[RC] Study Suggests Alfalfa Might Buffer Gastric Acid Production, Prevent Ulcers - Kristen A Fisher
Study Suggests Alfalfa Might Buffer Gastric Acid
Production, Prevent Ulcers
by: Agricultural Communications, TexasA&MUniversity System
A change in diet can be good for what ails you--even if you
are a horse.
Research
from TexasA&MUniversity
showed that feeding alfalfa to horses either prevented or was therapeutic in
treating stomach ulcers.
"Something
in alfalfa hay tends to buffer acid production," said Pete Gibbs, PhD,
Extension horse specialist.
According
to Gibbs, 30% of the one million horses in Texas are used in racing, showing, and
competitive performance. Of these, up to 90% of racehorses and more than 50% of
arena performance horses have ulcers of varying severity.
Feeding
grain, confinement, exercise, and overall environmental stress factors are
thought to cause ulcers, he said. It's commonly thought that horses turned out
on pastures are better off than those that are confined. However, if grass hay
is the only hay they are fed, this research suggests that the horses might be
more likely to get gastric ulcers, Gibbs said.
The
recent research project correlating type of hay to likelihood of ulcers was
part of a master's degree thesis by Travis Lybbert, PhD, in collaboration with
the College of Veterinary Medicine. Gibbs served on
Lybbert's academic research committee.
In the
study, 24 Quarter Horse yearlings were separated into two treatment groups. One
group was fed Bermuda grass hay and the other fed alfalfa hay to meet the daily
roughage needs. The yearlings received forced exercise during the study.
The
horses were examined internally with an endoscope at the beginning and end of
two 28-day trials.
In this
study, the horses had more ulcers when alfalfa was removed from their diets and
they were turned out on pasture.
To apply
the results of this study to their own herd management, horse
owners--especially those with performance horses--can give their horses a
pharmaceutical product that will decrease acid production, or they can manage
horses' diets.
The
second option does not stop acid production but offers buffering capabilities,
Gibbs said. Further work is needed to look at horses with varying degrees of
ulceration in order to better determine the full extent to which alfalfa or
alfalfa-based products might help from a feeding management standpoint.
"Based
on what we know right now--for horses that are kept in confinement, eating
feed, and getting forced exercise--it makes sense to consider some alfalfa as
part of their diet," he said.
Gibbs'
initial recommendation is that horses weighing between 1,000-1,300 pounds
should be fed about one pound of alfalfa after a grain meal.
According
to Gibbs, this study lays the groundwork for further research at Texas A&M.
The next phase of the research effort will investigate what it is about alfalfa
and alfalfa products that lessens the occurrence and severity of horses' ulcers.
