The
high calcium content of alfalfa causes an imbalanced calcium/phosphorus ratio
if not corrected by other feeds or supplements. Most adult horses seem to tolerate this, but it’s not ideal for pregnant mares and growing horses.
How does alfalfa affect horses?
“The biggest benefit of alfalfa for horses is that it tends to be
more nutrient-dense than most grasses
when harvested at the same stage of maturity,” says Martinson. It typically contains more digestible energy, more crude protein and calcium, and fewer nonstructural carbohydrates (sugars and starches).
Is feeding alfalfa bad for horses?
Good-quality alfalfa hay is appropriate for weanlings, yearlings, and other young horses. Keep in mind that alfalfa usually has more energy per equal weight of a grass or mixed (grass/legume) hay. Therefore, less alfalfa hay may be fed to meet energy requirements. …
Excess protein is excreted without harm to the horse
.
Does alfalfa make horses sick?
If a horse is not used to eating alfalfa,
you can cause them to get sick or colic by completely switching them over in one day with
a large amount of alfalfa. It can be really rich so they need to get used to it. A common complaint about Alfalfa is that it makes your horse hot or very energized.
Is grass hay or alfalfa better for horses?
Grass Hays are generally lower in overall nutrition than alfalfa hay
, but this makes grass hay ideal to meet the needs of filling a horse up and making them feel full, while still meeting their nutrient needs. While grass hay is lower in protein and calcium it is still a great source of feed for most horses.
Can a horse have too much alfalfa?
It can be detrimental
, however, to horses with impaired kidneys or liver. … “In California there are many cutting, reining, and other performance horses that eat a lot of alfalfa hay (due to its wide availability) and balancer pellets, and that’s their entire diet and they do fine.”
Does alfalfa cause colic in horses?
Rich alfalfa hay can also cause colic
, so we recommend feeding a grass hay or grass/alfalfa mix. Changes in management or a horse’s routine can be stressful and contribute to colic risk as well. … Intestinal parasites can lead to colic, particularly in the young horse.
Can I feed my horse straight alfalfa?
Horses can successfully consume alfalfa
, a good source of fibre and. protein. They can graze it in pastures or eat it as hay. … Myth: Do not feed straight alfalfa to young, growing horses.
How often should I feed my horse alfalfa?
In general, feed hay
twice a day
; limit alfalfa to one-half of your roughage; and feed grain according to body condition and use of the horse. Always have your hay analyzed so you can match the grain supplementation to your horse’s needs.
Can you feed a horse alfalfa?
Alfalfa hay is
an excellent source of energy, protein, calcium and some other nutrients for horses
. Its concentrations of protein and calcium meet the nutrient needs of horses in high levels of production, such as growth and lactation, but exceed the nutrient requirements of horses in other life stages.
Does alfalfa cause ulcers in horses?
Two recently published studies reported that feeding alfalfa chaff increased the incidence and/ or
severity of glandular ulcers
.
Will alfalfa make my horse hot?
Horses with high energy requirements can eat enough alfalfa to meet both energy and fiber requirements. … So while alfalfa
does contain higher protein it is not the culprit
when it comes to the increased energy levels that might make a horse “hot”.
How much alfalfa should I feed my horse a day?
should eat
approximately 16 pounds of alfalfa cubes per day
. Horses are individuals, and their diet should be adjusted based on their fitness level and body condition. If you notice your horse losing weight, feeding 1.5% of its body weight in alfalfa increase the volume of cubes you’re feeding.
Is alfalfa bad for older horses?
Older horses often have
difficulty eating hay
because their teeth are either worn down or missing. … Coleman has found that mixed grass-legume hay, such as orchard-alfalfa or timothy-alfalfa, is often a good choice.
What do you mix with alfalfa?
Desired alfalfa/grass mixes can be maintained by picking appropriate grass species and varieties. Timothy and smooth bromegrass tend to produce too much forage in the spring but little the rest of the year so we recommend mixing either
orchardgrass, tall fescue
, or mea- dow fescue with alfalfa.
Do horses prefer grass or hay?
While most horses do well and thrive on a
grass hay diet
, other horses with different needs and medical conditions are better suited to being fed a diet of grass/alfalfa mix, or an exclusively all alfalfa.
