Alfalfa or Alfalfa Pellets: Which is Better for Horse?

Date: 09/28/2020 08:56:56 From: feed-pellet-plant.com Clicks:

Q:What is better for horses: alfalfa pellets or alfalfa hay? Is there a significant difference between the two?

A:Nutrient-wise, alfalfa hay and alfalfa pellets are similar in content. The main difference between the two is the horse’s chew time when eating them. A horse will consume alfalfa pellets much faster than baled alfalfa. Because of this quicker chew time, stabled horses might develop stall vices from boredom. It also means the horse might also experience more time between meals, which is not ideal for digestive health.

Alfalfa Pellets are a premium protein source of nutrition for animals needing maintenance to higher levels of digestible energy. Alfalfa is often the preferred forage for horses because of its high quality and good roughage value. Certain situations might require a pelleted forage source, such as senior horses with poor teeth who can no longer eat long-stemmed forage or times of drought or hay shortage.

 alfalfa pellets & alfalfa hay

Alfalfa benefits

AlfalfaThe importance of a high plane of nutrition becomes critical when feeding certain classes of horses as stated above.

Gestating broodmares have increased requirements for all nutrients starting the eighth month of pregnancy and should be fed a diet that includes alfalfa. Feeding good-quality forage, including alfalfa hay or in the form of pellets, cubes, or with a ration that incorporates alfalfa meal, is the most natural way to help meet these requirements. Once lactation begins, the mare’s requirements can nearly double and again, the best way to help supplement nutrients is through the use of this excellent-quality forage.

Lactating mares will utilize the extra calories and calcium found in alfalfa to help produce high-quality milk for their foals. Interestingly, alfalfa is believed by some to be a galactagogue, a substance that induces lactation.

Growth also requires nutrient intake levels beyond maintenance of normal metabolism.

• Using alfalfa producs as forage for young horses is very beneficial because it is much more digestible compared to grass hays. Young horses do not have the full ability to ferment fiber until they are about a year old. Feeding higher insoluble fiber forages such as timothy or orchardgrass hay or poorer quality forage sources often results in “hay belly”. Therefore, feeding only highly digestible fiber such as alfalfa, clover, and beet pulp is recommended for the young growing horse.
• The higher protein levels of alfalfa compared with grass hay will also help the young growing horse develop muscle tissue properly. Protein is not a contributing factor to developmental disorders. Imbalances in the nutrients of the ration as a whole and feeding too much starch in the diet has been shown to cause these problems.
• The high calcium content of alfalfa is very beneficial to horses in training, as it helps to buffer stomach acid and thus reduce the risk of developing stomach ulcers. The low pH conditions in the stomach can damage the gastric lining. A research study compared a high-protein, high-calcium diet of alfalfa and grain to a low-protein, low-calcium bromegrass and grain diet for uclcer incidence. Horses fed the alfalfa and grain diet had a higher stomach pH, resulting in significantly fewer and less severe gastric ulcers compared with the horses receiving the bromegrass and grain diet.
• Young horses entering training have a higher calcium requirement than their pastured counterparts due to demineralization of bones as a result of confinement to a stall (and lack of sprinting exercises that force the bone to adapt through remodeling the bone). Feeding alfalfa as forage as well as a component of the concentrate is an excellent way to help meet the elevated calcium requirement of these horses.
• Geriatric horses can be a challenge to feed. Many become thin and underweight as they age. This occurs because the ability to digest, metabolize, and absorb nutrients out of the hindgut becomes reduced with advancing age. The energy density and highly digestible fiber in alfalfa make it a good choice for getting excellent-quality nutrition into the aged horse. The protein, calcium, and phosphorus in alfalfa are highly digestible and will help the older horse remain healthy and in good weight.
• Alfalfa is a very versatile, highly nutritious, safe, and paltable feed for horses. For horses with high nutrient requirements such as those that are racing, gestating, lactating, and growing, alfalfa is highly suitable as part of the total ration. Alfalfa has been shown to reduce gastric ulcers in horses and it prevents the hindgut from dehydrating. Do not be afraid to feed alfalfa; it is excellent for the general health and well-being of the horse.

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