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

>
> 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
>
 Heidi,

we are all also concerned about the other dangers of feeding too much
alfalfa,
(high incidence of calclium and magnesium), but what is you feeling about
really
stepping up the feeding of alfalfa in the winter,...and backing off rest of
year?
Do you think this will allow enteroliths to get a start?  Or will I be okay?
Purina makes
a pelleted feed called Strategy....you can get either a formula designed to
be fed with
grass hay ,or alfalfa.  I wonder if the alfalfa formula is trying to
compensate for these
out of whack cal/phos levels in the alfalfa.

Anyway, since i have a huge stack of alfalfa, and dwindling stacks of grass
and oat
hay, would be better for me if I could feed more alfalfa!
Karen


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