Re: Re: alfalfa hay and enterliths

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

So, if living in  CA, and if grass and grain hay is readily available, is feeding an all grass/ grain hay diet more adventageous (healthwise and performance wise) to the horse? 

 

Yes, absolutely no doubt about it.  The scientific evidence is overwhelming.  The only stage of production that merits a ration containing 50% or more of alfalfa in their ration is a broodmare in early lactation, and foals up to the age of four months.  When the foal is four months of age, alfalfa should be limited (as feeding it free choice dramatically increases the incidence of developmental orthopedic disease), and the mare no long needs the additional protein or calcium and is healthier on a grass based ration.

 

 

>Is there really any reason (other than to help balance some >rations) to feed alfalfa at all to the endurance horse?

 

I don't object to five pounds a day or less being fed to endurance horses just so that any alfalfa at rides isn't a new feed to them.  At rides, I don't object to small amounts thoroughout the day as it does supply a good souce of calcium.  More than that and the detriments progressively outweigh the benefits. 

 

Susan G 

Robyn

----- Original Message -----

From: Susan Garlinghouse

To: Beth Gunn ; ridecamp@endurance.net

Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 3:04 PM

Subject: RC: Re: alfalfa hay and enterliths

Yes.  All alfalfa will be high in calcium, but alfalfa grown in the southwest averages up to seven times higher in magnesium than alfalfa grown outside the southwest.  Thus, enteroliths are much more of a concern when alfalfa is fed from those regions (note that alfalfa can be shipped long distances), because magnesium is one of the three primary mineral components of enteroliths.  By southwest, I would include CA, AZ, NM, NV and parts of TX, although not all areas of all of those states have soils high in magnesium.

 

Susan G

----- Original Message -----

From: Beth Gunn

To: ridecamp@endurance.net

Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2001 2:12 PM

Subject: RC: alfalfa hay and enterliths

Does where the alfalfa is raised affect the mineral content of said hays which ? cause the enterlith probs?  I am buying alfalfa hay as supplement for youngsters also on bermuda and timothy hays.

Beth Gunn