How to feed alfalfa for ulcers without the fizz ??

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I'm new to this whole ulcer thing. Vet said I need to feed alfalfa, but my horse is already quite strong and I have always fed her extremely basic low calorie chaff. I've had to buy some Dengie Healthy Tummy and the info on it says it's equivalent to a medium energy mix. Yikes !! I'd like some brakes !! But to neutralise the stomach acid it seems that the only option is alfalfa. So catch 22. How do I feed alfalfa for a strong good doer with ulcers, without the extra energy ???
 
Pretty much any unmolassed chaff fed 1/2 hour before working of about a double handful will sit nicely on the stop of the stomach and prevent as much acid splashing about. I wouldn't worry about it being alfalfa specifically.
 
Have you actually fed the healthy tummy to your horse and had issues? If not just try it!

Alfa itself is a pretty 'safe' feed in terms of fizziness - it's very low in sugar/starch which is why it features in many laminitic chaffs.

The healthy tummy has a reasonable oil content which will put the MJ up.

Yes some horses seem to have a reaction to Alfa, but they are a small minority.

FWIW one of mine is mega feed sensitive behaviour wise but is absolutely fine on Alfa based products
 
Alfa a molasses free. Suspect with Healthy Tummy you are paying extra for the name! If you are only feeding fibre you will probably need a balancer but beware that a lot of then have soya oil or molasses in them. I use Thunderbrooks base mix.
 
I used to have a very food sensitive mare who could only tolerate alfalfa! But we now have one who can't tolerate the stuff, so we don't give it to any of them, then there can be no mix ups.
Alfalfa doesn't have magical properties to cure ulcers, you just need to make sure that the horse has eaten fibre before being ridden, so that the stomach acid doesn't slosh around, even better feed AdLib fibre, so that the stomach is never empty.
 
ihatework said:
Have you actually fed the healthy tummy to your horse and had issues? If not just try it!

Alfa itself is a pretty 'safe' feed in terms of fizziness - it's very low in sugar/starch which is why it features in many laminitic chaffs.

The healthy tummy has a reasonable oil content which will put the MJ up.

Yes some horses seem to have a reaction to Alfa, but they are a small minority.

FWIW one of mine is mega feed sensitive behaviour wise but is absolutely fine on Alfa based products
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The main selling point to healthy tummy is the addition of Protexin gut balancer, if you want to stick with alfalfa, go for a plain alfalfa... Perhaps the dengie molasses free version would be best and buy the protexin supplement separately, that way you can have the benefits of HT without the fizz.
 
Queenbee said:
The main selling point to healthy tummy is the addition of Protexin gut balancer, if you want to stick with alfalfa, go for a plain alfalfa... Perhaps the dengie molasses free version would be best and buy the protexin supplement separately, that way you can have the benefits of HT without the fizz.
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Whilst Alfa molassess free is definitely another option, what on earth makes you say that protexin is the fizzy ingredient?!

Healthy tummy has a pretty much identical make up to Alfa molasses free except it has added protexin, vit/min premix and herbs.

So one is designed as a complete feed and the other is not. Both good for an ulcer horse depending on what else you feed alongside
 
I've fed Healthy Tummy to three of mine at various points, and it's never fizzed them up. I wouldn't be overly concerned about it adversely affecting her behaviour.
 
ihatework said:
Whilst Alfa molassess free is definitely another option, what on earth makes you say that protexin is the fizzy ingredient?!

Healthy tummy has a pretty much identical make up to Alfa molasses free except it has added protexin, vit/min premix and herbs.

So one is designed as a complete feed and the other is not. Both good for an ulcer horse depending on what else you feed alongside
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Erm I think you need to re-read my reply and retract your lecture. I neither said that nor ever would, what I said is that it is the main selling point of HT, to get that without the fizziness from the other stuff in HT, I suggested buying a molasses free chaff and a tub of protexin.
 
Queenbee said:
Erm I think you need to re-read my reply and retract your lecture. I neither said that nor ever would, what I said is that it is the main selling point of HT, to get that without the fizziness from the other stuff in HT, I suggested buying a molasses free chaff and a tub of protexin.
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I have just re-read and come to exactly the same conclusion!
So we will have to agree to disagree!
 
Aloe vera juice is a great stomach soother- we used it all the time in the US (granted, it was cheaper there). Put one cup in feed 1x per day for those on maintenance. When my horse was being treated for ulcers, I also added a cup to alfalfa pellets pre-ride and she was much more comfortable almost immediately. I'm sure you could soak some chaff in it and have the same effect!
 
Have you actually tried it yet? If not dont panick just yet! My Anglo is quite sensitive and can become rather reactive on most feeds, alfalfa however is fab on, I give Alfa A oil and never had any issues with it, keeps his weight up and temperament to his usual dopey self. I have had one that was extremely intollerant to it but it didn't fix him up either, he had severe sweet itch type symptoms from it
 
Ok so to break it down simply for those having difficulty - the only reason I can see feed HT is for the gut balancer - protexin, since you can buy this off the shelf in a tub, you can feed the gut balancer on its own and avoid all the stuff in HT that may cause fizziness - simply put that means all the OTHER stuff apart from protexin that is in HT
 
Queenbee said:
Ok so to break it down simply for those having difficulty - the only reason I can see feed HT is for the gut balancer - protexin, since you can buy this off the shelf in a tub, you can feed the gut balancer on its own and avoid all the stuff in HT that may cause fizziness - simply put that means all the OTHER stuff apart from protexin that is in HT
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I think the confusion lies around the ingredients of HT, which are, according to Dengie
Alfalfa, alfalfa pellets, rape seed oil, vitamin and mineral premix, protexin in-feed formula, yeast and prebiotics, herbs

not sure what would cause 'fizziness' there, in an alfa-tolerant horse.
Most molassses free bags of alfalfa have a coating of oil so other than the texture difference between pellets and alfa chaff, not sure why there would be any difference in buying the ingredients separately vs premixed :)

eta, ingredients of dengie alfa molasses free
Chopped alfalfa, alfalfa pellets, rape seed oil, mint and fenugreek.

therefore the only difference is going to be the vits and mins.
 
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