Is Alfalfa Bad For Older Horses?

Alfalfa alongside good-quality grass hay is an ideal forage choice for senior horses. Older horses often struggle to maintain their body weight and can benefit from the extra protein and calories in alfalfa hay.

Should Senior horses Get alfalfa?

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.

Why is alfalfa bad for horses?

These horses are affected by hyperkalemia, or an excessive amount of potassium in the blood, which causes their muscles to contract more readily than normal and makes them susceptible to sporadic episodes of muscle tremors or paralysis. These horses are particularly sensitive to alfalfa’s high potassium content.

What should you feed a senior horse?

Good quality grass hay and corn or a complete pelleted ration for mature (not aged) horses are the feeds of choice. Avoid legumes (alfalfa and clover), wheat bran and beet pulp due to high calcium (legumes, beet pulp) or phosphorus (wheat bran) content.

Can senior horses eat alfalfa pellets?

Soak alfalfa pellets when feeding older horses.
Pellets are small and easy for older horses to consume once softened. To a certain extent, pellets and cubes are hard; 30 minutes of soaking before feeding make a suitable protein source for horses that have difficulty eating grass or hay because of dental problems.

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.

Which is better for horses timothy or alfalfa?

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.

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.

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 ).

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.

What age is considered senior for horses?

By age definition “senior” horse has been defined as 15+ years of age. Due to improvements in veterinary care and nutrition, horse routinely live 25-30 years of age, some into their 40’s. It is not uncommon to see horses in late teens and twenties performing at high levels.

What should I feed my overweight senior horse?

Overweight horses should be offered moderate quality grass hay at 1.5% of current body weight, split into several meals per day. Using small hole hay nets will help to extend meal times.

Is a 20 year old horse a senior?

So how old is old? Most experts agree a horse can be considered geriatric when he reaches 18 to 20 years of age.

How do you fatten up a senior horse?

Adding Weight on Thin Senior Horses

1. Feed 1% of a high-quality forage daily (based on body weight).
2. Offer a complete feed specifically designed for senior horses with higher digestible fiber at a minimum of 0.5% body weight.
3. Feed a senior horse more frequently, at least three times daily.

Should horses with laminitis eat alfalfa?

The horse should be fed low-NSC hay at the rate of 1.5 to 2% of body weight. Alfalfa hay (lucerne) can be part of the diet during the acute stages.

Can Cushings horses eat alfalfa?

Alfalfa can be a good option for a horse with Cushings if they are a hard time holding their weight because it is more calorie-dense than grass hay.

Is alfalfa hay hard on horses kidneys?

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

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.

Does alfalfa cause inflammation in horses?

THREE RISKS OF FEEDING TOO MUCH ALFALFA TO HORSES:
Horses that are on high protein diets become overly acidic which can cause inflammation in various body systems including the joints and hooves. They may get “hot”, anxious or agitated, or show signs of liver or kidney stress.

Is clover better than alfalfa?

Clover also has polyphenol oxidase enzymes that inhibit protein breakdown for more bypass protein — 25-35% — than alfalfa — 15-25% — thus enabling lower-cost rations as they have less added, very expensive bypass protein.

What hay is not good for horses?

Bahiagrass: This grass hails from the southern coastal plains. It’s typically found in pastures, so the stuff they make into hay is not that great for horses. Overly mature Bahiagrass hay can cause ergot poisoning, so buyer beware.