Supplementing Hay and Grain Feed with Alfalfa Pellets

If you are looking for a way to supplement your horse’s feed, alfalfa pellets may be just what you need. Alfalfa is a rich, easy-to-digest feed with a healthy balance of the nutrients your horse needs to stay healthy and happy. In pelleted form, alfalfa offers the same nutrients and fiber content as with alfalfa hay, but without the mess and fuss.

Some ways that horses that can benefit from alfalfa in their diet include:

• Underweight horses or “hard keepers”: Alfalfa’s easy digestibility makes it perfect for packing weight on an underweight horse, as well as for providing extra calories during the winter.
• Geriatric horses or those with certain medical conditions: Horses with dental issues can easily chew and digest alfalfa pellets soaked in water, while the nutrient content and solubility aids in preventing or treating conditions like ulcers and colic.
• Pregnant and nursing mares: Alfalfa provides the additional nutrients that pregnant and nursing mares need, starting around the eighth month of pregnancy.
• Weanlings and yearlings: Alfalfa also provides an easy-to-digest source of calories and nutrients for young horses.
• Any horse in an exercise program or requiring a balanced diet: Alfalfa is a rich source of additional protein and nutrients, which a regularly exercised horse needs.

How to Feed Alfalfa Pellets

If your horse falls into any of these categories, you can supplement their existing diet with alfalfa pellets. How much depends on the amount of calories you want your horse getting from alfalfa versus other sources, but you can feed anywhere from several pounds a day, to free choice for weanlings and yearlings.

The pellets can be fed dry, but many horses prefer them to be soaked in water and fed as a mash. For young horses, old horses, and those with dental issues, soaking the pellets first may be a necessity.

Horses can be sensitive to diet changes, so always make any diet change slowly. When introducing the pellets, you can start with a quarter pound a day, and gradually increase to the desired amount. For more information on Standard-Bread Alfalfa Pellets, including feeding guidelines, please contact us.