[CowGirlUp1833]

Before you read: PLEASE NOTE: This is MY experience ONLY. I am NOT a professional Vet or Trainer. Please ALWAYS seek a veternarian or reputable horse person to help you when deciding the proper diet for your horse!

I've read a lot of posts on feeding and hay. I felt I needed to share my experiences....

I used to board at a barn that fed straight alfalfa- it has the same effect on all 3 of my horses! They went from calm sweet things to evil maniacs! It is important to feed good hay, but make sure its not too rich for your horses particular lifestyle. You and I don't eat like Olympians for everyday life, and horses shouldn't either- it can make them to crazy! If you are experience out of the ordinary behavior from a normally level headed (or at least controllable) horse, please consider this as a possiblity. It can take several weeks for it to get out of thier system, but I HIGHLY reccomend you try a different hay. I actually ended up selling a very nice mare because for over a year I had to deal with her being dangerous! We didn't figure out what was happening until after she was gone. (She's now someones very calm Dressage horse) About 5 other boarders experienced the same thing as well after thier horsees were on it for a month or so. Its hard to believe that hay can have that much effect on a horse, but it can. I feel VERY strongly about this, because it cost my a horse that I had from a baby.

[Dawn]

My question would be what kind of grain were you feeding in conjunction with the hay?

[CowGirlUp1833]

Originally Posted by Dawn

My question would be what kind of grain were you feeding in conjunction with the hay?

Since we actually thought it might be the feed in the begininning, we switched from Strategy to rolled oats.(with Supplements) One mare does best on the rolled oats regardless (with Accel Supplements) of the hay, but the gelding and other mare are back on Strategy now.

[Dawn]

Your grain has to reflect your hay. You were feeding a very high protein grain with a very high protein hay. You can't do it like that unless your horse for some reason needs an excessive amount of protein.

[CowGirlUp1833]

Originally Posted by Dawn

Your grain has to reflect your hay. You were feeding a very high protein grain with a very high protein hay. You can't do it like that unless your horse for some reason needs an excessive amount of protein.

Yes, which we know now. The owner of the barn I was at insists on feeding all that together (even for the retired or pleasure only horses) However, all 3 horses were switched off Strategy at one point for several months....and still had the problem with the hay.

[Dawn]

What was the protein content of the oats?

[Blistering Winds]

Even oats can contain a lot of protein. Especially rolled. Oats can contain UP TO 13% on average of crude protein.

Many people feed alfalfa and NO grain because alfalfa can be above 15% crude protein EASILY. Oats also have a very high Digestible Energy as well. Same as Alfalfa.

So don't JUST blame alfalfa. I have many horses I feed who are stalled horses 100% Of the time and they are not bonkers. Their metabolism, energy requierments for maintenance, etc are able to handle alfalfa with ease.

A few also get oats as well, and none are bonkers or have lost it.

Yes, if your horse for some reason goes bonkers after either changing their regimine or adding a new grain/hay, then look there first. But be careful about controling a horse's attitude with nutrition. You can do more harm than good.

Also, don't just blame a specific feed/hay. That just causes rumors and those horse who would do well on it, their owners veer from it because of them.

There were MANY causes for your hrose to go bonkers. lack of proper exercise for the amount of nutrients going in. Oats AND Alfalfa, etc. They ALL led to your horse losing his mind.

[CowGirlUp1833]

Originally Posted by Dawn

What was the protein content of the oats?

I'm not actually sure off hand (this all happened like a year ago) But I do know that my trainer/vet put her on that specifically TO help calm her. What I'm trying to say, is I think that it was a lower content to help offset the problem. We never even thought about the the hay at first- we just thought my mare was acting up (she was 2 1/2 at the time) My gelding was a rescue case (we just figured he was feeling better) and my new mare was out to pasture for the first 5 years of her life (we didn't know what to expect from her) [by the way, these horses were being worked by a trainer or myself several times a week- so they weren't just sitting- like horses that act up sometimes after timer off] .....except it was EVERY horse that came into this particular barn, that reacted in some way (spooky, hyper, cranky, etc.) I'm sure this was an extreme case. I wanted to share my story to make people think; Trash in=Trash out (or in this case TOO GOOD HAY= Crazy horse) lol.

Sorry, I know this is wordy....but I wanted you to know the whole situation! Thank you by the way for your input, its always good to learn more from other peoples experiences.....

[Dawn]

Oats are not a feed that would ever be used to calm a horse. That is just not one of their properties. I'd say that honestly your horses did not even need grain. Therefore the grain being the issue and not the alfalfa. Alfalfa is great hay and almost every horse can benefit from it, but you have to plan the entire diet accordingly.

[Blistering Winds]

Another thing, it could have been something at that particular barn that set him off. I've seen really good horses be ruined by a bad experience in a barn. Once off property, whala.....good horse again.

And the idea of ADDING more energy to a high energy feed is what many people mess up on. ADDING oats to alfalfa is NOT going to "calm" a horse down. NO WAY in heck!! Cutting BACk the amount of alfalfa, adding grass hay (basically balancing the lbs of nutrition with a lower protein and energy content) should have been step one in my opinion. Or taking him 100% off of alfalfa. THEN, after that is ruled out, adding the oats if needed. Even then, oats have a bad calciumhosphorus ratio...so I don't suggest feeding straight oats UNLESS you feed alfalfa.