Alfalfa has many great health benefits and can be an option for a variety of horses.
Alfalfa is high in protein and calcium. It’s great for anything from an underweight horse to a lactating broodmare to a performance athlete. It also contains fewer nonstructural carbohydrates, which makes alfalfa great for horses needing a low sugar diet.
Alfalfa is easy to add to your horse’s diet to ensure their nutrition is well balanced. You can add a flake of alfalfa to the forage you’re already feeding (Ex: Mixing with low sugar grass hay) to add more nutrients or you can use it as a primary forage for a horse needing a low sugar diet. Alfalfa is high in calories, so be mindful when feeding it to overweight horses.
There are some common misconceptions that alfalfa can cause behavioral problems, like making a horse “hot” or that it increases the risk of colic. These are both are false. Although it is a great source of protein, it will not make your horse “hot” and is easily metabolized and excreted. Alfalfa is a safe option when you are mindful of how much you are feeding. Make sure to discuss this with your veterinarian.
If you’re looking to add alfalfa to your horse’s diet, we offer Western Alfalfa and Orchard Grass/Alfalfa Mix. You can learn more about these quality products on our current inventory page.