Can Horses Eat Alfalfa Every Day?

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.

How often should I feed my horse alfalfa?

Because of the limited capacity of its stomach, a horse should be fed small amounts of feed often. Unfortunately, domesticated horses are fed once or twice a day and if stabled, spend much of the day not eating.

How much alfalfa a day for a horse?

Alfalfa cubes are more appropriate either for lactating mares or growing horses and as a partial forage substitute. While up to 15 lbs or more can be fed per day, as little as 2 to 6 lbs of cubes per day can be used as a “hay extender” if only poor quality hay is available in limited quantities.

Can horses live on alfalfa?

She says alfalfa is ideal for horses on high planes of nutrition, such as lactating broodmares, growing horses, thin horses, racehorses, performance horses, or young foals that aren’t getting enough milk.

Can horses have unlimited alfalfa?

THREE RISKS OF FEEDING TOO MUCH ALFALFA TO HORSES:
They may get “hot”, anxious or agitated, or show signs of liver or kidney stress. In fact, some horses are so sensitive to alfalfa they cannot tolerate even small amounts.

Can you overfeed alfalfa?

Overfeeding of alfalfa hay and other feeds can lead to excess energy intake, but the high levels of protein and calcium of alfalfa hay by themselves have not been shown as individual factors in developmental orthopedic disease. Work – Nutrient requirements for work increase in proportion to energy requirements.

Can too much 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 feed a horse too much alfalfa pellets?

Alfalfa cubes and pellets can cause colic.
If allowed, horses eat more alfalfa cubes and pellets than is healthy. And pellets are concentrated in alfalfa hay, increasing the risk of colic. A horse will likely eat all the alfalfa cubes they have available, but when fed alfalfa hay, they are picky and often waste some.

Is timothy or alfalfa better for horses?

Alfalfa hay is typically higher in protein and essential nutrients than timothy hay, making Alfalfa a better option for more active animals that need a high-protein diet. Alfalfa also has more calories per pound than timothy, so it’s generally the preferred choice of sport horse owners.

Is alfalfa hard on horses kidneys?

Answer. Alfalfa (lucerne) products, whether hay, cubes, or pellets, are not known to cause kidney problems in horses.

How many bales of alfalfa does a 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). What is this? Always remember to take into consideration the quality of your hay.

Is grass or alfalfa better for horses?

Overall, grass lacks in nutrients, but it is a very common choice among horse owners. Some horses can be allergic to Alfalfa and so grass is the better option.

What are the cons of alfalfa?

Feeding Alfalfa is an excellent alternative to feeding excessive concentrates to get more calories into a horse’s diet. Cons: Alfalfa can be difficult to grow as it requires good drainage and soil fertility to grow well. Alfalfa cannot survive close grazing and tramping so is not as hardy as grass for your pasture mix.

Does alfalfa gain weight horse?

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.

Can horses eat 100% alfalfa?

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 make a horse hyper?

Alfalfa hay will make a horse hot, or crazy.
Alfalfa provides a significant amount of calories; however, an excess of calories in any form, whether from alfalfa, grain or oil, without the exercise to burn them, can result in an excessively energetic horse.

Is alfalfa good for older horses?

Therefore, the key to feeding older horses is to use high quality protein from sources like alfalfa, soybean meal and canola meal without oversupplying their requirements.

Does alfalfa give ulcers to horses?

Two recently published studies reported that feeding alfalfa chaff increased the incidence and/ or severity of glandular ulcers.

Should I soak my horses alfalfa cubes?

If the cube is not properly chewed, the horse can potentially choke. Most horses will properly chew forage cubes. However, for any horse that is new or naïve to forage cubes, tends to bolt their feed, or with poor dentition, it is recommended to soak the cubes in water prior to feeding them.

Can a horse colic on alfalfa pellets?

Any feed material can cause a digestive impaction if it is consumed rapidly. Many horses are safely fed diets consisting solely of alfalfa pellets without problems. However, poor quality alfalfa pellets or a rapid change to an alfalfa pellet diet can contribute to colic symptoms.

Should I soak my horses alfalfa pellets?

Healthy horses with normal teeth do not necessarily need to have soaked cubes, unless they bolt their feed; in these instances, soaking can help increase the time it takes them to finish the meal.