Veterinarians recommend adding some long stemmed soft leafy alfalfa hay to the horse's diet. For horses, alfalfa and clover are the two legume hays that are most commonly fed. And unlimited access to such a highly palatable food as alfalfa may lead to significant weight gain. Horse Nutrition: Alfalfa hay for horses supports a healthy intestine and removes excess acids from the blood. Keep in mind that alfalfa usually has more energy per equal weight of a grass or mixed (grass/legume) hay. Horses will drink more, leading to wetter and smellier stalls. Not the Perfect Food, but … In summary, while alfalfa isn't a complete, "whole" food for horses, it doesn't have to be avoided either-if you make it a point to balance your horse's diet so he's getting everything he needs in the right amounts. There are many horses who need extra calcium or protein in their diets, and alfalfa is an excellent natural source of those nutrients. While the lower relative nutrition level of grass hay makes it a good filler, it does have relatively more carbohydrates. The high levels of calcium in alfalfa can lead to the formation of enteroliths in the intestines of some horses. Prior to soaking, both alfalfa hays were below 10 percent NSC (Table 1). Most horses love this leafy, green hay. Alfalfa is quite delicious, and horse will readily eat it. Legume hay is higher in protein and calcium than grass hay is. To order any of the products mentioned in this post or other  products for you or your horses, please visit my online store. In fact, depending on when they were cut, they could be even higher. Some Advantages Horses love it! Desperate Seller 4. Due to alfalfa's high protein content, excess protein will be burned as a fuel and the waste is eliminated in the urine as urea, which is convert- ed to ammonia. Fresh alfalfa hay contains enzymes which help break down proteins, fats and carbohydrates. This is counter intuitive for most horse people, but is certainly something to keep in mind in regards to your horse. Horse Nutrition: Alfalfa hay for horses is a very rich horse feed containing ample protein, beta carotene, chlorophyll and trace minerals. But with this said, I will go on to say that there are situations in which alfalfa hay is very good for horses. The choice between alfalfa and oat hay depends on price per unit of energy or protein and the type of horse being fed. This can cause "thumps" or muscular problems in horses working hard, or weakness and muscular problems in mares when they first start to produce milk. The most productive and popular legume hay is Alfalfa as it is a highly nutritious and a high yield crop. High quality ("dairy") alfalfa supplies 20% to 25% more calories per pound than grass hays, although the difference is much smaller for more mature cuts of alfalfa. Give a horse the opportunity to choose among flakes of all-grass hay, grass-alfalfa mix, and all-alfalfa, chances are he will chow down the alfalfa flake first. Alfalfa buffers stomach acid for up to 6 hours after it is consumed which makes it an ideal horse feed for working horses subject to stomach ulcers. Alfalfa is rich in protein which is made up of the building blocks amino acids. Grasses have higher NSC levels because they store their carbohydrates as fructan. It contains, on average, only 7% sugar, which is less than what you would find in standard horse hay. For example, Alfalfa contains 21.2% protein and 11% simple starches. It is higher in calcium which can be good and bad. Basically just dumped out in a 20 or 30 foot long trough. As are peanuts, and all are members of the pea family. Fresh alfalfa hay is the best to use as a horse feed. It isn't any healthier for them than it is for us. When an alfalfa crop is properly cared for, baled, and stored, the high leaf to stem ratio can provide a very high quality forage product. This is not good for easy keepers, as you exceed their energy requirement while trying to meet their fiber requirement, which leads to fat or hot horses. Hay hay and more hay. Adequate mineral levels, in correct proportions, is the key.Myth: Alfalfa's high protein causes kidney problems.Fact: High protein is not harmful to the kidneys. It is now also possible to buy alfalfa haylage. Thus, this hay didn’t need soaking for horses with PSSM and laminitis. Timothy, Orchard, Alfalfa, Fescue. Okay, so call me clueless or just brainwashed or somethin ( ), but I grew up ALWAYS with the impression that alfalfa, straight alfalfa, is not good for most easy-keeper, in moderate work horses.That it was ONLY for high-octane, performance, worked 7 days a week horses. Although haylage can have a higher nutritional value than hay, if good quality hay is in short supply it is better to feed haylage, and make sure your horse is getting enough forage in their diet, rather than providing a lesser amount of hay. Legume hays for horses - alfalfa and clover. Experts in horse nutrition recognize alfalfa as a high protein, mineral rich forage but few look at the energetic properties of this hay for horses. This higher content of protein and calcium can come with problems. The Downside Insulin-resistant horses prone to laminitis may be sensitive to alfalfa. We don?t really know exactly why, but research bears this. Fiber is provided by roughage sources such as hay, chaff, pasture, and beet pulp. Store it with string side on the vertical to … The roots of the alfalfa plant can reach 100 feet into the ground so it can reach minerals that are absent in shallow soils. the horses on kalua ranch in Hawaii are fed bags full of those cubes. Let's look at the pros and cons of alfalfa, and explore some of the myths. There are a few caveats, but the key is balance. Alfalfa hay has been both heralded and maligned as a feed for horses. Alfalfa, and clover hay for that matter, are both legumes. Horses are designed to eat fiber. Clinical measures of the horses' wellbeing were not affected by consumption of preservative-treated hay, indicating that the hay had no negative effects on the horses. Because of its taste appeal, higher digestibility, and the fact it is easier to chew, it is often a valuable addition to the diet of sick horses or senior horses. Grazing on an alfalfa pasture requires the same precautions as feeding alfalfa hay, plus some additional considerations. When making seasonal adjustments to your horse's diet, you'll need to give his digestive tract time to adapt. 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