The idea might seem unusual or unnecessary if you’ve never soaked your horse’s hay. However, equine research has revealed several benefits that make soaking hay worth considering.
This article will help you understand why soaking your horse’s hay might be important, how long it takes to soak it properly, which equine health conditions soaking can support, and alternative forage options when soaking hay isn’t the best choice.
Why Soak Hay and Horse Feed?
Soaking hay is commonly used to support horses with specific health conditions. The reason you soak hay—and how long you soak it—depends on your horse’s needs.
Some of the reasons horse owners may choose to soak their horses’ feed include:
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Soaking hay, grain or pellets slows the horse’s eating speed and can help prevent choke.
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To help a horse with dental issues, soaking hay makes the feed easier to chew.
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To manage metabolic conditions, soaking hay can reduce the sugar content.
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To support horses with respiratory issues, soaking hay removes dust.
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To boost hydration and aid digestion, some owners soak feed to increase their horse’s water intake.
Equine Conditions That May Benefit from Soaked Hay
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Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) – Requires a low-NSC diet to manage insulin resistance and prevent laminitis.
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PSSM Type 1 (Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy) – Benefits from reduced dietary starch and sugar to prevent muscle stiffness and cramping.
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Insulin resistance – Lowering NSC in hay can help maintain safe blood glucose and insulin levels.
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Obesity – Soaking hay can help reduce calorie and sugar intake in overweight horses.
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Equine asthma – Soaking minimizes dust and mold, reducing airway irritation.
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Heaves (Recurrent Airway Obstruction) – Dust reduction from soaked hay can ease breathing and lower inflammation.
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COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) – Soaked hay lessens exposure to allergens that worsen respiratory symptoms.
Reducing Sugars
Soaking also lowers non-structural carbohydrates (NSC), which benefits insulin-resistant, overweight, and metabolic horses. However, soaking hay doesn’t always reduce NSC enough—initial NSC levels and hay structure can affect these results.
It’s essential to test hay before and after soaking, especially if NSC is above 14%. Hay under 10% NSC may not need soaking, but testing ensures safety for NSC-sensitive horses.
Reducing Dust
If your horse has respiratory issues like heaves, you’ll want to reduce the dust and mold commonly found in hay. The good news is that soaking hay for respiratory support takes less time than soaking it to lower sugar and carbohydrate content for metabolic horses.
Another key benefit of soaking hay is reducing airborne dust, mold spores, bacteria, and plant particles. Soaking helps trap these particles, making them less likely to be inhaled and reducing the risk of respiratory issues.
How to Soak Your Horse's Hay
How you soak your hay largely depends on the specific reason or condition you're addressing.
Hot, Warm, or Cold Water for Soaking Horse Feed?
Use warm water to soak hay pellets, fortified feeds (pellets or grains), or hay, but avoid water that’s too hot, especially near boiling. Since warm water can be hard to bring to the barn in cold weather, some owners install permanent or portable water heaters, while others use thermoses or coolers to keep water warm during soaking.
You can soak pellets and hay in cold water if needed, but it will take longer for the feed to absorb the water.
Oversoaking
Leaving feed soaking for too long, especially in hot weather, encourages mold growth and can lead to health problems. Prolonged soaking may also leach out essential nutrients such as protein, vitamins, minerals, and unwanted components.
How Long Should You Soak Hay and Horse Feed?
The length of time you soak hay should match the specific reason you're soaking it or the condition you aim to manage.
Soaking Hay for Respiratory Conditions
To soak hay for a horse with respiratory issues, place it in a hay net and fully submerge it in a muck tub or trash can filled with clean water. Hold the net underwater until bubbles stop rising—usually just a few minutes—to ensure all hay is thoroughly soaked. During winter, you can add a cup of salt to the soaking water to lower its freezing point. Fortunately, most horses enjoy the extra salt!
If you're soaking hay to reduce mold spores for horses with conditions like Equine Asthma, be careful not to oversaturate the hay or let it sit too long, especially in hot weather. Excess moisture and heat can encourage mold growth. To minimize this risk, soak hay out of direct sunlight and feed it shortly after soaking.
Soaking Hay for Reducing NSCs and Metabolic Conditions
Time matters when soaking hay for metabolic horses. The water temperature determines how long you must soak hay for. Soaking hay for 30 minutes in warm water or 60 minutes in cold water reduces sugar and carbohydrate levels. Avoid soaking hay longer than 60 minutes, as extended soaking can leach out excessive nutrients.
Research shows that soaking Orchardgrass hay for one hour can reduce its non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) by about 40%. For example, if your hay starts at 14% NSC, a one-hour soak can bring it below the recommended 12% NSC threshold for horses with metabolic conditions. Always rinse hay after washing to remove additional sugars.
If you don’t have time to soak hay to reduce sugar content, consider buying pre-tested low-NSC hay or choosing low-NSC hay cubes or pellets.
Soaking Beet Pulp for Horses
Whether beet pulp needs soaking or not is a common debate among horse people. While most nutritionists agree that you don’t have to soak feed pellets that contain only a small amount of beet pulp, soaking anything with beet pulp certainly doesn’t hurt.
Fortified, pelleted feeds usually contain tiny beet pulp shreds, which typically don’t pose a risk if fed dry. Still, if your horse has a history of choke, it’s best to soak these feeds before offering them.
When feeding beet pulp shreds or pellets as a supplement, soak them in advance, just like you would with hay pellets. Beet pulp absorbs significant amounts of water, so use plenty of water during soaking.
Soaking for Equine Dental Conditions
Soaking hay is a helpful feeding strategy for horses with dental issues. It softens the forage, making it easier to chew, swallow, and digest. It also supports hydration and helps lower the risk of choking. To prepare soaked hay for a horse with dental problems, fully submerge it in water and let it soak for one to two hours, or until it reaches a soft texture appropriate for the horse’s condition.
Once softened, drain the excess water and offer the hay immediately.
Soaking Hay Pellets for Horses
Hay pellets are larger, harder, and denser than fortified feed pellets, so they take longer to soak thoroughly. For proper hydration, be sure to use enough water—experts recommend 2 to 3 parts water per 1 part hay pellets.
If your horse is prone to choke, ensure the pellets are soft throughout before feeding. Test by breaking open a few pellets after soaking and adjust soaking time as needed to achieve uniform softness.
Pro-Tips for Soaking Hay:
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Dispose of the soaking water in a grassy area—never offer it to your horse to drink, especially if you soaked the hay to remove sugars.
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Rinse out the soaking tub and hay net after each use to prevent mold or sugary residue from building up.
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Use fresh water every time you soak your horse’s hay
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Hay should also be rinsed after soaking to remove excess water and any residual soluble sugars that leach into the soaking water.
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Removing excess water from the hay after soaking might make it more appealing for picky horses.
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Avoid soaking hay for the entire day, as this increases the risk of mold, especially in hot weather.
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Keep in mind that soaking also reduces nutrients like crude protein, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium—the longer you soak, the more nutrients you lose.
Recognizing and Responding to Choke in Horses
Soaking hay can help lower the risk of choke in horses rather than increase it. Softening the hay makes it easier for horses to chew and swallow. It also encourages water intake during meals, reducing the chance of esophageal blockage that leads to choke.
However, it’s essential to understand the signs of choke in horses, as they can be obvious or subtle. Choke is always considered an emergency that requires prompt veterinary care to prevent complications like aspiration pneumonia. Always check horses after feeding, as any horse can experience choke.
Watch for these signs of choke:
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Sudden refusal to eat
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Repeated, strained swallowing
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Anxiety or distress
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Swelling or bulge on the throat (typically left side)
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Neck stretching in an unusual posture
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Rolling or discomfort shortly after eating
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Nasal discharge, especially with feed material
Discover Quality Horse Feed and Hay Soaking Alternatives from Tribute® Equine Nutrition
Soaking hay can effectively support horses with certain health conditions, but it requires significant effort.
Alternatives like beet pulp, hay cubes, pellets, and complete feeds offer convenient options. Commercially bagged feed with guaranteed low NSC, such as Kalm ‘N EZ®, is an easy option for horses needing a low NSC diet.
Tribute®’s Seniority® Pellet, or Seniority® Low NSC for horses with significant NSC sensitivities, is formulated as a complete feed, providing all essential nutrients as the sole forage source. Its soft texture makes it ideal for horses requiring high fiber diets or those with dental challenges.
If you have questions about your horse’s diet, especially about managing specific health issues, please contact us for a free, personalized feeding plan!
