Soaking pellets, always?

[Sansena]

Considering adding alfalfa pellets to po po’s grain meal. MUST they always be soaked prior to feeding? I know cubes are always to be soaked but…

Personally, I’d soak them just to be safe but those that feed when I’m not there aren’t that accommodating.

Would he benefit or be harmed from a handful of pellets on the days I’m there? Usually 2 consecutive days, I feed both meals both days and set up the following day’s meals. In cooler months, I could theoretically soak the following day’s meals without going rancid. So that’s 3 days on, 4 days off of soaked alfa pellets.

Thoughts?

[seema]

The PELLETS do not need to be soaked, have fed them dry on a regular basis. I do not think a handful of pellets will harm or benefit him to any great extent.

[One_Two_Three]

Nah, My horse won’t eat them consistently when soaked. Eats them just like he would grain, when dry. It depends on the size of the pellets. Standlee Alfalfa pellets are about the same size as any pelleted feed, however I have seen some HUGE chunky pellets that might warrant soaking from other brands.

ETA: there are some people who believe you must soak anything. Really it’s a judgement of whether you’d smoke the pelleted feed they’re on now…as long as the pelleted alfalfa is along the same size as whatever current food they’re eating non-soaked. A horse can choke on senior feed just as easily as alfalfa pellets…I don’t know where the stigma comes from. I knew a mare who choked on Strategy consistently but could get down larger pelleted feed choices without a problem. If you have a doubt, soak, but don’t fuss over it if your horse has good teeth and doesn’t have a previous choking issue. (within reason of course, as I said, those pellets can vary in size by brand.)

[kashmere]

When I’ve fed any kind of pelleted feed, I’ve always soaked. I once had a situation with my BO - a total miscommunication, no blame on anyone’s part - where my senior gelding’s pellets didn’t get soaked. He had the worst choke I, and the vet, had ever seen. It was horrible. He came through it well, but it could have gone the other way. Having experienced that, I won’t feed pellets without soaking.

[Sansena]

Kashmere, what volume of pellets was he fed? I’m thinking of adding 1/2 coffee can, tops for now. The rest of his meal is TC Sr. with cocosoya oil.

[Mango20]

I fed some standlee alfalfa pellets over the winter. 3 of my 4 horses had no issues with a small amount unsoaked. My 22 year old mare choked on them one time. It was a minor choke which resolved itself in about 5 minutes, but she was very dramatic about it to the point of flopping down on her side in her stall. I would not feed them unsoaked to her anymore, but might for the others. they were only getting a small amount (1/2 lb or so), and the time the mare choked, I think it was ONLY the pellets, not mixed in with her normal food.

[SonnysMom]

I fed Finnegan unsoaked alfalfa pellets for 2 years with no problem. I don’t feed them any more as he has suddenly decided he does not like them.

[sassy45]

I feed the standlee alfalfa pellets un soaked 2 lbs along with TC senior,to my mare. Was soaking it but she quit eating it soaked so feed it dry she does fine. I find my horses get sick of eating wet feed so just quit eating it.

My mare gets a total of 16 lbs of feed divided into two feedings,never an issue with choke eating pellets dry,now for last 3 months.

[tabula_rashah]

Everytime I get lazy and stop soaking any sort of pelleted feed- one of my guys eventually chokes and I go back to swearing I’ll never feed any pellets without soaking first.

[mountainhorse]

I am in the crowd of soaking, always. Pellets, shreds, cubes, etc.

I also only feed wet food, and soak senior pellets to mush (regardless of how many teeth the horse has,…).

I find it interesting as to ‘why not’,…it puts great amounts of moisture in the gut, and it helpful to have horses accustomed to eating wet food in the case you needed to feed it wet for health concerns.

I have had a few horses over the course of it all that didn’t really “like” wet food, and I gradually (very gradually, dictated by the horse) added small amounts of water, until they were fine with it. Only one horse took about a month to be “ok” with the wet food. I would use all kinds of things to add moisture-apple juice and water mix, water leftover from soaking alfalfa cubes or beet pulp, etc. so it was “flavoured”. They tend to pick it up pretty quickly once they realize that is the only way they were going to get fed.

I also, personally, find it really interesting how much water is absorbed by pellets (or cubes, or senior/grain pellets, supplements, shreds, whathaveyou, etc.),…honestly, it blows me away. The first time I switched over to Purina Sr. for a horse, I was astounded at how much water they absorbed,…it was nuts. Same goes for the super dry Seminole Wellness pellets, alfalfa pellets, etc. But, that is another discussion, I suppose.

So, to answer OP-soak them.

[Zu_Zu]

Be safe = SOAK ~ you never want to have a horse choke !

[jawa]

I feed my hony 3 lbs of “fluffed” alfalfa pellets. I add just enough water so that the pellets double in volume, but aren’t mush/soup. I soak for 12 hours, but it takes 1 hr to achieve this my hony’ preferred state of fluff. He’d love to eat them dry…but he has choked on dry senior feed in the past.

[pezk]

My mare gets 2 cups alfalfa pellets + 1 cup TC senior for am and same for pm. Nothing is soaked.

[Brian]

[QUOTE=mountainhorse;8595498]
I am in the crowd of soaking, always. Pellets, shreds, cubes, etc.

I also only feed wet food, and soak senior pellets to mush (regardless of how many teeth the horse has,…).

I find it interesting as to ‘why not’,…it puts great amounts of moisture in the gut, and it helpful to have horses accustomed to eating wet food in the case you needed to feed it wet for health concerns.

I have had a few horses over the course of it all that didn’t really “like” wet food, and I gradually (very gradually, dictated by the horse) added small amounts of water, until they were fine with it. Only one horse took about a month to be “ok” with the wet food. I would use all kinds of things to add moisture-apple juice and water mix, water leftover from soaking alfalfa cubes or beet pulp, etc. so it was “flavoured”. They tend to pick it up pretty quickly once they realize that is the only way they were going to get fed.

I also, personally, find it really interesting how much water is absorbed by pellets (or cubes, or senior/grain pellets, supplements, shreds, whathaveyou, etc.),…honestly, it blows me away. The first time I switched over to Purina Sr. for a horse, I was astounded at how much water they absorbed,…it was nuts. Same goes for the super dry Seminole Wellness pellets, alfalfa pellets, etc. But, that is another discussion, I suppose.

So, to answer OP-soak them.[/QUOTE]

Great amounts of moisture in the gut as compared to what? Dry pellets?, but then again, dry pellets probably won’t reach the gut dry. Properly chewed pellets with the addition of saliva could very well have the same or more moisture content. IMO, proper chewing is not too difficult to achieve with good dental management along with good quality hay fed ad lib. We’ve fed pellets for years, have never soaked, and have never had a choke incident.

JMO, but I can easily think of several reasons not to soak pellets first with water when feeding horses with no dental or choke issues…

1. The horse only produces saliva when chewing. The softer the food or higher the moisture content, the number of chews required before swallowing may be greatly reduced. Fewer chews results in lower saliva production.

2. Water contains no bicarb or natural buffers to neutralize stomach acid

3. Water contains zero amylase to start the enzymatic digestive process.

4. Water has no lubrication value for passage through the esophagus.

5. Water offers no coating protection of the esophageal or stomach lining.

If you want to try something interesting, weigh out 1 lb of soaked feed. Count the number of chewing motions needed for consumption. Compare that with 1 lb of dry feed and see which requires more chewing. Then compare that with long stem forage. The results are why I think it’s better to supplement with long stem alfalfa forage vs alfalfa pellets when needing additional calories in the diet.

All that being said, I understand the need for soaking for horses with teeth problems or for horses prone to choke. In those cases when soaking was required, I would probably add a mixture apple cider vinegar to induce more salivation.

JMO

[ryansgirl]

[QUOTE=mountainhorse;8595498]
I am in the crowd of soaking, always. Pellets, shreds, cubes, etc.

I also only feed wet food, and soak senior pellets to mush (regardless of how many teeth the horse has,…).

I find it interesting as to ‘why not’,…it puts great amounts of moisture in the gut, and it helpful to have horses accustomed to eating wet food in the case you needed to feed.[/QUOTE]

Totally agree.

I always soak my mares feed (TC Lite, Standlee hay pellets, Timothy Balance cubes). I would never feed larger pellets dry. I spent five plus years working at a major equine hospital and I’ve seen some horrible cases of choke - not something I’m willing to risk with my mare.

[caper]

Purina Canada stipulates to soak feeds due to choking hazards. I feed alfalfa pellets as well to my geriatrics who are 30 and 36. I soak all my feeds. They don’t do so well with the hay, hence the alfalfa pellets.

[atr]

I add water to cover, swish around a bit, then feed. Usually Alf. Pellets, oats, rice bran meal. So it not sludge, it’s just softened a bit. So far has worked well on olde farte acres…

[Kyrabee]

My mare gets one cup of pellets (usually orchard grass or alfalfa) and they are not soaked. That isn’t happening at current barn.
I have not had a problem and she was choke prone as a 2 and 3 yo (now 14). She tended to choke on hay then although the first time was supplement that I did soak. It set up like concrete! and she choked big time. As she matured, her chest widened and the hay choking stopped and I never fed her that supplement (a ration balancer) again.

My friend feeds the same amount of pellets and again no soaking and no problems in several years. If I fed a lot of pellets, I would find a way to get them soaked.

Susan

[newhorsemommy]

My gelding choked on a very small amount of pellets (less than a pound), so I soak anything that’s pelleted. My vet said never to feed dry pellets. I am just feeding a small amount and I’m in California so I don’t have to worry about weather-related problems (too hot or too cold).

[Halt_Near_X]

My guy gets about 2 lbs per feeding of alfalfa pellets, unsoaked.

He’s out on grass all day, feeding is not on a super strict schedule, and he’s fed separate from other horses–basically, he has no reason to get super excited about his feed or to eat quickly to resource guard. So he eats like a lady who lunches and doesn’t bolt his feed.

I don’t worry about him in his current situation.

I might not feel the same in other boarding situations.