Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Brrrrr in sunny(?) Florida

> When my arab shivers from the cold, I feed him some flakes
> of alfalfa. This has stoped his shivering. For me this is
> much better than trying to blanket.During the cold months
> he gets a flake at each feeding. Don't know if this works
> only in my guy or all shivering horses, but may be worth a
> try.

Protein has a high heat of digestion (the heat given off by the breaking of
the chemical bonds, with no calories having to be expended), so helps to
warm the horse from the inside.  This is part of what makes alfalfa such a
lovely winter feed, and such an unlovely feed for endurance horses on hot
days.  We routinely break out the alfalfa in cold weather, and yes, that's
one reason why our horses stay comfy out in the cold.

Heidi


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