Free nutrition tool
Does my hay need soaking?
Enter the sugar and starch figures from your hay or haylage analysis, even if your report only shows WSC, and find out in seconds whether your hay needs soaking for your horse.
Forageplus data insight
of the hay samples we test are below 10% ESC + starch as fed, the ECIR limit for laminitis-prone horses.
Forageplus analysis data · 12,500+ forage samplesFree tool
Does my hay need soaking?
Enter the figures from your hay or haylage analysis. We will convert them to as fed and tell you whether soaking is needed for your horse.
Without a test, there is no way to know whether your hay needs soaking at all. Our NIR nutritional analysis reports ESC, starch and WSC separately, from £49.96, with no kit to wait for.
ESC is the figure that matters. Many cheaper analyses only give WSC or a total sugar figure, which includes fructans.
Usually near the top of the report
Most labs report on a dry matter basis
Soaking does not remove starch
Enter your figures to see whether your hay needs soaking.
Thresholds follow Dr Eleanor Kellon VMD and the ECIR Group: ESC + starch below 10% as fed, or below 7% for very sensitive horses. Results are a guide based on the figures you enter and are not a substitute for advice on your individual horse.
Why it matters
Why soaking every hay is a mistake
Soaking is often recommended as a blanket rule for laminitis-prone horses. For most hay it is unnecessary, and it comes at a cost.
Most hay doesn’t need it
Over 90% of the hay we test is below 10% ESC + starch as fed, and around half is below 7%, low enough for even very sensitive horses. Soaking these hays only washes out nutrients.
Soaking washes out minerals
In our own tests, a 2-hour cold soak removed about 72% of the sodium, 82% of the chloride and 59% of the potassium. An 8-hour soak cut ESC + starch to as little as 3.2%, far too low if soaked hay is most of the diet.
WSC makes good hay look bad
Many cheaper analyses only report WSC or a single sugar figure. These include fructans, which do not raise insulin, so suitable hay ends up soaked or rejected. ESC + starch is the figure that matters.
How it works
How the checker works
The calculation
Your figures are converted from a dry matter basis to what your horse actually eats:
(ESC % + starch %) × dry matter % = ESC + starch, as fed
The result is compared with the limits used by Dr Eleanor Kellon VMD and the ECIR Group: below 10% as fed for laminitis-prone horses, and below 7% for very sensitive or currently laminitic horses. WSC and NSC are treated as upper estimates, because they are always at least as high as ESC.
Feed a measured amount
“No soaking needed” only holds if the hay is fed in a measured amount. Fed ad lib, even low-sugar hay can supply far more calories than a laminitis-prone or metabolically sensitive horse needs, and extra weight makes insulin dysregulation harder to manage.
- Weigh the hay each day rather than judging by eye: nets and slices differ a lot in weight.
- As a guide, feed about 1.5% of body weight a day for weight loss, or 2% to maintain.
- Spread it through the day in slow feeder nets, so your horse goes no more than about 4 hours without forage.
- Count grazing, bucket feeds and treats too. The checker looks at the hay or haylage only.
Free printable
Hay soaking card for your feed room
When to soak and when not to, ECIR soaking times, what soaking washes out, and how much hay to feed. One page, ready to print and pin up.
Done. Your soaking card is on its way.
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Laboratory analysis services
Know your hay. Skip the soak.
Our NIR nutritional analysis reports ESC, starch and WSC separately, along with calories and protein, so you only soak when you need to and know exactly how much to feed.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long should I soak hay for a laminitic horse?
Why does the checker convert to as fed?
My report only shows WSC or a single sugar figure. Can I still use it?
What if my report does not show starch?
If my hay does not need soaking, can I feed it ad lib?
Does it work for haylage?
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