alfalfa or grass hay

Patience · 10-13-2003, 10:33 PM

I need opinions and/or facts...which is better to feed horses. Alfalfa hay or grass hay? I have heard both.

Dawn · 10-14-2003, 06:45 AM

What do you do with your horse, and what do you currently feed?

PawNHoofPrints · 10-14-2003, 01:04 PM

Alfafa has been linked to the development of stones in the large intestine due to the high calcium content.

I personally use grass hay because I can free choice feed it to mares and like to make sure their manager is always full of hay.

Sandra-A1 · 10-14-2003, 02:03 PM

When we lived in California and had access to the wonderful Alfalfa grown in the Antelope Valley area we fed it to our horses.
Now that we are back in our home state we feed Bermuda grass hay. I will not pay the prices they charge for the Alfalfa hay they sell here and having been able to see what excellant quality Alfalfa looks like what we get here is inferior. Also I have no idea as to when it is cut and how it is baled so will not risk my horses getting Blister Beetle Poisoning.

While Alfalfa is a excellant hay, it does have it's problems. PawNHoofPrints has just mentioned one of the major ones. Blister Beetle poisoning is another! Unless you can get it from someone who knows when to cut and bale it, plus has it tested for Blister Beetles it is just not worth the risk! Like I said before it is really expensive around here so unless my Vet said that was all my horse could eat I doubt I will be buying it anymore.
Some places sell A&M by the bag and feed Alfalfa that way and there are the alfalfa pellets and cubes (which you have to watch because some horses choke on them)

In answer to your question horses will do well on a good quality grass hay. You do not have to feed alfalfa. If you do feed Alfalfa you can cut back, and even stop feeding, grain depending on how active you horse is and what activities you are participating in with your horse. Honestly though I have not seen any difference in horses fed Alfalfa from horses fed something else if they are on a well balanced diet and had free access to a good loose mineral mix.
As to which is best for YOUR horse only you and your VET can decide!
I hope this helps answer your question...

Patience · 10-14-2003, 10:22 PM

I am feeding her Meadow grass hay. For now I am not doing anything with her-show wise. It has been a life-long dream to have a horse. I am just glad she is around.

Tammy Grace Lynn · 10-16-2003, 12:51 PM

I feed my horses alfalfa pellets in the morning and grass hay at night. There is really no nutritional value to grass hay but it is almost impossible for a horse to colic on just grass. I live here in Arizona so grass pastures are somewhat of a shortage..we have a big problem with sand colic.

Sandra-A1 · 10-16-2003, 02:23 PM

Should You Feed Alfalfa?
From the Editors of EQUUS magazine

Alfalfa is to horses like steak is to people; in moderate amounts it's tasty and nutritious, but it can cause problems if it becomes the majority of the diet.

Simply put, alfalfa has higher levels of protein and minerals than most horses need. An average horse, even one who works hard, needs only about 8 to 10 percent protein in his diet. Alfalfa, depending on its age at harvest, contains at least 15 percent and as much as 25 to 30 percent protein. Super-rich alfalfa is usually reserved for dairy cows, which need the extra nutrition to produce milk.

Likewise, alfalfa is a good supplement for growing equine youngsters and pregnant or lactating mares, who need more protein to fuel their higher energy needs.

But giving the average horse too much of this rich forage is asking for trouble. Besides taking in too much protein, which leads to smelly, ammonia-heavy urine, a horse's biochemistry may be adversely affected by alfalfa's high mineral content.

In particular, alfalfa contains high levels of calcium, which can lead to metabolic problems like synchronous diaphragmatic flutter ("thumps"), and magnesium, which in excess has been associated with the production of enteroliths (intestinal "stones").

Given all of this, you don't need to pass up a convenient source of quality alfalfa, but you'll want to exercise caution in incorporating this rich forage into your horse's diet. Making alfalfa a limited part of his overall nutritional mix and balancing it with another type of forage will help keep your horse healthy.
Hay Facts & Links To Other Information About Hay

10-13-2003, 10:33 PM	#1
Patience Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11	alfalfa or grass hay I need opinions and/or facts...which is better to feed horses. Alfalfa hay or grass hay? I have heard both.

10-14-2003, 02:03 PM	#4
Sandra-A1 Senior Member+ Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Alabama Posts: 8,293 Images: 220	When we lived in California and had access to the wonderful Alfalfa grown in the Antelope Valley area we fed it to our horses. Now that we are back in our home state we feed Bermuda grass hay. I will not pay the prices they charge for the Alfalfa hay they sell here and having been able to see what excellant quality Alfalfa looks like what we get here is inferior. Also I have no idea as to when it is cut and how it is baled so will not risk my horses getting Blister Beetle Poisoning. While Alfalfa is a excellant hay, it does have it's problems. PawNHoofPrints has just mentioned one of the major ones. Blister Beetle poisoning is another! Unless you can get it from someone who knows when to cut and bale it, plus has it tested for Blister Beetles it is just not worth the risk! Like I said before it is really expensive around here so unless my Vet said that was all my horse could eat I doubt I will be buying it anymore. Some places sell A&M by the bag and feed Alfalfa that way and there are the alfalfa pellets and cubes (which you have to watch because some horses choke on them) In answer to your question horses will do well on a good quality grass hay. You do not have to feed alfalfa. If you do feed Alfalfa you can cut back, and even stop feeding, grain depending on how active you horse is and what activities you are participating in with your horse. Honestly though I have not seen any difference in horses fed Alfalfa from horses fed something else if they are on a well balanced diet and had free access to a good loose mineral mix. As to which is best for YOUR horse only you and your VET can decide! I hope this helps answer your question... __________________ "It is our choices Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." ~Dumbledore

10-16-2003, 02:23 PM	#7
Sandra-A1 Senior Member+ Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Alabama Posts: 8,293 Images: 220	Should You Feed Alfalfa? From the Editors of EQUUS magazine Alfalfa is to horses like steak is to people; in moderate amounts it's tasty and nutritious, but it can cause problems if it becomes the majority of the diet. Simply put, alfalfa has higher levels of protein and minerals than most horses need. An average horse, even one who works hard, needs only about 8 to 10 percent protein in his diet. Alfalfa, depending on its age at harvest, contains at least 15 percent and as much as 25 to 30 percent protein. Super-rich alfalfa is usually reserved for dairy cows, which need the extra nutrition to produce milk. Likewise, alfalfa is a good supplement for growing equine youngsters and pregnant or lactating mares, who need more protein to fuel their higher energy needs. But giving the average horse too much of this rich forage is asking for trouble. Besides taking in too much protein, which leads to smelly, ammonia-heavy urine, a horse's biochemistry may be adversely affected by alfalfa's high mineral content. In particular, alfalfa contains high levels of calcium, which can lead to metabolic problems like synchronous diaphragmatic flutter ("thumps"), and magnesium, which in excess has been associated with the production of enteroliths (intestinal "stones"). Given all of this, you don't need to pass up a convenient source of quality alfalfa, but you'll want to exercise caution in incorporating this rich forage into your horse's diet. Making alfalfa a limited part of his overall nutritional mix and balancing it with another type of forage will help keep your horse healthy. Hay Facts & Links To Other Information About Hay __________________ "It is our choices Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." ~Dumbledore

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10-14-2003, 06:45 AM	#2
Dawn Senior Member+ Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tennessee Posts: 29,584 Images: 1283	What do you do with your horse, and what do you currently feed?

10-14-2003, 01:04 PM	#3
PawNHoofPrints Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: USA Posts: 759	Alfafa has been linked to the development of stones in the large intestine due to the high calcium content. I personally use grass hay because I can free choice feed it to mares and like to make sure their manager is always full of hay.

10-14-2003, 10:22 PM	#5
Patience Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11	I am feeding her Meadow grass hay. For now I am not doing anything with her-show wise. It has been a life-long dream to have a horse. I am just glad she is around.

10-16-2003, 12:51 PM	#6
Tammy Grace Lynn Full Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Queen Creek, Arizona Posts: 126	I feed my horses alfalfa pellets in the morning and grass hay at night. There is really no nutritional value to grass hay but it is almost impossible for a horse to colic on just grass. I live here in Arizona so grass pastures are somewhat of a shortage..we have a big problem with sand colic.