Is alfalfa safe for laminitis?

Due to it's low starch and sugar content alfalfa is ideal for laminitis prone horses or ponies and those with muscle problems. When shopping for horse feed, look out for our 'No Added Sugar' logo to be sure you are using the lowest sugar options available.

Can laminitic horses have alfalfa?

A supplement containing protein, vitamins, and minerals will help the horse heal damaged tissues. For thin laminitic horses, consider providing calories from beet pulp (without molasses), alfalfa hay or cubes, soy hulls, or vegetable oil.

Is alfalfa safe for foundered horses?

Alfalfa hay can cause horses to founder and develop laminitis due to the excess nutrients provided by the high quality hay if too much is fed. If switching from grass hay to alfalfa, generally less alfalfa is required to provide the same nutrients present in the grass hay.

What hay is best for laminitic horses?

Generally, a mixture of grass hay and alfalfa is the best hay combination for horses prone to laminitis.

What can you not feed a horse with laminitis?

Restrict NSC feed intake

Avoid grain or sweet feed that is high in starch and/or sugar. If additional calories are needed, either add a fat supplement or a fiber-based feed with <20-25% NSC. (Horses with a history of laminitis should have feeds 14% NSC or less.)

Laminitis Hoof Treatment vs. The Natural Method

What is the best diet for a laminitis?

The basis of any diet for a horse or pony prone to laminitis or suffering acute laminitis is hay. The best choice of forage is one that is low in sugar, starch, and fructans (non-structural carbohydrates or NSC). Ideally, all forage that you intend to feed should be tested for NSC level and be below 10%.

Can you feed lucerne to laminitic horse?

Never starve a laminitic horse

For a laminitic prone horse/pony, low sugar roughage sources may include Teff hay, Rhodes grass hay, lucerne hay, beet pulp or soaked grass hay.

What do you feed a laminitic prone horse?

Hay is likely to form the bulk of the diet for an EMS/PPID/laminitic horse. Late cut, native species grass hay is likely to have lower sugar levels than early cut improved species (e.g. ryegrass) grass hay. High fibre haylage may also be suitable.

What type of hay has the lowest sugar content?

Low sugar hay is extremely important in a horse's diet due to its health properties and the enormous benefits it can offer. While lucerne usually has lower sugar than a lot of grass hays, it more often than not tests HIGHER in sugar, starch & protein compared to our Low Sugar Hay.

What is the best hay for a foundered horse?

Does alfalfa cause inflammation in horses?

THREE RISKS OF FEEDING TOO MUCH ALFALFA TO HORSES:

Horses that are on high protein diets become overly acidic which can cause inflammation in various body systems including the joints and hooves. They may get “hot”, anxious or agitated, or show signs of liver or kidney stress.

What happens if a horse eats too much alfalfa?

Alfalfa hay can cause diarrhea in a horse that overeats it because the hay is rich and full of nutrients. Overeating alfalfa can also cause a horse to have excess gas, develop laminitis, and founder.

Does alfalfa make a horse hot?

Some owners believe alfalfa makes horses “hot,” but Martinson says there's no scientific basis for this. “(It) does have more energy compared to grass hay of similar maturity, so perhaps a horse eating a lot of alfalfa in the absence of exercise may have more energy,” she says.

Is alfalfa high in starch and sugar?

Alfalfa Has Low Starch and Sugar Content

The alfalfa plant has a very low content of both starch and water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) such as sugars and fructan.

Is alfalfa hard on horses kidneys?

Alfalfa (lucerne) products, whether hay, cubes, or pellets, are not known to cause kidney problems in horses.

Which is better alfalfa cubes or pellets?

There is no nutritional difference between alfalfa pellets and cubes, so the choice between the two is based on which type your horses prefer and which you prefer to feed and store. Alfalfa pellets, cubes, and hay provide the same essential nutrients per pound.

Can horses with laminitis eat grass?

Quick facts. High amounts of sugars in grasses can bring about laminitis in horses susceptible to the disease. Susceptible horses should have limited grazing or no grazing.

How can you reduce the risk of laminitis?

Can a horse get laminitis from hay?

Feed a low energy forage

Hay is more suitable for horses and ponies at risk of laminitis than haylage. For those prone to the disease and/or overweight, feed hay that has been soaked for 12-16 hours.

Are carrots good for horses with laminitis?

One of the first things you are likely to be told, as the owner of a laminitic or EMS horse, is "no treats, no carrots, no apples..". A grape or prune is sometimes suggested as suitable for hiding pergolide tablets, but owners may be warned not to use a slice of carrot or apple for the same purpose.

Is happy hoof good for laminitis?

A low calorie fibre blend suitable for those prone to laminitis.

Is sugar beet good for horses with laminitis?

VFA fermentation is rapid, supplying energy for the horse, whilst lactate fermentation is slow producing a quarter the amount compared to an equal amount of hay. Sugar beet pulp is recognised by the Laminitis Trust as a feeding stuff that is compatible in feeding with Approved products.

What is a good feed for a foundered horse?

Feed grass hay, possibly a little alfalfa hay, or rinsed sugar beet, BUT stay away from corn, oats, barley, and especially stay away from sugar as molasses. Feed extra fat in the form of oil or rice bran if you need to get energy into the horse.

How much hay should a laminitic horse?

Feed up to 2% of your horse's body weight (10 kg/day for a 500 kg horse) per day as low quality, low NSC forage, including mature or stemmy subtropical grass hays and/or weather damaged alfalfa/lucerne hay.

Are oats good for laminitic horses?

Although horses with acute (active) laminitis should not be fed whole oats, there is increasing awareness that horses that have had a history of laminitis in the past can be safely fed whole oats. This is due to the fact that the starch in oats is highly digestible.