Some horses do not gain weight easily, even after a wellness check by a veterinarian rules out problems with teeth, gastric ulcers, or hindgut acidosis.

These flying insects—dead or alive—contain the toxin cantharidin, which can kill a horse if consumed in large amounts. “The main feed for horses of early armies in those regions was alfalfa,” he says. “Ammonia in stalls can irritate airways and make horses susceptible to respiratory problems,” says Duren. Alfalfa is more nutrient-dense than grass hays harvested at the same stage of maturity. “It should be a green color, meaning there are more leaves and the hay is not weathered or rained on before it was put up,” says Smith. It’s readily available and commonly fed, so it’s a logical foundation for many horses’ diets.

“A lot of horse owners are intimidated by alfalfa and think they shouldn’t feed it, but it is a great feed for horses,” says Martinson.

Copyright © 2020 Thorne Bottom Farm, LLC - All rights reserved. Lactating mares.

When a former boarding barn ran out of mix and fed all the normal horses straight alfalfa my gelding became unrideable and basically unmanageable until … The simple act of chewing creates more saliva, which also helps buffer stomach acid, says Lea. Not all alfalfa hay is really high in potassium, but you have to test it to find out. Timothy, high-quality grass hays, and 50% alfalfa mixes make good forage for older horses, Ralston says. For that purpose, please find our contact info in the legal notice. Forage testing by an accredited laboratory can reveal the nutrient composition of the forage and is the best measure of adequacy for horses.

Energy requirements would be better met by supplying a lower quality grass hay (though not dusty, moldy, or otherwise unsafe). The horses’ age, activity level, breed, and stage of life can all have a tremendous affect on the amount of feed that they require.

Differences in growing conditions and harvesting methods impact nutritional quality. In some regions of the world, alfalfa hay is all that is available and is therefore the most economical choice.

She says alfalfa is ideal for horses on high planes of nutrition, such as lactating broodmares, growing horses, thin horses, racehorses, performance horses, or young foals that aren’t getting enough milk. It can be bundled in 50- to 80-pound square bales or large, round or long square bales that can weigh tons.

Additionally, it supplies more nutrients than most nonworking horses need, leading to obesity and its associated issues. Maturity, harvest conditions, soil conditions, and more can affect protein, energy, and mineral levels, says Smith.

© Copyright 2020 Kentucky Equine Research.

, growing horses, thin horses, racehorses, performance horses, or young foals that aren’t getting enough milk.

Feeding a surplus of energy to young horses, especially weanlings, can often lead to growth problems, including contracted tendons.

“Many horse owners buy bales of alfalfa and bales of grass hay and feed several flakes of grass hay and one flake of alfalfa” as needed, says Krista Lea, MS, forage extension specialist and research analyst at UK.

“Owners just need to manage the diet carefully … and make transitions to and from alfalfa slowly.”.

Because it’s so nutrient-dense, it is a good feed for underweight horses.

“Alfalfa producers who market hay for horses are aware of the issue of blister beetles,” he says. Key Features.
Plant breeding was also beginning by the 1900s, and plant scientists were able to develop alfalfa plants that were better adapted to various soils in the U.S.” Modern plant breeding has also improved this legume’s disease resistance.

It can be detrimental, however, to horses with impaired kidneys or liver.

These horses are affected by hyperkalemia, or an excessive amount of potassium in the blood, which causes their muscles to contract more readily than normal and makes them susceptible to sporadic episodes of muscle tremors or paralysis. I found this to be very puzzling since alfalfa is low in sugar and starch, even lower than most grass hays. Most performance horses can maintain their weight on good-quality grass forage, and this seems to be particularly true of horses with warmblood, draft, or pony ancestry.

Alfalfa cubes are an excellent source of nutrition for horses, and can be used for everything from putting weight on a skinny horse, to maintaining weight on a pregnant, nursing, or heavily worked horse, to ensuring an older horse receives the nutrition he needs. Horses on straight alfalfa also have the highest requirements for water to process metabolites of the extra protein through their urine. Long-stem forage will take longer to consume and contribute to reducing the time she goes without something to eat.

These horses are particularly sensitive to alfalfa’s high potassium content. The pros and cons of Grass and Alfalfa.

And, so, that fragrant green bale comes loaded with nutrients and, for some horse owners, a multitude of misconceptions. Palatability. This can offer some cost savings if you also have horses that do fine on the less-nutrient-dense hay. When coupled with a calorie-dense concentrate formulated for mares, alfalfa hay provides a well-rounded diet for lean, high-producing broodmares. Alfalfa seeds and sprouts, however, contain the non essential amino acid canavanine, which does interfere with the metabolism. “(It) does have more energy compared to grass hay of similar maturity, so perhaps a horse eating a lot of alfalfa in the absence of exercise may have more energy,” she says. If the concentrate and alfalfa combination provides too much energy, a balancer pellet or vitamin and mineral supplement will supply essential nutrients. If your horse doesn’t need the high nutrition value of pure alfalfa, look for a mixed grass/alfalfa hay. Both grain hays and alfalfa also have very unbalanced mineral profiles that will require careful supplementation.

Whatever your alfalfa experience, we’re here to tell you everything you need to know about this forage, starting with a little bit of history, and clear up any confusion about it. Alfalfa hay would not be the best forage for certain groups of horses. Excess protein is excreted without harm to the horse. “Potassium levels in forage are dependent on what the plants are pulling out of the soil, however,” says Duren.

Possible Link Between Selenium and Cribbing in Horses, Hot Blood, Warm Blood, Cold Blood in Horses, Winter Care of Horses: Blankets and Body Condition, Preserving Horse Health in the Face of Low-Quality Forage, Grazing Systems for Horses: Continuous and Rotational. Alfalfa is a good source of nutrients for sport horses, but owners might want to avoid offering it when horses are working hard in hot weather, says Duren. The last thing you want on an endurance ride where the horse is sweating for long periods is the increased body heat, water needs, and urine production described. “It can make a difference how and where the alfalfa was grown and whether it was fertilized with manure—which really drives the potassium levels higher. 3.
Beetles killed by the haying equipment can end up in the hay.

Excess protein, like excess energy has been implicated as a cause of developmental orthopedic disease in growing horses. Sign up for free now! A concentrate specifically formulated for weanlings should be fed alongside the alfalfa hay. Long stem hay is the traditional baled hay.

Grasses you’re likely familiar with include orchardgrass, timothy, and bermudagrass and are long and stemmy. “Extra protein cannot be stored in the body like extra fat or carbohydrates and must be excreted,” says Duren. When incorporating alfalfa into a horse’s diet, plan for the animal’s specific nutritional needs. “With growing horses, however, use caution in amount fed, simply so they don’t grow too quickly or get too big too fast and become at risk for, Alfalfa is also suitable for horses prone to. How much do you really know about this leafy green legume? “The beetles will be very concentrated; if you find one or two you will usually find many.” He adds that 99% of bloomed hay won’t have beetles in it.

Geriatric horses can also become especially hard keepers during the cold months as they use energy to keep warm. To determine if alfalfa hay fits into your feeding program, consult with an equine nutritionist. Therefore, less alfalfa hay may be fed to meet energy requirements. Aside from fresh, green grass, alfalfa is the likeliest choice. Blister beetles feed on alfalfa blossoms and might swarm fields during harvest. Performance horses.

Feeding alfalfa hay would not be appropriate for young horses that show a propensity for growth problems.

… Duren also doesn’t recommend feeding straight alfalfa to endurance horses due to its protein and calcium content. Good quality alfalfa hay that is fed in appropriate amounts will not make normal horses sick.

Required fields are marked *. The diuretic and laxative effects may be useful in a weight loss plan, but they are generally used to help to increase weight.


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