Feeding alfalfa alongside a traditional stud mix or cube encourages more chewing and therefore better digestion of the feed. The truth, of course, lies somewhere in between. ... owners to go to more of a grass hay and not a straight alfalfa hay. When should I cut my horse’s alfalfa? Alfalfa hay would not be the best forage for certain groups of horses. LMF California Complete is a pelleted feed that consists of beet pulp, alfalfa hay and other highly digestible fiber sources along with rice bran, oats and a complete vitamin and mineral package. … Duren also doesn’t recommend feeding straight alfalfa to endurance horses due to its protein and calcium content. I also chose this option because I am highly allergic to straight alfalfa. She eats about 12-14 pounds of alfalfa per day (half in the morning, half at night) along with about 5-6 pounds of pelleted feed per day (half at morning, half at night). Grain is also too rich and should be fed in small quantities. Straight alfalfa is not good for any breed. Feeding straight beet pulp is also not an optimum solution because of the soaking needed and the lack of some important vitamins and minerals. Here are some things you should know if you choose to feed a straight alfalfa diet. Start by replacing 1/4 of your horse’s old feed with alfalfa cubes. My horses loved all forms of alfalfa, even my double-Impressive bred quarter horse. It is too rich in protein, calcium and phosphorus which poison the liver. To hit the high spots, here are the conditions that are precipitated by too much alfalfa: •Diminished Performance. Grasses commonly used as hay are brome, orchard, and timothy. Young horses on this type of feeding program are predisposed to skeletal development issues. Let's look at the pros and cons of alfalfa, and explore some of the myths. Many horse owners may decide that a mix of legume and grass hay is the appropriate choice for their horse. No argument there. I’ve started to feed him the cubes twice a day along with free choice grass hay and hay stretcher pellets. Your horse will never … 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. Long stem hay is the traditional baled hay. It is cut, cured, and baled. I feed alfalfa hay to all my horses,(and have for years) I know many people that do, and they have no issues whatsoever. I’m reluctant to feed him straight alfalfa, as he’s quite a hot horse by nature. Horses descended from that stallion are often known to have HYPP, and can't tolerate alfalfa if they have it; but this horse did extremely well on it. For most horse owners, feeding a horse is the major cost of ownership. There are many types of hay harvested from grasses including alfalfa, timothy, clover and rye. The Alfa-A range are straight feeds and so should be fed alongside a stud balancer or supplement You might be interested: How to build a horse shelter. Recent tests of alfalfa hay in horse feeding schemes have proven no adverse affects as long as sufficient water was available in the diet. Some horsemen may be hesitant to feed hull-less oats because they believe the hulls contribute significantly to fiber intake of horses. Young horses should be fed a mixture of alfalfa and grass hay to help improve the Ca:P balance. in the urine, so horse owners that feed alfalfa to adult horses may find that the horses drink more water and urinate more than when they use a grass hay. Some owners choose to feed their horses straight alfalfa, but there is a downside. As for my horse, I have started feeding him alfalfa/timothy cubes as part of his forage ration. 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