I thought I was the only one blamed for everything.

Not so.

I’m off the hook.

Blame alfalfa for everything from tying up to navicular, from a calcium/phosphorus imbalance to enteroliths to resistance to training.

And you thought alfalfa was the perfect feed for your horse. Your horse
thought so too. Well, think again!

Alfalfa might just be among the worst things you can feed your horse, even
though your horse looks good, has a shiny coat, and loves every stem of the
green, sweet hay.

Alfalfa is a cattle feed intended to fatten animals for slaughter. When
feeding alfalfa to cattle there is no concern with keeping the animal sound
and able to work for 20 years or more.

Alfalfa, generally, is 18 to 20 per cent protein and often higher.
It’s the high protein which is the culprit.

A horse’s digestive system has to work extra hard to convert protein to
usable energy creating a high body temperature. That’s the first problem.

Not too serious, you say. Of course, not. But it is only the beginning.

Alfalfa is also very high in calcium and low in phosphorus. Young horses
need a calcium/phosphorous ratio of about l.5 to l. Older horses do nicely
on a 2 to l ratio, and can stand up to 5 to l calcium to phosphorus. But
lots of alfalfa for breakfast and dinner can push those ratios to
disastrous proportions if there isn’t another feed in the diet to correct
the imbalance.

Grain, which is high in phosphorus, low in calcium is nature’s way of
balancing the ratio. But lots of horseowners don’t want their horses
eating a lot of grain--gives them too much energy--and so there is no diet
balancing.

Excessive calcium creates the first big series of problems.
It all starts with excessive calcium interfering with the function of the
parathyroid gland. When the parathyroid gland thinks there is too much
calcium available, it shuts down, which in turn disturbs other functions
and leads to "thumps", muscle cramps, and tying up, all of which can have
serious consequences.

Excessive calcium can also result in hypothyroid horses, which are plump
and shiny, but usually cranky, belligerent, resistant to bending and
flexing, very lazy and emotionally unstable.

Young horses being conditioned for performance or halter are often plagued
by unsoundnesses, as well as training problems, simply because they are
physically and emotionally troubled by thyroid or metabolic imbalances
nutritionally-induced by alfalfa.

Alfalfa can cause numerous training problems seemingly without solutions.
Don’t blame your horse or your training techniques; check your feeding
program.

A calcium/phosphorus imbalance will cause knuckling over and contracted
tendons in young horses. Good, rich alfalfa will make young horses grow
quickly and often end in epiphysitis, a joint condition which can have long
lasting ill effects.

High amounts of protein (thanks to alfalfa) when digested, result in an
acid condition within the horse. The horse needs to be slightly alkaline.

To buffer the acids in the blood, the horse’s body pulls the alkaline
minerals from tissue and bone so the heart can continue to function
properly. The heart, according to the horse’s body, has a higher priority
than ligaments and bones. The result: osselets, spavins and navicular
condition.

Kidney problems are common in horses which eat a lot of alfalfa. In an
effort to get rid of the excess protein in the diet, there is often
frequent urination and possible kidney damage. Kidney stones many times
are the result of high calcium and high protein in the horse’s diet; thanks
to alfalfa.

Alfalfa is the only direct link to stones (enteroliths) found in horses.
It is very common for horses in California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and

Utah--states which feed a lot of alfalfa--to have stones. Horses which do
not eat alfalfa virtually never have stones.

Finally, studies have shown that horses eating mostly alfalfa have a
higher incidence of disease than horses on grass hay. In study groups,
alfalfa- fed horses had more severe disease symptoms than horses on grass.

When taken off the alfalfa, reducing the high amounts of protein, the
diseases ended without treatment.

If you are feeding alfalfa, in any form, reevaluate your feeding program
and consider adding a different roughage.

Your horse likes his alfalfa, but he won’t like a calcium/phosphorus
imbalance, being hypothyroid, cramping or tying up, having kidney stones or
kidney disease, arthritis, osselets, spavins or navicular.

He may be unhappy about being taken off alfalfa, but he sure might be a
happier, healthier horse who loves to train, compete and enjoy extra years
of pain-free exercise.

You may not choose to change. That’s up to you.

But if you don’t do anything, don’t blame me.