Alfalfa Pellets

[LShipley]

Has anyone used these alfalfa pellets? http://www.smartpakequine.com/ProductClass.aspx?productclassid=7891

My mare is an easy keeper - she is not fed any grain, but does have free choice hay and is in a large grassy pasture (a couple acres). I ride her 3-4 times a week and she looks great. In fact, if I ride her any less, she starts to look a little round.

She is pretty mellow - maybe a little too mellow. I am constantly working on strengthening my legs and improving my position so I can get her going more easily, but I am wondering if something like this would help her have a little more energy. Any thoughts?

Any thoughts?

[Scaramouch]

Unless I'm reading incorrectly, those aren't actually alfalfa pellets. They're just called "EZ Keeper Alfalfa" as opposed to "EZ Keeper Grass" because they're a multivitamin designed to be fed to horses that don't get grain and eat alfalfa hay. They do have alfalfa meal listed as the second ingredient, though 50 grams (Maybe 1/4 cup) is nothing compared to the amount of alfalfa pellets you would actually feed, so the alfalfa that's in it is probably just additive to make the actual vitamins/minerals palatable.

As those actually have more fat and less protein than actual alfalfa pellets, I don't think I'd feed them with the goal of giving a horse "more energy." What kind of hay is she getting, especially in the winter when the nutritional content of the grass ins going to be questionable? If it's grass hay, you could definitely start feeding her alfalfa pellets, but I'm not sure what kind of change you would see. If you don't have any reason to think that she needs more minerals, you probably need to just ride her more forward. My horse sounds a lot like yours, pretty much lazy, and I look to change my riding before trying to make him hyper. But it sounds like you're working on that. ;)

[jaimebaker]

Yes, those are multi-vitamins for horses on mostly Alfalfa hay diets. They aren't alfalfa pellets (even though they have alfalfa in them).