Alfalfa for a growing horse?

[TaliaCristianna]

Here's the deal. Grass hay is at a premium in my area. My hay supplier is currently offering very good-quality alfalfa for $4.50 a bale. That price includes delivery right to the barn.

I have tried to track down some grass hay as I have always fed grass in the past.

The quality of the grass I've tried has been fair to "just ok" and the prices have ranged from $4.50 to $7.50 a bale. (Bales were similar in weight to the alfalfa.)

Obviously it seems that the alfalfa is the better deal - but I am concerned about feeding a high-alfalfa diet to my young filly. She'll be a yearling come this summer.

Do I need to supplement her diet in some way? At this point she is in excellent weight off of hay alone - no additional grain is provided. She is also outside 24/7.

I have been trying to find some reliable research online but there is so much contradictory information out there. I thought I would ask those of you that have actual experience with this type of delemma.

YES, I am well aware that rumors abound regarding this subject - but have any of you actually experienced issues with feeding straight alfalfa to a young horse?

[clint]

I wouldn't feed straight alfalfa to a horse that young. Young horses are more sensitive to a diet where the calcium/phosphorus ratio is out of balance, which it is with straight alfalfa, leaning very much to a high calcium diet. I don't know where you live, but is there oat hay available? With straight alfalfa feeding oat hay can work to balance that diet, and it is frequently cheaper, at least in my area.

[TaliaCristianna]

I wouldn't feed straight alfalfa to a horse that young. Young horses are more sensitive to a diet where the calcium/phosphorus ratio is out of balance, which it is with straight alfalfa, leaning very much to a high calcium diet. I don't know where you live, but is there oat hay available? With straight alfalfa feeding oat hay can work to balance that diet, and it is frequently cheaper, at least in my area.

Thank you, I have never seen oat hay in my area unfortunately. Is there perhaps a supplement I could feed in lieu of the oat hay that might accomplish the same thing?

[Seal Harbor]

Could you balance it with a vitamin for horses on high alfalfa diet? Add phosphorus to balance or rice bran (non fortified) or flax (also non fortified) both of those are high in phosphorous, rice bran being the higher of the two.

I've got a horse that eats only alfalfa because of allergies to grass hay. He is 6 now.

[TaliaCristianna]

Could you balance it with a vitamin for horses on high alfalfa diet? Add phosphorus to balance or rice bran (non fortified) or flax (also non fortified) both of those are high in phosphorous, rice bran being the higher of the two.

I've got a horse that eats only alfalfa because of allergies to grass hay. He is 6 now.

I'll check SmartPak & see what kind of supplements they offer. Rice bran would certainly be an option too. I've seen bags of it at the Tractor Supply Co. just down the road from me. Thanks!

[pony grandma]

Can you buy a ration balancer product? Progressive makes grass and alfalfa balancers.

Can you buy timothy cubes to supplement the alfalfa hay with?

[myhorsehannah]

I would not feed it without adding phosphorus to the ration to get the Ca: P ratio to ~ 1.5:1. To do this, you will need to supplement with monosodium phosphate. Last I checked, KV Vet Supply had it. Other commercial mineral supplements usually contain dicalcium phosphate which has a 2:1 Ca:P ratio so won't help you bring your balance in line.

[Mozart]

Mineral imbalance is one of causes of DOD's in young horses so you are right to be concerned. I agree with the "up the phosphorus" suggestions. Some feed companies make ration balancers for alfalfa diets.

However, you will still have to feed a less alfalfa than grass so if the yearling has no other forage source that is a concern as well.

Maybe consider buying some grass even though it pricey and feed a bit of it to up the forage? If you have some semblance of pasture that would likely not be a concern.

[TaliaCristianna]

Mineral imbalance is one of causes of DOD's in young horses so you are right to be concerned. I agree with the "up the phosphorus" suggestions. Some feed companies make ration balancers for alfalfa diets.

However, you will still have to feed a less alfalfa than grass so if the yearling has no other forage source that is a concern as well.

Maybe consider buying some grass even though it pricey and feed a bit of it to up the forage? If you have some semblance of pasture that would likely not be a concern.

Yes, I can certainly buy some grass hay to get me through the rest of the winter. It sounds like that would be the easiest thing for me to do.

My hay supplier is planning on having a good crop of grass hay ready in the early spring. I am also fencing in another 3 acres and am going to begin a pasture rotation schedule.

I have never had a problem finding good grass hay in the past. This year has been unprecidented! My supplier says it seems as if EVERYONE wants straight alfalfa or a mostly alfalfa mix. He says I'm the exception to the rule!

[Tiki]

There is nothing wrong with feeding alfalfa to horses. Lots of people do it in areas where grass hay is difficult to grow or find. The issue is that you have to feed a supplement balanced for alfalfa to balance out the CA:Phosphorus ratio, as has been pointed out above.

The real issue I have is that it seems you are feeding your young filly only hay?? Is that correct? She should be on a proper, age appropriate, diet in order to get the proper nutrition from protein (for proper growth), minerals, vitamins and trace minerals to help her grow her best and to NOT develop bone or joint problems. A ration balancer would be best, and choose the appropriate one to balance either grass hay or alfalfa, whichever one you use.

Ration Balancers might sound expensive when you look at the cost per bag, but realize that you feed them in (generally) 1 lb quantities, rather than 5-7 lb quantities.

[LockeMeadows]

We feed our young stock alfalfa and have *never* (knock on wood), had growth issues. Most of our stock is x-rayed at purchase and nothing has ever shown up. I prefer alfalfa to grass hay, but perhaps I'm the exception to the rule. My horses look great all year long and need very little grain.

[TaliaCristianna]

There is nothing wrong with feeding alfalfa to horses. Lots of people do it in areas where grass hay is difficult to grow or find. The issue is that you have to feed a supplement balanced for alfalfa to balance out the CA:Phosphorus ratio, as has been pointed out above.

The real issue I have is that it seems you are feeding your young filly only hay?? Is that correct? She should be on a proper, age appropriate, diet in order to get the proper nutrition from protein (for proper growth), minerals, vitamins and trace minerals to help her grow her best and to NOT develop bone or joint problems. A ration balancer would be best, and choose the appropriate one to balance either grass hay or alfalfa, whichever one you use.

Ration Balancers might sound expensive when you look at the cost per bag, but realize that you feed them in (generally) 1 lb quantities, rather than 5-7 lb quantities.

Yes, she is on hay alone. She does have a mineral block available at all times. None of my pasture horses receive grain - and that includes the young ones. I have been feeding that way for 17 years. Once they begin working for a living it's a different story - but after raising a half a dozen horses from weanlings/yearlings on up into adulthood on good hay alone I have never had any issues. Not a single incident of colic or developmental issues of any type. Feeding regimine aside, I have been an extremely lucky horse owner I guess!

In the past I have always had good quality grass hay available however - which was usually fed free-choice. This is the first time I've considered feeding alfalfa for an extended period of time. (And obviously not free choice.)

Is there a brand of ration balancer that you would recommend? I will have to call around and see who carries them in my area.

[TaliaCristianna]

We feed our young stock alfalfa and have *never* (knock on wood), had growth issues. Most of our stock is x-rayed at purchase and nothing has ever shown up. I prefer alfalfa to grass hay, but perhaps I'm the exception to the rule. My horses look great all year long and need very little grain.

There are NUMEROUS barns in my area that feed all of their horses a straight alfalfa diet. Many of them well-respected show barns. It's funny, it seems that the western discipline barns are around here are much more alfalfa friendly.

As I mentioned before, I have seen so much conflicting information on the topic - it doesn't surprise me at all that you've had great luck with straight alfalfa. I keep hoping to find an actual scientific study on the subject!

[Mozart]

We feed our young stock alfalfa and have *never* (knock on wood), had growth issues. Most of our stock is x-rayed at purchase and nothing has ever shown up. I prefer alfalfa to grass hay, but perhaps I'm the exception to the rule. My horses look great all year long and need very little grain.

Do you mean straight alfalfa or alfalfa/grass mix? I am not alfalfa phobic and I do usually feed an alfalfa/grass mix to young horses but I I think feeding straight alfalfa might make me squirm a bit.

Not judging, just curious.

[Tiki]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with feeding horses straight alfalfa. The problem comes in when people feed straight alfalfa hay and feed the same amount of grain that they would feed with grass hay and basically overfeed the horse.

Talia, I don't know what you have available in your area. Probably any brand of ration balancer would work pretty well, just make sure it is an alfalfa balancer, not a grass balancer if you go to alfalfa. If you stick with grass hay, you should probably get a grass balancer for that hay as well.

One of the big reasons for needing a ration balancer is that the soils in this country have been depleted of vitamins, minerals and trace minerals over the years and whatever hay you use, in general, doesn't have enough of what young horses and/or broodmares need for proper growth and development. If you just have riding horses and they don't work very hard, or are very hardy types, you probably wouldn't notice much difference on just hay. If they're broodmares or growing youngsters, you won't notice the difference at first, but problems can/will show up later due to lack of vital elements in the feed.

Ration balancers are highly concentrated feeds designed to 'balance the ration', the ration being whatever kind of hay they are eating, and to supply the vital elements missing from your basic ration. Hay should always be the foundation of your feeding program, whatever kind you use, but it generally needs to be supplemented, or balanced, with either a vitamin/mineral/trace mineral mix designed for that type of hay, or with a ration balancer that can also provide extra calories if they're needed for growth, work, or lactating mares or growing youngsters.

[back in the saddle]

I used to board at a qh farm. They believed in "growing their horses up fast". So they fed straight alfalfa and a lot of it. Well, surprise surprise, every single one of the foals had to have check ligament surgery because the bones grew too fast in comparison to the ligaments and they knuckled over so bad they had to have surgery.

In addition to the ph / ca rations being all messed up.

I feed Buckeye Gro'nWin but there's several different products that do the same thing.

[Indy-lou]

Alfalfa is a good hay to feed preg, lactating mares and growing horses, but you have to be mindful of the mineral balance, as others have stated. The protein is usually on spot, but you have to balance the calcium phosphorus ratio. My vet said that, in general, no more than half the ration should be alfalfa. Math is required to figure it all out, and you really do need to know what the hay you are feeding is analysis-wise. alfalfa is very high in it's calcium for the most part compared to other hays.

[stoicfish]

In fact, there's considerable leeway, since horses tolerate extra calcium well (up to 6:1 Ca:P) as long as phosphorus levels are sufficient. But when the ratio inverts (more P than Ca), trouble begins. The horse's system seeks to balance the concentrations of the two minerals, so it can leach calcium from the bones and reintroduce it into circulation, resulting (eventually) in weak and porous bones that are prone to injury and breakage. This condition can be particularly serious in young horses which are in the process of bone-building.
from http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=27

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=50
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=3606
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=909

I know Ca levels need to be higher than P, but most of the articles I have read have been more concerned with the chance of a low Ca/P ratio, which is very bad. Apparently there is more leeway with a high Ca/P ratio and it not causing issue, as much as 7:1.
That is inline with most alfalfa.
On a personal note, many people in my area feed it as well as myself. I would not use it as a free choice hay.

http://www.shady-acres.com/susan/Calcium-Phosphorus.shtml

[TaliaCristianna]

I used to board at a qh farm. They believed in "growing their horses up fast". So they fed straight alfalfa and a lot of it. Well, surprise surprise, every single one of the foals had to have check ligament surgery because the bones grew too fast in comparison to the ligaments and they knuckled over so bad they had to have surgery.

In addition to the ph / ca rations being all messed up.

I feed Buckeye Gro'nWin but there's several different products that do the same thing.

I am adamant that alfalfa SHOULD be fed on a limited basis - but I can pretty much guarantee the ligament issues you saw had more to do with the copious amounts of grain and growth supplements being fed in addition to the alfalfa. I once boarded with a QH weanling that had come from a "Halter Horse" farm with a similar philosophy. His owner had been instructed by the breeder to feed this WEANLING colt 20 pounds of grain a day. I am NOT making this up. Guess who's colt nearly ended up dying from severe ulcers a few months down the road? After I found out how he was being fed I nearly threw up. I have never wanted to slap a fellow boarder so badly in my life.

[TaliaCristianna]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with feeding horses straight alfalfa. The problem comes in when people feed straight alfalfa hay and feed the same amount of grain that they would feed with grass hay and basically overfeed the horse.

Talia, I don't know what you have available in your area. Probably any brand of ration balancer would work pretty well, just make sure it is an alfalfa balancer, not a grass balancer if you go to alfalfa. If you stick with grass hay, you should probably get a grass balancer for that hay as well.

One of the big reasons for needing a ration balancer is that the soils in this country have been depleted of vitamins, minerals and trace minerals over the years and whatever hay you use, in general, doesn't have enough of what young horses and/or broodmares need for proper growth and development. If you just have riding horses and they don't work very hard, or are very hardy types, you probably wouldn't notice much difference on just hay. If they're broodmares or growing youngsters, you won't notice the difference at first, but problems can/will show up later due to lack of vital elements in the feed.

Ration balancers are highly concentrated feeds designed to 'balance the ration', the ration being whatever kind of hay they are eating, and to supply the vital elements missing from your basic ration. Hay should always be the foundation of your feeding program, whatever kind you use, but it generally needs to be supplemented, or balanced, with either a vitamin/mineral/trace mineral mix designed for that type of hay, or with a ration balancer that can also provide extra calories if they're needed for growth, work, or lactating mares or growing youngsters.

Thanks so much for all the information. You are correct, I do breed a more "hardy" type of horse. Quarter horses and Paints. My pasture horse issues tend to revolve around keeping their weight down, not up. Their hardiness is a big part of why I have been in love with them for so long. I am not totally anti-grain by any means. If a horse is not maintaining a healthy condition on hay alone I will not hesitate to supplement their diet with a concentrated feed. So far I've only had to do that with two horses. A TB mare that was much more focused on cribbing then eating and an Arab gelding that had a long history of nutritional/physical neglect.

With this alfalfa issue, since it's somewhat new to me - I'll be better safe then sorry. I am going TSC today and will see what they offer for ration balancers. I am sure they will have something for alfalfa since it is fed so prevalently in these parts.

[Tiki]

Great, and good luck, and follow the directions on the bag for age and stage of growth.

[stoicfish]

With this alfalfa issue, since it's somewhat new to me - I'll be better safe then sorry. I am going TSC today and will see what they offer for ration balancers. I am sure they will have something for alfalfa since it is fed so prevalently in these parts.

Interestingly, in one of the articles it was telling owners to be careful with the ration balancers. I guess unless you get the alfalfa tested and then feed exact amount accordingly, the article said that often the balancers could result in a low Ca/P ratio, which is much worse then a high Ca/P.
I found that surprising with all the products on the market. They suggested that one errors on the side of caution when using them. Funny, but I couldn't find an article that described the effects of high Ca/P, just suggested it was not a good thing, but all the articles described how if there is not enough Ca to P, the horses body will take it from the bones.

[TaliaCristianna]

Interestingly, in one of the articles it was telling owners to be careful with the ration balancers. I guess unless you get the alfalfa tested and then feed exact amount accordingly, the article said that often the balancers could result in a low Ca/P ratio, which is much worse then a high Ca/P.
I found that surprising with all the products on the market. They suggested that one errors on the side of caution when using them. Funny, but I couldn't find an article that described the effects of high Ca/P, just suggested it was not a good thing, but all the articles described how if there is not enough Ca to P, the horses body will take it from the bones.

Yeah, I read a lot of conflicting info as well when I was researching articles myself. All I can say is this: Man oh man will I be happy once I can get a good grass or grass/alfalfa mix again in the spring!!! (As soon as the 2' of snow we've had on the ground since December melts...)