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Author
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Topic: alfalfa bailed
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castana4
Junior Member
Member # 1763
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posted May 04, 2004 12:39 PM
im from the uk and now living in spain they feed there horses realy different here. I have my horse on full livery and nearly every yard around my area feed one type of food and alfalfa bailed.
iI have heard so many things good and bad about alfalfa i read its fed to cattle to fattern them up for slaughter and can damage the horse if fed all the time. The problem is theres no grass here and nothing much else to feed what shall i do????????????????????? ![[Confused]](confused.gif)
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lisa morton
Posts: 25 | From: spain | Registered: Feb 2004
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th72
Member
Member # 1618
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posted May 04, 2004 01:06 PM
I don't know if alfalfa is different in the U.S. and in Spain, but I have been feeding my horses alfalfa since last July, and they have been fine. it is higher in nutrients, so you don't need to feed much. but, they seem to like it. and here, it's not bad for them unless you feed them too much.
don't know if this helped or not, but good luck. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
--tara
Posts: 117 | From: Utah | Registered: Feb 2004
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Rocking BT Ranch
Member
Member # 1840
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posted May 04, 2004 01:13 PM
Hmm I'm like TH, not sure if Alfalfa there is different than what we feed here in the US. Since it's really hard to get here, I feed the Purina ground alfalfa. When I first start a horse on it I ease them into it slowly the first few days, because until they are used to eating it..it can give them the back door trots.
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Posts: 188 | From: Arkansas-mving to Upstate NY | Registered: Mar 2004
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MiniHorseGrl
Member
Member # 2197
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posted May 04, 2004 01:25 PM
well, we strated feeding our horses alfalfa last year, since its almsot the only hay my sister's horse ISNT allergic too, but then he almost coliced on it, and we asked the vet about it, and she said it isnt very healthy for them after being on it too long....bont know if thats true or a myth kinda thing, but now luc has to have hay hes allergic too, and get try-hist daily, hehehe
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I Love my Minis!
Posts: 381 | From: Lockport,NY | Registered: Apr 2004
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Cyn
Member
Member # 1208
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posted May 04, 2004 01:56 PM
I have fed my horses alfalfa for as long as I remember. I feed alfalfa in the am and oat or wheat hay in the pm. I don't know the difference between the countries.
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*Cyndy*
Counting the days Til Sugar foals...DUE APRIL 29.
Posts: 1021 | From: Central, Ca | Registered: Dec 2003
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Blistering Winds
Member
Member # 843
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posted May 04, 2004 02:33 PM
I don't know if it is any different than over here. SHouldnt be. But Alfalfa is excellent for horses.
It is high in nutrients.
I do know, if you give supplements, back off on Calcium (learned this recently). ALfalfa is usually high in Calcium, and if you give extra supplements, can cause urinary calculi. But this is a rare occurance to begin with. Mostly happens with horses who do nothing and get fed high concentrations of Calcium.
But other than that, it is Excellent overall. During the summer, my horse doesn't get any grain because he's on Alfalfa.
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Horses should not be treated as people. They should be respected for who they are and what they are capable of doing!
Born Free Now Expensive
Posts: 4337 | From: Texas | Registered: Oct 2003
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ejforrest
Member
Member # 1414
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posted May 11, 2004 03:48 AM
Alfalfa hay is high in protien which is good for broodmares, and growing horses. Its crude protein content can be 20% or higher. An adult horse only needs about 8% to 10% of protein.
If your feed store carries pelleted feed you can use that for an equines diet.
Hay can be pressed into cubes, chopped and processed into pellets, or fermented as silage or haylage.
Cubes and pellets come in a variety of sizes and textures, from soft and crumble to quite hard, and they might be all alfalfa, all grass hay or a mixture.
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ej
Posts: 278 | From: michigan | Registered: Jan 2004
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spyro1
Member
Member # 647
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posted May 11, 2004 05:07 AM
I think that like with all grains/hays, you will find people who have had a negative experience wiht it. I have fed alfalfa with no bad side effects. Like BW said above, the main thing to remember when feeding alfalfa, is to make sure that you are not feeding any other calcium supplement. Alfalfa is a great source of calcium and no extra supplementation is necessary. I would stay with a low percentage grain, 10% or oats, because alfalfa is high in protein.
Do they not offer a grass hay over there in Spain?
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Posts: 2755 | From: Sunny South Florida | Registered: Aug 2003
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