Val, I'm going to take a shot at this since I have started soaking hay for our new pony. What I find in watching my animals here is that every single one of them goes to take a long drink of water after their meals. This thirsty behaviour seems to lessen with soaked hay - I'm assuming because of the water being added making the hay less dusty, perhaps a bit softer, etc as well as provides "some" water, but not as much as when they would drink after a dry meal. I am now sprinkling salt on pony's wet hay to encourage the thirst drive after eating the wet hay and I have noticed it working.

Does that help?

Amberlee
www.fivepineranch.com
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