Alfalfa hay may not be the best feed for all horses in all situations, but it contains nutrients needed for many classes of horses. When should I cut my horse’s alfalfa? The common vegetable oils used in horse feeds are corn oil, soy oil and flax oil (linseed oil). These individuals have problems processing and excreting protein and should be kept on a very low-protein diet. How much alfalfa hay do you feed a 1,200 pound horse and how often? It is … Calcium is crucial for structural integrity of bone. When a horse refuses alfalfa hay products completely, then substituting other types of hay or soaked beet pulp without molasses with small amounts of Purina ® Equine Senior ® may entice the horse to eat more feed. Horses can normally eat 1.5-2% of their body weight in hay, which equates to 18-24 lbs. Feeding rates recommended for concentrate feeds are based on feeding with good quality grass hay. For the horse who might have some respiratory sensitivities, fines can be mixed into a meal or wet down slightly, but, in general, the particles are much too large to actually be inhaled into the lungs. Nutritional value. For the horse who might have some respiratory sensitivities, fines can be mixed into a meal or wet down slightly, but, in general, the particles are much too large to actually be inhaled into the lungs. For my horses, I feed grass hay (1 1/2-2% of their body weight per day), alfalfa at 10% of their body weight per day, pasture and an herbal mineral supplement to make up for the nutritional deficiencies in the hay. Our feed store is out of alfalfa hay and will be for sometime. The difference between alfalfa hay and the alfalfa cube is the size of the package. Bales– the typical horse owner feeds Alfalfa in ~50 pound square bales. The quality of the hay will determine how much is needed and if supplemental grain should be added. Timothy, high-quality grass hays, and 50% alfalfa mixes make good forage for older horses, Ralston says. Alfalfa hay and timothy hay are different nutritionally. In addition, some older horses with reduced liver and kidney function find it difficult to excrete waste products associated with eating too much protein. I've been feeding my mare one flake of alfalfa … When it comes to feeding your horses you know how important it is for me to look out for healthy organic and natural products. Grass hay falls short of meeting the nutrient requirements of high production life stages, but is an excellent filler for horses that require bulk in the diet. The amount of alfalfa cubes you feed a horse is dependant on the size and workload of the animal. Alfalfa hay may not be the best feed for all horses in all situations, but it contains nutrients needed for many classes of horses. I found this to be very puzzling since alfalfa is low in sugar and starch, even lower than most grass hays. Answer. Horses require fiber in their diet for the gut to function normally It is recommended that the diet contain no less than 1 percent of body weight of roughage such as hay, pasture, etc. early bloom alfalfa hay, the difference is much smaller than for lower quality hays such as late-maturity grass hays. This can also lead to weight loss since the old horse is not given adequate access to feed. Feeding horses Alfalfa reduces or even eliminates the need for supplements which often have a … Feeding a foundered or prone-to-founder horse usually means a magnesium/chromium supplement, with or without an amino-acid supplement, and an essential (as in Omega 3) fatty acid supplement. Duren also doesn’t recommend feeding straight alfalfa to endurance horses due to its protein and calcium content. Horses fed to appetite consumed 17 to 25% more cubed alfalfa than long-stem hay. of hay per day. Alfalfa seeds and sprouts, however, contain the non essential amino acid canavanine, which does interfere with the metabolism. This need can be met by supplying Alfalfa as half of a horse’s roughage. Adding Alfalfa pellets to your horse's daily diet has its reasons. Adding horses to, or taking horses out of, a pasture containing an old horse changes the herd dynamics and sends the old horse to the bottom of the pecking order. Is alfalfa hard on horses’ kidneys? THREE RISKS OF FEEDING TOO MUCH ALFALFA TO HORSES: Feeding more protein than your horse requires can result in gastric indigestion as well as fermentation and putrefaction in the hindgut. This is only a rough guide. This will give the appropriate poundage of alfalfa to give the horse daily in addition to grass hay. Alfalfa contains higher concentrations of protein and calcium compared to timothy hay (Table 1). Alfalfa cube is a highly nutritional feed option for horses. Good quality hay should be bright green in color with little fading. Good alfalfa can be 18-20% protein and 55% TDN or energy. should eat approximately 16 pounds of alfalfa cubes per day. Your pony probably won't need the nutrition provided by alfalfa and clovers. If using good quality alfalfa hay, reduce the amount of Purina feed recommended by 1/2 to 1 lb/day. Most good grass hay (oat and rye) is 10-12% protein and 45% TDN and will have a 2 to 1 Ca/P ratio. With the alfalfa cube, the forage is coarsely chopped and then mechanically compressed into a 1.25 by 2-inch cube. After observing the horse for a period of time, the amount fed may be increased or decreased by 10% to obtain the desired body condition and weight. Try putting your alfalfa bale on an empty feed bag before you open the bale, and feed the small pieces that fall out in the feed trough or bucket. Alfalfa is also very high in calcium (5 to 1 Ca/P ratio). Your email address will not be published. Therefore, the key to feeding older horses is to use high quality protein from sources like alfalfa, soybean … Heavily pregnant or lactating mares, and young rapidly growing horses, benefit from alfalfa… Feed grass hay, possibly a little alfalfa hay, or rinsed sugar beet, BUT stay away from corn, oats, barley, and especially stay away from sugar as molasses. High-quality (“dairy”) alfalfa supplies 20 to 25 percent more calories per pound than grass hays, although the difference is much smaller for more mature cuts of alfalfa. 2015-41595-24254 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Good alfalfa can be 18-20% protein and 55% TDN or energy. 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. You’ll now be able to calculate the approximate number of flakes you should feed your horse daily. Getting your horse high quality Alfalfa Pellets, best organic pellets, is of foremost importance. For horses housed and fed outside in the more severe winter climates, it is strongly recommended that forages be offered in feeders located under a three-sided shelter. early bloom alfalfa hay, the difference is much smaller than for lower quality hays such as late-maturity grass hays. Clearly, weighing hay is the most effective way to measure the correct amount. of hay per day. High-quality, properly fenced pastures are one of the best and least expensive sources of summer feed for a horse. Overweight. Both are reining-bred, and both are easy, easy keepers. I have two Quarter Horse broodmares, one 11 and one 17 years old. This work is supported by New Technologies for Agriculture Extension grant no. Because of this huge drought in Texas, they are having to get their hay out of state and they're having some problems. If the horse is unable to chew alfalfa hay, substitute alfalfa cubes or pellets soaked in water during the initial refeeding period. High-quality (“dairy”) alfalfa supplies 20 to 25 percent more calories per pound than grass hays, although the difference is much smaller for more mature cuts of alfalfa. Feeding rates recommended for concentrate feeds are based on feeding with good quality grass hay. They are not just fed to fill the tummy up but to treat several health issues as well. Roughly 3/4 to 1 pound of digestible protein (DP) will meet most horses’ daily requirement. It can be detrimental, however, to horses with impaired kidneys or liver. A mature horse can eat 3% of its body weight daily. Good pasture alone is sufficient to meet all of the nutritional requirements for many classes of horses. Your hay analysis should show the DM content of your forage. Nutritionally speaking, however, they are very different. After observing the horse for a period of time, the amount fed may be increased or decreased by 10% to obtain the desired body condition and weight. Remember to feed in as many small portions as possible. The amount and type of hay fed relates to the other feeds you use and the use of your horse. Therefore when horse owners use alfalfa cubes in a diet for horses, the cubes replace hay of … Bales– the typical horse owner feeds Alfalfa in ~50 pound square bales. Heavily pregnant or lactating mares, and young rapidly growing horses, benefit from alfalfa… A well-kept pasture also is the most natural and healthy environment for exercise and rest. The short answer is yes, it is perfectly acceptable to feed your mares alfalfa hay. … Duren also doesn’t recommend feeding straight alfalfa to endurance horses due to its protein and calcium content. Protein, which is used for energy, has the added tax associated … Adding Alfalfa pellets to your horse's daily diet has its reasons. Flakes are a thin, easy to separate rectangular portion of a horse bale. If your horse falls into the at-risk category, consider these diet changes. But, it's essential to know that Alfalfa pellets won't replace hay. If you are feeding 100% hay and your hay contains 90% DM (or 10% moisture), your 1000 lb horse should be fed 20 lb of hay (18 lb DM/0.9) straight from the bale each day. Based on what we know right now, for horses that are kept in confinement, eating feed and getting forced exercise, it makes sense to consider some alfalfa as part of their diet, he said. Until further research is done, he recommends, horses weighing between 1,000-1,300 pounds should be fed about 1 pound of alfalfa after a grain meal. Horses kept outdoors will have higher energy requirements and the higher energy forages such as alfalfa or … Well, that all depends on the horse’s size, age and work load. Equine Feed Calculator Fortunately, horses do quite well on a forage based diet of hay along with minerals and good clean water. Take 1-2% of the horse’s body weight and divide this by four. If using good quality alfalfa hay, reduce the amount of Purina feed recommended by 1/2 to 1 lb/day. Ponies need only the fraction of the feed that horses do. Alfalfa cubes are handier than hay flakes as they are much … Geriatric horses can also become especially hard keepers during the cold months as they use energy to keep warm. Can I feed them all-they-can-eat alfalfa hay? Grass hay falls short of meeting the nutrient requirements of high production life stages, but is an excellent filler for horses that require bulk in the diet. He maintained his weight on pasture and 1% of his body weight in pellets in the growing season, and then 1.5% of his body weight in pellets in the winter. The diuretic and laxative effects may be useful in a weight loss plan, but they are generally used to help to increase weight. Grass hay falls short of meeting the nutrient requirements of high production life stages, but is an excellent filler for horses that require bulk in the diet. The average thousand-pound horse who relies on hay for all their forage typically eats fifteen to twenty pounds of hay per day. Getting your horse high quality Alfalfa Pellets, best organic pellets, is of foremost importance. Required fields are marked *. So if a flake weighs about four pounds, you’ll need to feed your one thousand pound horses five flakes every day. Many myths surround alfalfa’s use, and horse owners often underutilize or misuse it, even though it’s a high- quality horse feed. Horses also have a fiber requirement and tend to get bored when roughage (hay) is limited. Most of these horses are owned and managed for recreation or sport rather than for profit. When it comes to feeding your horses you know how important it is for me to look out for healthy organic and natural products. If a horse is in training or working hard, its calorie needs increase. Generally, horses eat between 1 1/2-2 lbs. Ultimately, alfalfa is preferred forage for horses because it digests easily, is high in fiber and contains many essential nutrients. 1 Flake timothy hay [email protected] x 4 flakes per day = 20 pounds per day x 800 calories = 16Mcal (16,000 calories) 1 Flake Alfalfa hay [email protected] x 4 flakes per day = 12 pounds per day x 1000 calories = 12Mcal (12,000 calories). If good quality baled Alfalfa isn’t available, substitute Alfalfa pellets or cubes. 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. Alfalfa can be an excellent addition to most horses’ diets, even for those that are insulin resistant (IR). A horse needs a fairly small amount of protein per day. 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. Your email address will not be published. Storage condition and age have a significant effect on vitamin content of hays. The horses’ age, activity level, breed, and stage of life can all have a tremendous affect on the amount of feed that they require. If good quality baled Alfalfa isn’t available, substitute Alfalfa pellets or cubes. Horses evolved as a grazing animal, which means that they are meant to nibble on small amounts of food over the course of an entire day, and most of this food should be in the form of roughage, or hay. of their body weight. For gut health and welfare reasons, she says owners should offer forage at no less than 1.5% of the horse’s body weight per day on a dry matter basis, unless a … The basic principles of feeding laminitic horses are well-established: Avoid high-sugar and … It is also an important component of hoof horn and research by the Royal Dick Vet School showed that including alfalfa in the … Alfalfa hay may not be the best feed for all horses in all situations, but it contains nutrients needed for many classes of horses. Not all older horses are hard keepers. More myths are associated with feeding horses than with feeding most other animals, in part because an increasing number of horse owners are unfamiliar with the basics of horse nutrition. Hay for ponies should be good quality grass hay. A typical horse weighing 1,100 lbs. Nutritional value. Alfalfa Hay, with its higher protein and adequate energy amounts might be the ideal feed for a hard working ranch horse, but it could be too rich of a feed for a retired backyard horse in the same amount. This can contribute to leaky gut and will create too much ammonia which is toxic to the liver and kidneys if accumulated in excess amounts. The quality of the hay will determine how much is needed and if supplemental grain should be added. That’s 30 lbs of hay per day for a 1000 lb horse. Try putting your alfalfa bale on an empty feed bag before you open the bale, and feed the small pieces that fall out in the feed trough or bucket. Always have your hay analyzed so you can match the grain supplementation to your horse’s needs. In general, feed hay twice a day; limit alfalfa to one-half of your roughage; and feed grain according to body condition and use of the horse. A bleached, yellow, brown or black color may indicate aged hay, mold or poor storage conditions. A simple formula to decide how much alfalfa to feed will enable the caretaker to monitor this intake. They carry alfalfa pellets and that's what I'll have to use until they get more. However, some hays may be deficient in an essential nutrient or, depending on the breeding status and activity level, some horses may need more or less hay in order to be in good body condition. … After years of working with horses, it appears that it may, in fact, lead to laminitis in some horses. Productive, well-managed pastures can provide most of the feed requirements of horses for the least cost. For example, a 1,100 pound horse requires at least 11 pounds of roughage. To sustain a healthy weight, a horse needs to consume a daily ration of 2 to 3 percent of his body weight each day; of that, at least 1.5 to 2 percent needs to be some form of forage. Horses can normally eat 1.5-2% of their body weight in hay, which equates to 18-24 lbs. Canola oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil and palm oil are also used, but less frequently. Benefits: Legumes are higher in protein and calcium than grass hay, and may also provide more energy and a higher level of total digestible nutrients, such as vitamin A. Alfalfa is very palatable to horses, so they tend to waste less of it compared to grass hay. But, it's essential to know that Alfalfa pellets won't replace hay. One of the main expenses in owning a horse is feed. While feeding extra protein is wasteful, a high-protein diet in itself does not hurt a healthy horse. Alfalfa horse feed contain nearly three times as much calcium as grass. These fodders, which are more energy and nutrient dense than many grass hay, are often too rich for a pony. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It can be detrimental, however, to horses with impaired kidneys or liver. For variety in the diet, I found timothy and orchard grass pellets, and then a few pounds of alfalfa pellets for protein. At the same time, p… Adding Alfalfa Cubes to Your Horse’s Diet Start by replacing 1/4 of your horse’s old feed with … Horses that are fed alfalfa cubes tend to eat all the cubes provided, whereas horses fed long-stem alfalfa hay will sort through the hay and not eat all the hay offered.