphook are suggesting soaking hay for an hour before feeding, (not the 12 hours that is so often suggested in the UK and which often causes hay to become slimy and unappetising) - this is in line with the ECIR group's recommendations. TLS tends to suggest soaking for around 1 - 6 hours, depending on the environmental temperature (sugar will be lost more slowly in colder temperatures) - what is important is the quantity of water used, as hay loses sugar by diffusion down a concentration gradient, so the more water used, the greater the gradient and the more sugar can be lost. If the sugar in the water equals the sugar in the hay, no more sugar can be lost from the hay, no matter how long it is soaked. Changing the water midway increases the concentration gradient and should lead to more sugar being soaked out."

heck, been saying this for years if you're soaking hay in a closed system, basic science. hey ho.