Soaked hay for horses and ponies – when is it worth it?

Equine Metabolic Syndrome EMS or is prone to laminitis as even small quantities of these WSCs can cause issues. Soaking the hay for at least 3060 minutes prior to feeding removes these WSCs into the water creating a forage that is lower in simple sugars making it much safer to feed to those horses. 
What are the issues with soaking hay?
Soaked hay should be fed immediately otherwise it will start to go mouldy and have to be thrown on the muck heap.
A large volume of water is needed which must be disposed of after each batch of hay. This is to ensure the concentration gradient from the hay to water is great enough for the sugars to dissolve out otherwise the soak will be ineffective and the WSCs will remain in the hay.
Horses who struggle to maintain condition e g. geriatrics should not be fed soaked hay as they need those WSCs that are lost in the soaking water unless this is compensated for with hard feed. If these horses have concurrent respiratory issues then an alternative forage may be better suited to them.
Soaking the hay for too long results in losing vital nutrients such as calcium and phosphorus. It is recommended to soak hay for 3060 minutes before feeding.
What are the alternatives?
Steaming hay 
This also removes dust and mould spores as well as the sugars. It also leeches less of the vital nutrients however one downfall is that hay steamers can be very expensive.
Haylage 
This lightlyfermented but still horsesafe forage is great for horses who have respiratory issues as it should have no dust or spores present inside the wrap. And there is none of the hard work involving heavy buckets of water needed for soaking hay! However it has a much higher nutritional and energy value than hay
meaning it is not suitable for horses on a restricted diet such as laminitics. 
To soak or not to soak?
Soaking hay is a great choice for horses with respiratory issues or those on a restricted diet. However there are other options available. Consult your vet if you think your horse may need soaked hay to see if that is the right option for them