Is Alfalfa Good for Horses? Benefits, Risks and How Much to Feed

By Dr Duncan Houston

Alfalfa, commonly called lucerne in Australia, can be an excellent forage for horses. It provides highly digestible fibre, quality protein, calcium and more calories than many grass hays.

That makes it useful for growing horses, lactating mares, hard keepers, selected performance horses and seniors struggling to maintain condition.

The problem is not that alfalfa is inherently “too rich.” The problem is feeding the wrong amount to the wrong horse, failing to balance the rest of the ration or overlooking special risks such as insulin dysregulation, HYPP, kidney disease, enteroliths and blister beetle contamination.

Quick Answer

Alfalfa is a nutritious legume forage that is usually higher in protein, calcium and digestible energy than grass hay. It can be fed safely every day when its calories and minerals suit the individual horse and the entire ration is balanced.

It is particularly valuable for horses needing additional protein or condition, but may be unsuitable or require restriction in easy keepers, horses with HYPP, chronic kidney disease, urinary stones, hepatic encephalopathy or a history of enteroliths. Hay analysis is the only reliable way to know exactly what your horse is receiving. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

What Is Alfalfa?

Alfalfa is a legume rather than a grass.

Compared with common grass hays such as timothy, orchard grass, brome or Bermuda grass, alfalfa usually contains:

• More digestible energy

• More crude protein

• A better essential amino acid profile

• Much more calcium

• More potassium

• Less structural fibre

• Greater digestibility

Its actual nutritional value varies considerably with cutting, maturity, leaf-to-stem ratio, soil, weather, harvesting and storage. A soft, leafy early-cut alfalfa can be substantially richer than a mature, stemmy cutting. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Nutritional feature	Alfalfa	Typical grass hay
Digestible energy	Usually higher	Usually lower to moderate
Crude protein	Usually higher	Usually moderate
Lysine and protein quality	Better	More variable
Calcium	Much higher	Lower
Phosphorus	Relatively low to moderate	Variable
Potassium	Often high	Variable
Structural fibre	Usually lower	Often higher
Sugar and starch	Variable	Variable

These are general differences, not guaranteed values. Two alfalfa hays can be nutritionally more different from each other than an alfalfa and grass hay grown under different conditions.

Is Alfalfa “Too Rich” for Horses?

“Too rich” is not a nutritional diagnosis.

Owners usually mean that alfalfa contains more calories, protein or calcium than their horse needs. That can certainly happen, but it depends on the horse and the quantity being fed.

A high-calorie alfalfa may be excessive for:

• An overweight pony

• A sedentary easy keeper

• A horse with insulin dysregulation

• A donkey or mule at maintenance

• A horse already receiving a calorie-dense concentrate

The same hay may be extremely useful for:

• A lactating mare

• A growing yearling

• A thin senior

• A hard-working performance horse

• A horse requiring additional quality protein

• A horse eating a substantial cereal-grain ration

The real question is not whether alfalfa is rich.

It is whether its nutrient density matches the horse’s requirements.

Does Alfalfa Make Horses “Hot”?

Protein does not directly cause excitable behaviour in horses.

Dietary energy comes primarily from carbohydrates and fat. Protein contributes relatively little to routine energy production. Research does not support the common belief that high-protein forage automatically makes horses energetic, aggressive or difficult to ride. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

A horse may appear fresher after changing to alfalfa because:

• The total ration now supplies more calories

• The horse is gaining condition

• Less concentrate is needed

• Pain or weakness has improved

• Training or turnout has changed

• The horse simply feels better

That is a calorie and management question, not alfalfa protein transforming into mischief.

Does High-Protein Alfalfa Damage Healthy Kidneys?

There is no good evidence that an appropriate alfalfa ration causes kidney damage in a healthy horse with normal renal function.

When horses consume more protein than they require, much of the excess nitrogen is converted to urea and excreted. Studies of alfalfa diets have found increased urinary volume and nitrogen excretion without improved nitrogen retention. This can mean wetter stables and a stronger ammonia smell, but it is not the same as renal failure. (PubMed)

Existing kidney disease changes the recommendation. Horses with chronic kidney disease generally need adequate but controlled high-quality protein and controlled calcium intake. Alfalfa and other legumes may need to be restricted or avoided because they are high in both. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Which Horses May Benefit From Alfalfa?

Growing Horses

Young horses need more protein and essential amino acids than mature horses. Alfalfa can provide valuable lysine, protein and calcium during growth. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

The important correction is that excess dietary protein has not been shown to cause developmental orthopaedic disease.

Developmental orthopaedic problems are more closely associated with:

• Excessive calorie intake

• Rapid growth

• Obesity

• Genetic susceptibility

• Imbalanced calcium and phosphorus

• Inadequate copper or zinc

• Excessive or inappropriate exercise

A foal receiving unlimited leafy alfalfa plus large grain meals may consume excessive calories. The concern is the total growth ration and growth rate, not alfalfa protein in isolation. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Monitor growing horses for:

• Rapid weight gain

• Heavy body condition

• Swelling around growth plates

• Joint enlargement

• Stiffness

• Lameness

• Uneven hoof growth

If physitis or another developmental problem appears, reassess total energy, mineral balance, growth rate, exercise and conformation with your veterinarian. Do not simply remove all quality protein and hope the skeleton sorts itself out.

Pregnant and Lactating Mares

Protein requirements rise during late pregnancy and increase substantially during lactation. Lactating mares also have high energy, lysine, calcium and phosphorus requirements. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Alfalfa can help supply:

• Digestible energy

• Quality protein

• Lysine

• Calcium

• Palatable forage

It should still be combined with a properly balanced ration because alfalfa alone may not provide enough phosphorus, copper, zinc, selenium or other trace nutrients required by the mare and foal.

A high-calcium forage does not automatically create a complete broodmare diet.

Hard Keepers and Underweight Horses

Alfalfa is often more calorie-dense and palatable than average grass hay, making it useful for horses struggling to maintain weight.

Before increasing calories, investigate why the horse is thin. Important causes include:

• Inadequate forage

• Poor-quality forage

• Dental disease

• Parasites

• Gastric disease

• PPID

• Chronic pain

• Social competition

• Liver or kidney disease

• Intestinal disease

• Excessive workload

Adding alfalfa may improve body condition, but it cannot repair a fractured tooth or treat chronic intestinal disease.

For severely starved horses, alfalfa may be used within a carefully staged veterinary refeeding protocol. Sudden unrestricted feeding can cause fatal refeeding complications, so this should not be improvised. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Performance Horses

Performance horses may benefit from alfalfa when they need:

• Additional energy

• Quality protein for muscle maintenance

• Calcium to balance cereal grain

• Reduced reliance on large grain meals

• Gastric buffering

• A palatable forage while travelling

The amount should be matched to workload and body condition. A heavily competing event horse and a lightly ridden easy keeper should not receive the same ration because both happen to wear saddles.

Senior Horses

Alfalfa can be useful for older horses because it is palatable, digestible and available in soft forms.

Long-stem alfalfa may still be difficult for horses with:

• Missing cheek teeth

• Severe enamel wear

• Painful dental disease

• Quidding

• Previous choke

• Swallowing dysfunction

These horses may require soaked alfalfa pellets, soaked cubes or a complete senior feed. Pellets and cubes must be fed in sufficient quantities if they are replacing hay, rather than offered as a token scoop beside an otherwise inadequate ration. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Can Alfalfa Help Prevent Gastric Ulcers?

Alfalfa may help reduce the risk and severity of equine squamous gastric disease.

Its calcium and protein help buffer gastric contents, while long-stem hay stimulates chewing and saliva production. In a controlled study, horses fed an alfalfa hay and grain diet had a higher gastric pH during the first five hours after feeding and developed fewer severe squamous lesions than horses fed bromegrass hay. (PubMed)

A small measured serving before exercise can be useful because it:

• Provides stomach fill

• Encourages saliva production

• Buffers stomach contents

• Reduces exercise on a completely empty stomach

For an average adult horse, approximately 0.5 kilograms of alfalfa hay before exercise is a practical starting amount.

Alfalfa does not:

• Guarantee that ulcers will not develop

• Cure established gastric disease

• Replace omeprazole or another prescribed treatment

• Correct prolonged daily fasting

• Treat every case of glandular gastric disease

• Prove that girthiness is caused by ulcers

The evidence is also not identical across ages or alfalfa forms. One study in weanlings found that alfalfa chaff did not improve gastric lesion scores and was associated with higher pyloric lesion scores, while alfalfa pellets did not produce the same finding. Adult squamous-ulcer results should therefore not be applied blindly to every foal or every physical form of alfalfa. (PubMed)

Is Alfalfa Safe for Horses With Insulin Dysregulation?

Alfalfa is not automatically forbidden in every horse with equine metabolic syndrome or insulin dysregulation.

What matters most is:

• The hay’s tested sugar and starch content

• Total calories

• The horse’s current body condition

• The horse’s insulin response

• Whether laminitis is active

• The total daily ration

Current veterinary guidance recommends hay containing less than approximately 10% nonstructural carbohydrate for horses with EMS. This value must be determined through analysis rather than hay colour, smell or species alone. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Alfalfa is frequently lower in sugar than some cool-season grass hays, but it is usually more calorie-dense. A low-sugar alfalfa can therefore still be a poor weight-loss choice for an obese easy keeper.

A 2026 study also found greater post-feeding glucose and insulin responses to alfalfa than Bermudagrass in mature horses, reinforcing that alfalfa should not automatically be described as metabolically neutral. Individual forage analysis and the horse’s response matter. (PubMed)

An Overweight Insulin-Dysregulated Horse

This horse usually needs:

• Tested low-NSC forage

• Controlled calories

• Measured intake

• A slow feeder

• Appropriate mineral supplementation

• Exercise when hoof comfort permits

Grass hay or a grass-straw combination may be more practical than calorie-dense alfalfa.

A Thin Insulin-Dysregulated Horse

A tested low-NSC alfalfa or alfalfa mixture may be useful when the horse genuinely needs additional calories and protein. The plan should be based on analysis and monitored body condition rather than the assumption that every metabolic horse must be kept on nutritionally poor forage.

A Horse With Active Laminitis

Do not change the ration independently.

Acute laminitis requires immediate veterinary assessment, strict control of nonstructural carbohydrates, hoof support and an individually calculated feeding plan.

Does Alfalfa Cause Laminitis?

Alfalfa itself does not directly cause laminitis simply because it contains protein.

It can contribute indirectly when:

• Excess calories cause obesity

• The product contains more NSC than expected

• An insulin-dysregulated horse receives an inappropriate quantity

• Alfalfa is added without reducing another calorie source

• The horse already has a low threshold for hyperinsulinaemic laminitis

Hyperinsulinaemia is the major driver of laminitis in horses with EMS. The danger is the horse’s insulin response and total diet, not the colour green. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Alfalfa Hay, Pellets, Cubes or Chaff: Which Is Best?

Long-Stem Alfalfa Hay

Best suited to horses that can chew normally.

Advantages include:

• More chewing

• Greater saliva production

• Longer eating time

• Natural foraging behaviour

• Useful stomach fill

• Effective forage replacement

Disadvantages include:

• Variable nutrient content

• Greater storage space

• Dust or mould risk

• Leaf loss during handling

• Potential blister beetle contamination

Alfalfa Pellets

Useful for:

• Measured supplementation

• Seniors with reduced chewing ability

• Medication delivery

• Travel

• Soaked meals

• Horses needing additional protein and calcium

Pellets require less chewing and provide less physical fibre length than hay. They should not automatically become the sole ration unless the full diet has been professionally formulated and feeding frequency is adequate.

Alfalfa Cubes

Cubes can replace more substantial quantities of long-stem hay.

They are useful for:

• Hay shortages

• Horses with selected dental problems

• Reducing dust

• Easier transport and storage

• Providing a consistent forage source

Cubes should generally be soaked for rapid eaters, seniors, horses with poor teeth and horses with previous choke.

Chopped Alfalfa

Chopped alfalfa or chaff provides more fibre length than pellets but less than long-stem hay.

It may be useful for:

• Mixing with concentrate

• Slowing consumption

• Increasing chewing

• Reducing dust when lightly dampened

Very coarse or sharp products may be poorly tolerated by some horses, and chopped alfalfa should not automatically be assumed to provide the same gastric benefit as long-stem hay.

Alfalfa-Grass Mixtures

A mixed hay is often the easiest way to gain alfalfa’s benefits without supplying excessive calories, calcium or protein.

It may be especially useful for:

• Normal adult horses

• Performance horses

• Horses needing moderate condition

• Owners who want a single mixed forage

• Horses that become overweight on pure alfalfa

Pellets and cubes may need soaking in horses at increased choke risk. When processed forage replaces long-stem hay, several smaller meals and opportunities for normal foraging behaviour become more important. (Center for Equine Health)

How Much Alfalfa Should You Feed?

There is no single safe number for every horse.

The amount depends on:

• Body weight

• Body-condition score

• Workload

• Age

• Pregnancy or lactation

• Forage analysis

• Metabolic health

• Existing concentrate

• Whether alfalfa is a supplement or the main forage

Most horses should receive at least approximately 1.5% of body weight in forage dry matter each day, with many healthy horses consuming closer to 2%. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

For a 500-kilogram horse:

• 1.5% equals 7.5 kilograms of forage dry matter

• 2% equals 10 kilograms of forage dry matter

Because ordinary dry hay is approximately 90% dry matter, this corresponds roughly to 8.3 to 11.1 kilograms of hay as fed.

A Practical Starting Mix

For many adult horses, using alfalfa as approximately one-quarter to one-third of total daily forage is a reasonable starting point.

For a 500-kilogram horse eating approximately 10 kilograms of dry hay daily, that could mean roughly:

• 2.5 to 3 kilograms of alfalfa

• The remainder supplied as suitable grass hay

This is a practical starting example, not a universal maximum. Some horses need much less. Some broodmares, growing horses, hard keepers or horses on grain-heavy diets may appropriately receive more once the entire ration has been calculated. UC Davis equine nutrition guidance commonly uses approximately 25% to 30% of forage as a practical inclusion range for many horses. (cehhorsereport.vetmed.ucdavis.edu)

Introduce Alfalfa Gradually

Replace part of the existing forage over approximately 10 to 14 days.

A simple transition might involve:

1. Replace roughly 10% of the current hay with alfalfa.

2. Maintain that amount for several days.

3. Increase in small steps.

4. Monitor appetite, manure and behaviour.

5. Stop increasing once the nutritional goal is met.

Do not add several kilograms of alfalfa on top of the existing ration unless deliberate weight gain is required.

Feed Alfalfa by Weight, Not by Flake

Alfalfa flakes vary dramatically.

One flake may weigh less than 1 kilogram. Another can weigh several kilograms. Leafy alfalfa is also denser than many grass hays.

Weigh several representative flakes from every new bale or batch and calculate the daily ration from the average weight. Repeat the process whenever suppliers, cuttings or bale sizes change. (cehhorsereport.vetmed.ucdavis.edu)

“Two flakes” is a stable instruction.

It is not a nutritional measurement.

Does Alfalfa Balance a Grain-Based Diet?

Alfalfa can help correct the low-calcium, high-phosphorus pattern found in cereal grains and bran.

However, it does not automatically balance the entire ration.

Alfalfa may still fail to supply the correct amounts of:

• Phosphorus

• Copper

• Zinc

• Selenium

• Sodium

• Vitamin E

• Other trace nutrients

The total ration should contain more calcium than phosphorus. A ratio around 1.5 to 2 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus is a useful target, while alfalfa itself may have a ratio around 4:1 or higher. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Growing horses and lactating mares need particular care because both insufficient and imbalanced mineral intake can affect growth, milk production and skeletal health.

Do not stop the horse’s ration balancer simply because alfalfa has appeared in the hay net.

Which Horses Should Have Alfalfa Restricted or Avoided?

Horses With HYPP

Alfalfa is commonly high in potassium.

Horses with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis require carefully controlled potassium intake and are generally managed using lower-potassium forage such as selected timothy or Bermuda grass, with product analysis where possible. Alfalfa is usually avoided. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Emergency HYPP signs include:

• Muscle trembling

• Weakness

• Sweating

• Abnormal breathing noise

• Collapse

• Temporary paralysis

Horses With Chronic Kidney Disease

Horses with renal disease may need controlled protein and calcium intake. Alfalfa and beet pulp may need to be minimized or removed, depending on laboratory findings and disease severity. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Horses With Urinary Stones

Most equine urinary stones contain calcium carbonate.

Horses with previous urolithiasis are generally managed with restricted high-calcium feeds, including alfalfa and other legumes, while still meeting minimum nutritional requirements. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Signs that require veterinary assessment include:

• Blood in the urine

• Frequent small urinations

• Straining

• Urine dribbling

• Colic after exercise

• Apparent discomfort during urination

Horses With Liver Disease

Horses with hepatic encephalopathy or hyperammonaemia generally require adequate but not excessive protein.

Grass or oat hay is commonly preferred. Alfalfa may provide too much total protein, although a mixed grass-alfalfa forage may sometimes be tolerated in horses without neurological signs that are struggling to maintain weight. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Horses Prone to Enteroliths

Enteroliths are mineral stones that develop within the large intestine and may cause recurrent or acute obstructive colic.

Case-control and feeding studies have associated higher alfalfa intake with increased enterolith risk, particularly in California, Texas and other regions where enterolithiasis is common. Arabians and miniature horses may also be overrepresented. Grass hay and greater pasture access have been associated with a lower-risk colonic environment. (PubMed)

This does not mean alfalfa causes enteroliths in every horse. Risk reflects a combination of:

• Geography

• Breed

• Water and mineral intake

• Colonic pH

• Management

• Time spent outdoors

• Diet

• Individual susceptibility

A horse with recurrent colic and a heavy alfalfa ration in an enterolith-endemic region deserves a dietary review and veterinary investigation.

The Most Serious Alfalfa Risk: Blister Beetles

Blister beetles produce cantharidin, a potent toxin that can contaminate alfalfa during harvest.

This is not exclusively a Texas problem.

Risk is most often associated with alfalfa grown in western parts of the United States, but contaminated hay can be shipped anywhere. Alfalfa cubes, pellets and treats can also contain toxin, and cantharidin is not destroyed by drying or storage. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Beetles may swarm within one area of a field. This means one flake can contain many beetles while another from the same bale appears completely normal.

Visual inspection helps but cannot guarantee that hay is safe.

Signs of Cantharidin Poisoning

Possible signs include:

• Sudden colic

• Depression

• Refusal to eat

• Sweating

• Rapid heart rate

• Dark or congested gums

• Diarrhoea

• Frequent, painful attempts to urinate

• Blood in the urine

• Repeatedly dipping or holding the muzzle in water

• Muscle tremors

• Stiffness

• Synchronous diaphragmatic flutter

• Weakness

• Shock or collapse

As little as several grams of dried beetles may be fatal to a horse. There is no specific antidote, and severely affected horses may require aggressive intravenous fluids, calcium and magnesium supplementation and intensive pain management. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

How Can the Risk Be Reduced?

Buy alfalfa from an established supplier that understands equine blister beetle risk.

Lower-risk harvesting practices may include:

• Scouting fields before cutting

• Cutting before full bloom

• Avoiding areas containing beetle swarms

• Using hay that has not been aggressively crimped

• Using early or late cuttings when beetle activity is lower

None of these creates a zero-risk guarantee.

Can Alfalfa Cause Choke?

Any dense or rapidly consumed feed can contribute to choke.

Alfalfa pellets and cubes become more concerning when the horse:

• Bolts feed

• Has poor teeth

• Is dehydrated

• Has previously choked

• Has oesophageal disease

• Eats while still heavily sedated

• Competes with other horses at feeding time

Soaking pellets or cubes, slowing intake and correcting dental disease can reduce practical risk. (Center for Equine Health)

Signs of choke include:

• Green or feed-stained nasal discharge

• Saliva pouring from the nostrils

• Repeated coughing

• Gulping

• Neck stretching

• Excessive salivation

• Sudden distress while eating

Remove all feed and water and call your veterinarian immediately. Do not pour water, oil or medication into the horse’s mouth.

Can Alfalfa Cause Loose Manure?

Some horses develop temporarily softer manure when first introduced to alfalfa.

This can reflect:

• Abrupt dietary change

• Increased fermentable fibre

• Increased protein

• A richer overall ration

• Individual hindgut adaptation

A mild change in manure consistency may resolve as the horse adapts. Persistent watery diarrhoea, fever, depression, colic or reduced appetite is not a normal dietary adjustment and requires veterinary assessment. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

How Worried Should You Be?

Low Risk

The horse:

• Maintains an appropriate body condition

• Has normal teeth

• Has no metabolic or urinary disease

• Receives a weighed mixed-forage ration

• Has been introduced gradually

• Is eating clean, well-stored alfalfa

What to do: continue monitoring weight, manure, appetite and hoof comfort.

Moderate Risk

The horse:

• Is gaining more weight than intended

• Receives alfalfa by flake rather than weight

• Is urinating substantially more

• Has no forage analysis

• Is eating a very high proportion of alfalfa

• Has mildly soft manure but otherwise appears well

What to do: stop increasing the ration, weigh the hay and arrange a nutritional review.

High Risk

The horse:

• Has insulin dysregulation or previous laminitis

• Has HYPP

• Has kidney or liver disease

• Has previous urinary stones

• Has recurrent colic or enterolith history

• Has poor teeth or previous choke

• Is eating alfalfa of unknown origin in a blister beetle region

What to do: discuss the ration with your veterinarian or equine nutritionist before continuing.

Critical

The horse has:

• Severe or persistent colic

• Repeated painful urination after eating alfalfa

• Muscle tremors or synchronous diaphragmatic flutter

• Feed coming from the nostrils

• Acute laminitis signs

• Profuse diarrhoea

• Weakness or collapse

What to do: seek emergency veterinary care immediately.

When Is This an Emergency?

Call your veterinarian urgently if a horse develops:

• Severe or worsening abdominal pain

• Repeated rolling

• Rapid heart rate

• Dark, congested or tacky gums

• Painful and frequent attempts to urinate

• Blood in the urine

• Repeatedly dipping the muzzle into water

• Muscle tremors

• Synchronous diaphragmatic flutter

• Feed or saliva coming from the nostrils

• Hot, painful feet

• Bounding digital pulses

• A short, stiff gait

• Profuse diarrhoea

• Weakness or collapse

A combination of sudden colic, urinary discomfort, muscle abnormalities and recent alfalfa exposure should raise immediate concern for cantharidin poisoning.

Keep a sample of the forage, retain the bale string or batch information and prevent other horses from eating the same feed until the source has been investigated.

What Should You Do Before Feeding Alfalfa?

1. Define the Goal

Decide whether you are using alfalfa for:

• Additional calories

• Quality protein

• Calcium

• Pregnancy or lactation

• Growth

• Ulcer-conscious feeding

• Partial hay replacement

• A soft senior ration

2. Establish the Horse’s Weight and Body Condition

A horse that needs weight gain and a horse that needs protein without extra calories may require very different quantities.

3. Weigh the Current Forage

Calculate how much the horse is already eating before adding anything.

4. Analyse the Hay

Testing can determine:

• Digestible energy

• Crude protein

• Lysine

• Sugar and starch

• Calcium

• Phosphorus

• Potassium

• Copper

• Zinc

Visual appearance cannot provide these values.

5. Review the Entire Ration

Include:

• Grass hay

• Pasture

• Concentrate

• Ration balancer

• Supplements

• Treats

• Oil

• Other forage products

6. Select the Appropriate Form

Choose long-stem hay, pellets, cubes or chopped forage according to chewing ability, storage and purpose.

7. Introduce It Over 10 to 14 Days

Replace part of the current forage by weight rather than abruptly adding a large new meal.

8. Balance the Minerals

Do not assume that high calcium makes the whole ration complete.

9. Monitor the Result

Track:

• Body weight

• Body condition

• Topline

• Appetite

• Manure

• Water intake

• Urination

• Hoof comfort

• Eating speed

10. Review the Plan After Several Weeks

The correct ration is the one producing the intended result without creating obesity, digestive problems or nutritional imbalance.

Common Alfalfa Feeding Mistakes

Assuming All Alfalfa Is the Same

Cutting, maturity and leaf content can dramatically change calories and protein.

Feeding by Flake

Flakes vary too much to be a reliable measurement.

Blaming Protein for Developmental Orthopaedic Disease

Excess energy, rapid growth and mineral imbalance matter more than protein alone.

Adding Alfalfa Without Reducing Another Feed

This may turn a balanced maintenance ration into an unintended weight-gain programme.

Assuming Alfalfa Replaces a Mineral Supplement

It contributes calcium and protein but does not reliably balance all trace nutrients.

Choosing Hay by Colour

Bright green hay can still be high in calories, unsuitable in NSC or contaminated. Pale hay is not automatically poor.

Ignoring Blister Beetle Risk

Contamination can occur in hay and processed products, and beetles may not be visible throughout the bale.

Feeding Dry Cubes to a Horse That Bolts Feed

Soaking and slower feeding may be necessary to reduce choke risk.

How Can Alfalfa Be Fed More Safely?

• Buy from an experienced equine forage supplier.

• Ask where and how the crop was harvested.

• Inspect hay for mould, dust, insects and foreign material.

• Store it off the ground in a dry, ventilated area.

• Weigh every portion.

• Introduce it gradually.

• Maintain clean water and salt.

• Preserve long-stem forage where the horse can chew it.

• Soak cubes or pellets for horses at choke risk.

• Test hay for metabolic or growth-sensitive horses.

• Balance the entire ration.

• Reassess whenever body condition, workload or health changes.

Alfalfa is more difficult to cure properly in humid conditions and may be more prone to mould than some grass hays. Mouldy or excessively dusty forage should not be fed. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Will My Horse Do Well on Alfalfa?

Most healthy horses tolerate alfalfa very well when it is introduced gradually and fed in an appropriate amount.

It is most likely to help when:

• The horse genuinely needs more calories or protein

• The forage is clean

• The ration is balanced

• The horse’s teeth can manage the chosen form

• Body condition is monitored

• Relevant disease risks have been considered

Problems are more likely when:

• The horse is already overweight

• The forage is added rather than substituted

• The horse has HYPP, kidney disease or urinary stones

• Enterolith risk is high

• Hay analysis is ignored

• Contaminated or mouldy forage is fed

• The horse bolts pellets or cubes

• A medical problem causing weight loss remains untreated

FAQs About Feeding Alfalfa to Horses

Can horses eat alfalfa every day?

Yes. Many horses can eat alfalfa daily as part of a balanced ration. The amount should match the horse’s calorie, protein and mineral requirements.

How much alfalfa should a horse eat?

There is no universal amount. Using alfalfa as approximately 25% to 30% of daily forage is a practical starting point for many adults, but the final amount should be based on body weight, condition, workload and forage analysis.

Does alfalfa make horses hot?

No. Protein does not directly cause excitable behaviour. A horse may become fresher if alfalfa increases the total calories supplied by the ration. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Can foals eat alfalfa?

Yes. Alfalfa can provide useful protein, lysine and calcium. It must be included within a controlled growth ration with appropriate energy, phosphorus, copper and zinc. Excess protein itself does not cause developmental orthopaedic disease. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Does alfalfa cause kidney damage?

Not in a healthy horse simply because it is high in protein or calcium. Horses with existing kidney disease or calcium-containing urinary stones may need alfalfa restricted. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Final Thoughts

Alfalfa is neither a miracle forage nor something every horse owner should fear.

It is a nutrient-dense legume that can provide:

• Digestible fibre

• Quality protein

• Lysine

• Calcium

• Useful calories

• Gastric buffering

Those same qualities can be excessive in the wrong horse.

The best approach is to feed alfalfa for a clear reason, weigh it, analyse it when necessary and balance the entire ration. Do not blame protein for every behavioural or developmental problem, but do not assume that a green leafy bale is automatically suitable for an overweight metabolic horse.

Most importantly, remember the serious exceptions. HYPP, kidney disease, urinary stones, hepatic encephalopathy, enterolith risk and blister beetle exposure can all change the recommendation substantially.

The right question is not simply:

Is alfalfa good for horses?

It is:

Does this alfalfa, in this quantity, meet this individual horse’s needs without creating unnecessary risk?

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If you are unsure whether alfalfa suits your horse’s body condition, workload, metabolic health or current ration, ASK A VET™ can help you organise the feeding history and identify the right questions to discuss with your veterinarian or equine nutritionist.