I feed 'em to my horses when it's really cold, like now. My question is, is it really necessary to soak them in water before feeding them?? I never have, and have never had a problem, but on another horsey site folks were horrified that I didn't soak them before I fed them. Any opinions?

It really depends on;
The size of the cubes.
How your horses teeth are.
What his eating habits are.
Yes, soaking them makes it easier for horses to eat them who may have some dental problems and it certainly helps diminish the choking hazard.
If they are fairly small and your horse is a careful eater, you probably are Ok.
On a side note, if you do soak them and it takes more than 15 minutes for your horse to eat them-they will freeze

We have fed them before, but not much anymore.

We have a couple of Horses that choke on anything dry, even pelleted feed.

Never tried soaking them, but as long as they did not get slimy mushy, I do not see what it would hurt.

I've only fed the cubes as a treat and haven't soaked them but it sounds like a good idea. If your horse is like my horses they love them and I don't think there would be a proublem of them having any left long enough to freeze.
The thing that stands out in my mind is the fact that alot of horses colic in the winter due to not drinking enough water causing impaction, so the thought of soaking the cubes to increase the amount of water intake would only benifit the horse and leason the chance of winter colic.
One other thing that you might want to keep in mind and keep an eye out for is signs of blister beetles, I read in The Horse Illistrated mag. that blister beetles can be ground up and prossesed along with the cubes and can cause horrible blisters in the horses mouth. This can be a huge proublem. Just thought I'd mention it in case anyone ever has a horse come down with the blisters and needs to fingure out were it came from.
Cathy C

I have heard of blister beetles but never seen one. An alfalfa farmer from around here found them in his crop, and he had to destroy the whole crop. I have also heard that they can kill a horse!! I am going to go google "blister beetle" so I can see what they look like...

I have fed Alfalfa cubes before but it has been so long ago, I can't remember what I did with them! I think I may have wetted them down. I feed pellets currently, except for at the moment due to the fact we are feeding alfalfa hay already.

Alfalfa Hay Cubes are a high protein source of energy for animals needing maximum to maintenance levels of digestible energy. Alfalfa cubes are low in sugar and are considered to be low in non-structured carbohydrates. Alfalfa cubes are easily digested and easy to feed. These cubes are certified noxious weed free.

* For all stages of a horse's life
* 50 lb. bag
* 30 day limited warranty

Feeding instructions:
Alfalfa cubes should be fed at ground level and can be sprinkled with water for any animals that may have dental issues, feeding disorders and that are prone to choke.We recommend that you feed by weight and not by volume. 1-2% of a horse's weight should be fed daily in hay forages. This amount may vary depending on the animal's needs and the horse's activity. Make feed changes gradually over a period of 7 days.

The most important thing in a horse's diet is water. Provide plenty of fresh clean water at all times.

Consult your veterinarian or nutritionist to develop a total health care and nutritional program for your animal. All health care programs should include regular deworming, vaccination and dental care.