05/13/2026
๐ฑ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐: ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐จ๐จ โ๐ซ๐ข๐๐กโ?
Alfalfa has a big reputation in the horse world โ some people love it, others are sure itโs โtoo rich.โ As usual, the truth is in the middle and it depends on the horse and the rest of the diet.
๐ฑ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ
โข Itโs ๐ง๐ฎ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐ญโ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ โ higher in protein, energy and calcium than most grass hays, and a good source of essential amino acids for muscle, hoof and tissue
โข Its higher calcium and protein can help ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ข๐, and several studies suggest alfalfa can reduce the severity of squamous gastric ulcers compared with some grass hays.
โข It can be very useful for horses that ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐: growing youngsters, broodmares, performance horses, and some seniors or hard keepers who struggle to hold weight on grass hay alone.
๐ฑ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ
โข Alfalfa is ๐๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐โ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ๐. For easy keepers or metabolic horses on restricted diets, freeโchoice alfalfa can push calories well over what they need and make weight management harder.
โข Protein and calcium are high. In horses that donโt need it, longโterm highโprotein diets increase nitrogen excretion (stronger urine smell, more load on kidneys) and can affect electrolyte balance and heat production in intense or endurance work.
โข For reasons not fully understood, some ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐/๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฌโ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ horses seem to get sore on alfalfa even though its sugar + starch (NSC) is often lower than many grass or cereal hays, possibly due to insulin responses to very highโprotein meals.
๐ฑ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐โ๐๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ
โข Think of alfalfa as a ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ ๐, not an automatic staple. Many horses do best when alfalfa is part (not all) of the forage โ for example, 20โ30% of the hay ration, with the rest as moderate grass hay, depending on the individual.
โข It can be a great tool when you have ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ซ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ (work, growth, pregnancy, lactation, some seniors) or youโre supporting gastric health โ as long as the whole ration stays balanced.
โข For easy keepers, EMS/PPID horses, or those with a laminitis history, Iโm more cautious: grass hay first, and if alfalfa is used at all, I introduce it slowly, keep the proportion small, and watch body condition and soundness closely.
๐ฑUsed thoughtfully, alfalfa is neither a magic bullet nor a villain โ itโs a ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐จ๐ฅ that needs to match the horse in front of you and the job youโre asking them to do.
๐ชดAlfalfa is also ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ โ ๐ข๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐. Itโs a deepโrooted perennial crop, usually planted in pure or mixed stands, and naturally runs higher in protein, calcium and overall nutrient density than typical grass hays.
Two โalfalfa haysโ can differ a lot in leafiness, protein, fibre and mineral content depending on variety, stage of maturity at cutting, and how it was cured and stored, so itโs worth knowing how and where it was grown and, when possible, backing up decisions with a forage analysis instead of assuming all alfalfa is the same.
