Can you feed a horse too much alfalfa?

It can be detrimental, however, to horses with impaired kidneys or liver. These individuals have problems processing and excreting protein and should be kept on a very low-protein diet. Duren also doesn’t recommend feeding straight alfalfa to endurance horses due to its protein and calcium content.

Why is alfalfa bad for horses?

Excess protein, like excess energy has been implicated as a cause of developmental orthopedic disease in growing horses. 3. Alfalfa hay contains too much calcium and/or magnesium a. The high calcium level causes a high calcium:phosphorus ratio which may contribute to developmental orthopedic disease b.

Does alfalfa make horses hot?

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.

How much feed should you give a horse?

Measure feed accurately and feed consistently

The average thousand-pound horse who relies on hay for all their forage typically eats fifteen to twenty pounds of hay per day. Most hay is dispensed in flakes; however, the amount of hay in a flake can vary greatly, depending on the size of the flake and the kind of hay.

Can you feed a horse straight alfalfa?

While feeding extra protein is wasteful, a high-protein diet in itself does not hurt a healthy horse. It can be detrimental, however, to horses with impaired kidneys or liver. … Duren also doesn’t recommend feeding straight alfalfa to endurance horses due to its protein and calcium content.

When should I cut my horse’s alfalfa?

The optimal compromise for higher forage quality and dry matter yield of alfalfa is to harvest the first cutting at the late-bud to first-flower stage and to make subsequent cuttings at 32-to-35 day intervals until late August or early-September, often referred to as a “4 summer-cut system.”13 мая 2010 г.

Can a horse founder on alfalfa hay?

Alfalfa can be an excellent addition to most horses’ diets, even for those that are insulin resistant (IR). … After years of working with horses, it appears that it may, in fact, lead to laminitis in some horses. I found this to be very puzzling since alfalfa is low in sugar and starch, even lower than most grass hays.

Is alfalfa good for older horses?

Timothy, high-quality grass hays, and 50% alfalfa mixes make good forage for older horses, Ralston says. Geriatric horses can also become especially hard keepers during the cold months as they use energy to keep warm.

Does alfalfa cause gas in horses?

High-quality alfalfa can cause excess gas in some horses. Given her history, it may be worth cutting back the alfalfa in the diet. My other suggestion is to replace the timothy pellets with more hay. Long-stem forage will take longer to consume and contribute to reducing the time she goes without something to eat.

Are alfalfa cubes safe for horses?

Alfalfa cubes are an excellent source of nutrition for horses, and can be used for everything from putting weight on a skinny horse, to maintaining weight on a pregnant, nursing, or heavily worked horse, to ensuring an older horse receives the nutrition he needs.

Can alfalfa cause diarrhea horses?

Good quality alfalfa hay that is fed in appropriate amounts will not make normal horses sick. Allowing horses unlimited access to very high quality alfalfa hay may result is some digestive upset (such as diarrhea). … Many performance horses develop stomach ulcers.

Does alfalfa make you gain weight?

The diuretic and laxative effects may be useful in a weight loss plan, but they are generally used to help to increase weight. Alfalfa seeds and sprouts, however, contain the non essential amino acid canavanine, which does interfere with the metabolism.

What is the best horse feed brand?

3 Best Horse Feed Brands

• Triple Crown. Triple Crown Offers nine different types of grain and seven different kinds of forage. …
• Nutrena Horse Feed. Nutrena offers thirty-three different types of grain, organized into seven product lines for different categories of horses. …
• Tribute Horse Feed.

Is sweet feed bad for horses?

Sweet feed is bad for horses—it’s nothing but sugar.” … Although molasses does contain sugar, the molasses used in many modern sweet feed products has lower levels of sugar than that of yesteryear. And, as with any feed related condition, proper management can minimize the problem.