Common Questions About Feeding Alfalfa to Horses

 

 

 

Understanding Alfalfa and Its Uses in Equine Diets

 

• Alfalfa, sometimes called lucerne, is a legume hay. Legumes, like peanuts, are part of the Leguminosae family of plants, which are distinguished by making pods for the seeds.

 

• It originated in southwest Asia and is now a popular feed worldwide. It’s also a good option for horses and other livestock, as it meets many nutritional needs.

 

• Other legumes include beans, lentils, and peas. The whole plant is used for horses, not just the seed pods.

 

What is alfalfa hay?

 

• Hay from the Medicago sativa plant is alfalfa. It’s known to be nutrient-dense, delicious, stemmy, full of energy, and unfortunately, the home to the deadly blister beetle.

 

• Many horse owners love alfalfa because it’s easy to find and feed and can help a sport horse have more energy. Alfalfa also has a reputation for making horses “hot.”

 

• For farmers and hay growers, alfalfa has the added bonus of helping fix nitrogen in the soil, making it healthier and supporting more plants or other crops.

 

Alfalfa, like most long-stem forage, can be dusty. 

 

Nutritional Benefits of Alfalfa for Horses

 

• You can consider alfalfa hay a well-rounded, but not perfect, forage for horse diets.

 

Protein

 

• It’s also chock-full of protein, making it ideal for growing youngsters, performance horses, and seniors who need more protein to support growth, training, nursing, and healing.

 

• Alfalfa is usually 16 to 22% crude protein, which easily meets the protein requirements of most horses. Protein helps muscles develop, young horses grow, and injured horses heal.

 

• However, too much protein interferes with kidney functions as they struggle to excrete extra nitrogen from protein digestion. This excess protein is another reason to balance alfalfa with other forages.

 

Vitamins and minerals

 

• Overall, alfalfa is a good source of vitamins like A, E, and K, as well as minerals like phosphorus, copper, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. Both copper and zinc play an important role in preventing sun bleaching and forming dapples in some horses.

 

• Most notably, alfalfa is full of calcium. It’s a good choice for ulcer-prone horses, as the added calcium helps to buffer stomach acids that contribute to gastric ulcers in horses.

 

Calories and NSC value

 

• Alfalfa also has more calories than grass hays, making it less ideal for easy keepers and overweight horses. But, it usually hovers around 11% for the non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) value. A lower NSC value means less sugar and starch in the hay, making it a good choice for horses with metabolic issues.

 

• As a general rule, it’s healthier for horses to eat a diet with a low total sugar intake.

 

Alfalfa tends to be stemmy with lots of tiny leaves, and may be brighter in color than grass hay.

 

The Calcium-Phosphorus ratio

 

• When we talk about equine nutrition, many ingredients are listed as ratios to each other. A prime example is the calcium-phosphorus ratio of alfalfa.

 

• The ideal Ca:P ratio for horses is 1.5-2 to 1. Alfalfa hay is usually about 6-9 to 1. This is significantly different than the idea ratio!

 

• Calcium is associated with bone health, but without another significant source of phosphorus, bone health is compromised, especially in younger horses.

 

• It’s most likely that a diet with significant alfalfa needs a phosphorus supplement for a safe and healthy diet.

 

• The calcium content in alfalfa is significantly higher than in most grass hays. While calcium is vital for bone health, maintaining the correct phosphorus ratio in the diet is crucial. An imbalance can lead to issues like skeletal problems, particularly in young, growing horses.

 

Alfalfa for Horses with Ulcers

 

• Many horses develop gastric ulcers as the acids in the lower, protected part of the stomach splash on the upper, unprotected areas. When a horse’s stomach is empty, this is more likely to happen, especially if there’s riding or exercise involved on an empty stomach.

 

• With alfalfa, the higher calcium buffers some gastric acid, softening the caustic nature of the acid.

 

• Feed several large handfuls of long-stem alfalfa before exercise to further reduce the risk of ulcers. The forage creates a hat or barrier between the acids and the upper, vulnerable stomach area to reduce the risk of ulcers further.

 

• Feeding alfalfa to horses with ulcers is not a cure but part of the larger plan to heal and prevent more ulcers from forming.

 

Slow feeding is best for all types of forage.

 

Risks Associated with Feeding Alfalfa to Horses

 

• Remember a few factors when you feel large amounts of alfalfa.

 

Weight gain

 

• The higher calories and high palatability of alfalfa make weight gain possible. For horses struggling with obesity or metabolic disorders that interfere with insulin secretion, like PPID (Cushing’s disease), equine metabolic syndrome EMS, and insulin resistance (IR), the extra weight can exacerbate the disorders and increase the risk of laminitis and joint problems.

 

Unbalanced Ca:P ratio

 

• The unbalanced ratio of calcium to phosphorus must balance with sufficient phosphorus intake from other sources, like a well-rounded supplement. When looking at the diet, also consider calcium found in feeds and supplements for a more complete picture.

 

Enteroliths

 

• Stones in the intestines of a horse are enteroliths. They begin as tiny specks of sand or another indigestible foreign object, and horses will begin coating that speck of sand with minerals, especially calcium. The process is similar to an oyster making a pearl. Enteroliths can grow to unbelievable sizes, from a small pea to larger than a softball.

 

• Sometimes enteroliths, the small ones anyway, can pass with manure. If they remain in the digestive tract, they can grow, and many horses have more than one.

 

• Colic and obstructions requiring surgery may occur, too.

 

Blister beetles

 

• There is likely no bug more dangerous for a horse than a blister beetle. While uncommon, blister beetle poisoning can cause death.

 

• These little bugs often end up in hay during the hay-making process. Dead and living blister beetles are equally dangerous.

 

• Blister beetles contain the toxin cantharidin, which creates blisters in the digestive system, starting at the mouth. The ulcers can be mild, create mild or severe colic, lead to respiratory problems, and ultimately death.

 

• The best preventative measures are knowing your hay suppliers’ source, inspecting each flake of alfalfa before feeding, and knowing when blister beetle season is if you get hay locally.

 

Blister beetles can have stripes, too!

 

Different Ways of Feeding Alfalfa to Horses

 

• Just like grass hay, you can feed different forms of alfalfa. What you choose depends on your horse’s dental situation, availability, convenience, your barn’s feeding routine, and what your horse prefers.

 

Comparing long-stem hay, pellets, and cubes

 

• Long-stem forage is usually the best choice for horses, as it provides more chewing time, and horses can pick through it as they eat. Chewing time increases with slow-feeding hay bags or nets, too. Long stem forage comes in compacted form or your typical 2 or 3-string bales.

 

• Chopped alfalfa is bagged, and is shortened long-stem to aid in chewing. 

 

• Generally, the nutritional analysis of hay cubes and pellets varies less than that of long-stem hay. Hay analysis is the best tool for scrutinizing hay bales.

 

Hay pellets

 

• These compact tabs of ground alfalfa are easy to find, store, and feed. They are wonderful for horses that only need a little alfalfa in their diet, have trouble chewing, or are sensitive to the presence of dust that usually accompanies long-stem hay.

 

• Pellets may be dehydrated or sun-cured to achieve the perfect moisture content. Dehydration occurs in manufacturing, using heat sources to dry the hay before processing into pellets. Sun-cured alfalfa dries in the field after cutting.

 

• The different drying processes largely depend on the climate where the alfalfa grows. Sun-cured pellets are more likely from arid areas, whereas dehydrated pellets usually originate from wetter climates.

 

• Most horses do best when pellets are soaked with water to reduce the likelihood of equine choke.

 

Read more about sun-cured and dehydrated hay pellets here.

 

 

Hay cubes

 

• Like hay pellets, cubes provide consistent nutritional value and minimal dust. The alfalfa plant is chopped and pressed into small cubes.

 

• This size is perfect as a little treat, but feeding them soaked is better to reduce the likelihood of choke.

 

Best practices for feeding alfalfa to horses

 

• As with any forage, feeding alfalfa should be part of a well-rounded diet and not the only source of nutrition. It’s hard to find phosphorus products that don’t also have calcium, but here’s one from Mad Barn. 

 

• Know your horse’s need for a diet with extra sources of calcium and digestible energy. Many types of horses don’t require these factors.

 

• Slowly increase quantities over two weeks when introducing alfalfa to let your horse acclimate to the change. You could give your horse a little less with more daily feedings to help this process.

 

• Use slow feeders to help your horse eat smaller portions throughout the day. Slow feeders that are interactive, like hay bags that roll, add some brain stimulation into feeding time, too.

 

• Use rotational grazing practices if your fields have alfalfa growing to prevent intensive grazing of this delicious plant. Also, the high calcium content of their pasture should be considered when looking at their overall diet.

 

Common Misconceptions About Alfalfa

 

• There are persistent misconceptions bout alfalfa hay for horses that warrant clarification.

 

Alfalfa makes horses hot – but not really

 

• When a horse has a high-quality, balanced diet, their bodies feel better and they are more like themselves. Is this because some ingredient made them “hot” or spooky? No. It’s more likely that proper nutrition gives them the energy to act more like a horse. A vet once told me that a new horse for a client became a new beast once the diet changed and turned out not to be a good match for their rider.

 

• Alfalfa has more “energy” than other feeds, but it won’t make your horse “hot” unless you are overfeeding or following a wildly unbalanced diet. If anything, it might magnify their natural state.

 

Will alfalfa dehydrate your horse?

 

• Dehydration can happen if you are not offering sufficient clean water.

 

• This myth started when people noticed a horse’s urination habits changed when fed alfalfa. The reality is the high protein content of alfalfa creates a lot of nitrogen. The kidneys excrete the excess protein in urine, which might change the urine’s look, smell, and frequency but should not dehydrate your horse.

 

• Remember to check their gums for stickiness that signals dehydration to verify your horse is ok.

 

 

Is an alfalfa-only diet OK? (It’s not)

 

• Ideally, you and an equine nutritionist have formulated a diet of forage, concentrated feeds, and supplements to address your horse’s location, access to pasture, medical issues, age, caloric needs, and more. Never fear, this is more affordable than two new saddle pads.

 

• A balanced diet is typically not a high alfalfa diet, and it includes more than one forage, appropriate vitamins and minerals to substitute missing nutrients, additional Omega-3 fatty acids, and supplements to support medical issues.

 

• Alfalfa alone is missing some ingredients and has other excessive ingredients. For horses to be healthy, there must be a broader diet with different types of forage. And, the high protein intake isn’t necessary for many horses.

 

Hay cubes and pellets are easier to eat when soaked in water. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

How much alfalfa should a horse eat daily?

 

A typical horse needs to eat 1.5% to 2% of their body weight in forage a day. Part of that measurement could be alfalfa mixed with a few flakes of grass hay. An overweight horse is better with a smaller portion of higher-calorie alfalfa than an underweight horse.

 

Should young horses be fed alfalfa, and how does it benefit them?

 

Yes, alfalfa can help young horses, mainly when they grow quickly. It has a lot of protein and calcium, supporting bone and muscle growth. However, you should mix it with other types of forage. The variety prevents them from growing too fast and helps provide appropriate phosphorus for the Ca:P ratio to prevent bone issues.

 

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