01/25/2026
๐ง ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ค๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ?
Soaking feed or utilizing mashes is a common practice intended to increase water intake in horses - but does it actually help?
I decided to take a dive into the research, as many horse owners soak feed in the winter, particularly during cold weather snaps, to encourage water intake. And while digging, I came across two studies you may find interesting!
๐งช๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ (๐
๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐๐ฅ., ๐๐๐๐)
The first study took place in Florida, where the average ambient temperature during the study was 55ยฐF (13ยฐC). This research evaluated horses consuming soaked pelleted feed, alfalfa cubes, or beet pulp in a 2:1 ratio of water to concentrate.
This study found that horses rapidly self-regulated voluntary water intake based on the amount of water provided in the meal. This means, when water was added to their feed, they voluntarily drank less so total water consumption remained the same.
This was shown as horses on dry feed had a voluntary water intake of 32.2 L while horses on soaked feed reduced voluntary water intake to 25.4 L to accommodate the ~6 L of water provided in the mash, for a total water intake of 31.5 L.
But that brings us to the second study ๐
โ๏ธ ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ (๐๐ฎ๐๐ค๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฒ, ๐๐๐๐)
This study evaluated seasonal differences in water intake during the fall (55ยฐF; 12.8 ยฐC) and winter (-4 to 33ยฐF; -20 to 0.67ยฐC) in Wisconsin. Horses were fed a pelleted concentrate at 0.5% body weight, with soaked feed provided at 2 L water/kg feed.
This study found that horses drank:
๐ 29.3 L/day in the fall
โ๏ธ 24.7 L/day in the winter
This decrease supports previous findings that water intake drops by approximately 6โ12% during the cold winter months.
However, this study also evaluated soaked vs dry feed.
While no difference in voluntary water intake was observed during the fall trial, horses in the winter consumed more water when eating a mash (26.9 L) compared to when consuming dry feed (22.4 L), a difference of about 1.2 gallons per day. The study found that horses consuming the mash drank equal to or more water than horses consuming the dry grain, in addition to the water they consumed in their feed.
โจ๐๐๐ค๐-๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐
Cold weather can reduce voluntary water intake in horses, but feeding a mash during winter can help combat that decline. In more mild weather, however, soaking feeds likely does not increase total water intake, as horses will self-regulate.
Will these studies make you more likely to soak you feeds - why or why not?
Stay warm out there!
Dr. DeBoer
Ferreira N, Binder D, Garbati IH, Lance JM, Warren LK. Effect of soaking feed on water intake and hydration in horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2025 May 1;148:105449.
Rucker NK, Hiney KM. Voluntary water intake in horses when fed a dry versus mash grain in two different seasons. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2013 May;33(5):355-6.
