Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

[RC] [RC] question on alfalfa - Sherman

Candace,

Yes, alfalfa is basically a dairy cow feed. Go to http://www.shady-acres.com/susan/index.shtml and read the section titled "Alfalfa for Distance Horses". Read the other sections, too, if you have the time. There's enough information there for you to make a good decision on what to feed your horses.

I have also know many horse owners that have fed nothing but alfalfa & grain to all their horses all their (the owner's, not the horse's) life. However, most of these owners also only keep a horse until it's early teens and none of them have been endurance horse owners. I've heard the same thing of owners refusing to worm a horse....."we never worm any of our horses and have never had any problems". Of course, they also sell the horses before their mid or late teens and never get to see the repercussions of the horse's intestinal system being so damaged by parasites that they are prone to colic or cannot properly utilize their food and require special diets. BTW, my vet said a recent study on parasites showed that proper control in the first year of life is the most critical for avoiding bowel & intestinal damage and associated problems.

Kathy