Can Draft Horses Eat Alfalfa?

Common feed grains provided to draft horses included oats, corn and rolled barley. These may have been fed with protein and mineral supplements to avoid obvious nutrient deficiencies. Harvested forage that was traditionally fed to draft horses included timothy, alfalfa, grass or alfalfa-grass mixture hay.

What is the best feed for draft horses?

Like other breeds, mature draft horses should be fed a minimum of 1.5% of their body weight in forage daily, with a total intake between 1.5% and 3% of their body weight daily. Good-quality grass hay or grass-legume mixes usually suffice for horses, as does various pasture grasses during the growing season.

Why can’t horses eat alfalfa?

Alfalfa is not good for all horses.
Alfalfa will fatten horses not burning the excess calories in alfalfa. You shouldn’t feed horses with liver or kidney problems high protein diets, including alfalfa. It’s is also not a good idea to feed endurance horses too much alfalfa.

Does alfalfa put weight on horses?

Alfalfa is higher in calories and protein than grass hays, which makes it an excellent choice to help to add weight to a thin horse. If your horse tends to be wasteful with his hay, he may eat more when offered alfalfa hay cubes or pellets.

Is alfalfa good for weanlings?

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.

How many bales of hay does a draft horse eat?

Q: How many bales of hay does a horse eat per month? A horse can eat anywhere from 15-25 pounds of hay a day, which generally equates to a half of a 45/50-pound square bale of hay per day (~15-30 bales per month).

How much hay does a draft horse eat in the winter?

Horses should consume 2% of their body weight in hay. For example, a mature 1,000 pound horse should consume 20 pounds of hay per day. Some horses have higher energy requirements and require extra supplementation with grain during these months.

Can horses eat 100% alfalfa?

Alfalfa hay contains too much energy. a. It is too rich for horses in maintenance, causing excessive weight gain.

Who should not use alfalfa?

Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises children, pregnant women, older adults, or anyone else with a compromised immune system to avoid alfalfa sprouts and supplemental products derived from alfalfa seeds ( 16 ).

Is alfalfa or grass better for horses?

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.

How much alfalfa should I feed my horse per day?

So if you’re feeding nothing but alfalfa cubes, you should feed 1.5 to 2 percent of the horse’s body weight per day. If you’re giving it in addition to hay and/or grain, the total of everything should add up to 1.5 to 2 percent of the horse’s body weight.

How much alfalfa a day for a horse?

You could start with adding 1 lb (0.45 kg) per day per horse and see how well they tolerate it. Then you can slowly increase the amount as desired. You should observe a difference in weight with 2 lb (1 kg) of alfalfa pellets a day added to your current feeding program.

How much alfalfa should I feed my 1000 pound horse?

15-20 lbs per day
For a horse who eats little hay, however, you will need to feed his entire ration as pellets. Usually 15-20 lbs per day of alfalfa or timothy pellets for a 1000# horse.

Does alfalfa have more sugar than grass hay?

Horses that have Equine Metabolic Syndrome (insulin resistance) and are prone to laminitis may be sensitive to alfalfa, most likely because alfalfa has more sugar and is higher in starch than most grass hays.

What is the best feed for weanlings?

The forage source should be a high quality mixed (alfalfa and grass) hay or a fine-stemmed alfalfa hay. Mixed hay is preferred because of the more ideal balance (ratio) of calcium to phosphorus. Hay should be offered to the weanling at a rate of approximately nine to ten pounds per day.

Can alfalfa cause laminitis?

Alfalfa hay can cause horses to founder and develop laminitis due to the excess nutrients provided by the high quality hay if too much is fed. If switching from grass hay to alfalfa, generally less alfalfa is required to provide the same nutrients present in the grass hay.

Can you overfeed hay to a horse?

However, keep in mind that the bulk of your horse’s diet should be made up of grass or hay. Underfeeding hay or pasture, and overfeeding grains and concentrates can lead to colic.

How much pasture does a draft horse need?

Draft horse require a little more, while ponies not as much. This rule of thumb varies depending on quality of grass, terrain, and weather. An acre for one horse helps ensure there is enough forage for him to eat. If the grass grows poorly than one acre will not be sufficient.

How much does a draft horse drink a day?

Draft horses may drink up to 15 to 20 gallons of water a day. A lactating mare or a horse that has sweated a lot will drink more. Cold weather increases feed or energy intake so the horse can tolerate the weather.

Do draft horses do well in cold weather?

Horses are naturally designed to survive the winter months. As fewer hours of daylight are available, the horse’s internal clock sounds the alarm to grow more hair. The horse’s coat provides a natural defense against colder weather.

What is best to feed horses in winter?

In all scenarios, in winter months horses should be given at least 1.5 to 3% of their body weight in some form of forage; it could be in the form of long stem hay, chopped hays, forage based cubes, or combinations thereof. They should also have access to salt at all times and unlimited ice free water.