When Should I Give My Horse Alfalfa?

Feeding alfalfa hay is good for horses that have difficulty putting and keeping on weight and for those in training. Alfalfa is bad for fast-growing young horses and ones with liver or kidney problems. And alfalfa is not so good for horses that don’t need the extra calories or protein.

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.

Will alfalfa fatten up a 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.

Is it OK to feed straight alfalfa to horses?

Alfalfa hay is an excellent source of energy, protein, calcium and some other nutrients for horses. Its concentrations of protein and calcium meet the nutrient needs of horses in high levels of production, such as growth and lactation, but exceed the nutrient requirements of horses in other life stages.

What does alfalfa do for horses?

“The biggest benefit of alfalfa for horses is that it tends to be more nutrient-dense than most grasses when harvested at the same stage of maturity,” says Martinson. It typically contains more digestible energy, more crude protein and calcium, and fewer nonstructural carbohydrates (sugars and starches).

Should I feed my horse alfalfa in the winter?

Do not be afraid to feed alfalfa! Alfalfa is a great way to increase the protein level of most forage sources. Feeding an alfalfa/grass hay mix is a great source of hay for that ‘hard keeper’ or that horse that is still growing or in training.

Is alfalfa hard on horses kidneys?

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

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 much alfalfa should I feed my 1000 pound horse?

Usually 12 to 15 lbs of a complete feed are needed to meet the average 1000 lb horse’s daily needs, which, if split into only two feedings, will overwhelm the horse’s digestive capacity.

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.

Can a horse colic on alfalfa?

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.

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.

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.

What are the side effects of alfalfa?

Alfalfa seed products may cause reactions that are similar to the autoimmune disease called lupus erythematosus. Alfalfa might also cause some people’s skin to become extra sensitive to the sun. Wear sunblock outside, especially if you are light-skinned.

Does alfalfa make horses thirsty?

Yes. Horses that are fed alfalfa have a tendency to drink more water. As a result, horses being fed this high protein and mineral rich legume have wetter stalls.

How late is too late for alfalfa?

PLANTING AFTER AUGUST 15^TH IS NOT RECOMMENDED DUE TO THE LIKELIHOOD OF FROST CONDITIONS THAT CAN DAMAGE EMERGENT YOUNG PLANTS. Alfalfa requires a minimum of six weeks after germination, and before a killing frost to ensure survival.

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.

At what temperature do horses need hay?

It’s recommended that you add *an additional* 2 pounds of hay for every 10 degrees F drop in temperature below 32 degrees. So for example, that means a 1,000-pound horse who eats 18 pounds of hay for a maintenance level, would need 20 pounds if the temperature is 30 degrees.

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.

Are alfalfa cubes or pellets better?

​Many horses do as well on alfalfa pellets and cubes as they do on alfalfa hay. One reason people prefer pelleted or cubed hay is that it tends to be a more consistent product that changes little between bags, unlike hay cuttings.

What should I feed my horse everyday?

Provide plenty of roughage
A horse should eat one to two percent of their body weight in roughage every day. Horses who spend much of their time in stalls aren’t doing much grazing, but their natural feeding patterns can be replicated by keeping hay in front of them for most of the day.