Alfalfa causing behavior issues....

[horsefeed]

Interesting mare....see other thread about her broncing!!

Anyways I have always fed Alfalfa to everything and never really thought about it as horses all look good.

However after speaking with vet at lunch and then googling I am seriously considering switching it for a grass product instead.
She currently gets
Alfa A oil or Alfa Pellets soaked (depending what I can get from local feed shop)
Beet
Blue Chip Pro
Micronised Linseed

She is extremely spooky, jumpy, broncs when tacked up and mounted, when in work she settles a bit but generally finds lives very stressful!

Could Alfalfa cause these symptoms?

 

[zigzag]

I fed Alfalfa to a 12 HH section B stallion he went from a pony who a 3 year old could handle to a pony that needed two people to lead him, once he was off it, a few days later back to his normal self, am very wary feeding it now

 

[MotherOfChickens]

yes, in a word. what have you to lose by trying? if it is that, you should see a difference from 24-36 hours. sent my last horse batty-especially the dengie pellets (he wasnt' so bad on Halley's Greengold but was still spooky-just not trying to kill me).

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

I'm sure it could as some horses are sensitive to alfalfa. I would also question the Blue Chip Pro as some balancers do send horses bonkers.

However the broncing when tacked up though would have me questioning pain or a saddle issue.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I would also question the Blue Chip Pro as some balancers do send horses bonkers.

However the broncing when tacked up though would have me questioning pain or a saddle issue.

agree about the balancer and the saddle. even if a saddle is deemed to fit, doesnt mean they have to like it.

 

[horsefeed]

Tried several different saddles, some that have been fitted professionally and some just random ones and again has made no difference.

She has been a handful since she arrived hence years of test but she has also been fed Alfa since she arrived.

Blue Chip is a recentish addition.

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

Tried several different saddles, some that have been fitted professionally and some just random ones and again has made no difference.

She has been a handful since she arrived hence years of test but she has also been fed Alfa since she arrived.

Blue Chip is a recentish addition.

Just replied on your other post - if it is the saddle that has made her sore, she isn't going to stop being sore just because you put a new saddle on. The problem points need to be addressed and the muscle released. Of course it might not be the saddle but her reaction is very similar to how my horse was and it was because his saddle was too narrow for him and it clearly really hurt.

 

[vanrim]

Soaked alfalfa cubes gave my horses gastric ulcers. They became unrideable.

 

[whizzer]

I avoid alfalfa with my gelding,anymore than a tiny amount send him crackers, really silly & spooky,difficult to handle on the ground & virtually unrideable. Tried it in many ways & different feeds but always the same result.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Cut out everything except hay and take it from there.

 

[YorksG]

Cut out everything except hay and take it from there.

This, for at least three weeks and then see what you have I do not feed alfalfa to two of ours (well none of them get it, but it is because of those two iyswim) as both Appy mares become horrid when fed it. The older one nearly had me under a car when she had it and is normaly totally traffic proof.

 

[Magnetic Sparrow]

A friend of mine couldn't feed alfalfa to her gelding because it turned him into a monster. Funnily enough he was an Appy too.

 

[Pinkvboots]

It sends my Arabs nuts so does anything with molasses so your beet might not be helping either if it's molassed.

 

[fusspot]

I have had to drop Alfa from my current horses diet,another girl had same problem too and even a few years ago myself and a few others had to stop using Blue Chip as horses went nuts.

 

[Goldenstar]

In a word yes some horses can not tolerate alfalfa.
Others will be naughty on alfalfa because it's high energy on it's simply the old energy in energy out rule .
I would start by giving the horse nothing but hay for two or three weeks and see what happens .

 

[Embo]

I can't feed alfalfa to my horse. When I moved onto my current yard just over a year ago, hay & feed are inclusive of livery cost and they only feed Alfa-A / Alfa Oil. I didn't think anything of it, so used up the last of my feed in the transition to their feed, all seemed fine. The change wasn't immediate, but 2 months in and he was unrideable.

So after trying a few things and reading about how alfa-a can turn some horses bat-poo, I switched him back to Hi-Fi. Hey presto, within a week I had my horse back. So he is on a strict NO-alfalfa diet!! Don't want to go through that again lol.

 

[colly66]

Yes it sent my new mare from a calm, great in traffic ,to a spooky ,spinning car hater. Stopped the feed with alfalfa ,just fed only hay for a few days. Then as she is in light work, put her on Allen and Page Fast Fibre it has no Alfalfa or molasses in it and now back to how she was before .