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Communication Animale . Magnétisme curatif . Alimentation holistique
SPECIAL REPORT: Yes to alfalfa for our horses!
Why alfalfa?
Alfalfa is a raw material very commonly used in the world for horse feed. In the United States, it is common for alfalfa hay to represent the basic forage of the ration.
Yet in France, certain "historical" fears remain. The major reluctance is based on the fear that equine owners have of protein, because a hypothesis was put forward in the 1970s on the possible impact of excess protein on colic. Since that time, scientific knowledge has evolved and it is now established that starch and soluble sugars are risk factors in horses, while protein excesses have never been incriminated. On the contrary, today alfalfa is presented as a protective factor!
State of current knowledge on alfalfa for horses
FIGHTING ULCERS
Research since 2018 by the Lab To Field research center has demonstrated that alfalfa not only prevents, but also heals gastric ulcers in working horses.
Research has been carried out on racehorses, of which more than 80% suffer from ulcers when they are in training or racing. Indeed, their high intake of cereals generates a significant risk for the development of gastric ulcers.
Eighty horses were followed in this trial for 6 weeks: half kept the same diet throughout the trial (ad-lib hay + 6.6 kg of concentrates on average), and for the other half 50% of the concentrates have been replaced by dehydrated alfalfa. Gastric ulcers were monitored at the start, middle and end of the trial. Of the horses healthy at the start of the trial, those fed the alfalfa-rich diet showed numerically fewer severe ulcers at the end of the trial. Also, among the severely ulcerated horses at the start of the trial, numerically more healed with the alfalfa diet than with the conventional diet.
IMPROVE SPORTS PERFORMANCE
The aim of this trial was to study the evolution of the performance of racehorses in training fed with less cereals, rich in starch and sugars, and with more fibers and proteins. Trotters were followed for 8 weeks of intensive training in the Lab To Field research center. Half of the horses received a classic "race" ration of hay (8 kg/d) + oats (4 kg/d), and the other half a hay (8 kg/d) + alfalfa (4 kg/d) ration. + oats (1 kg/d). Both rations provided the same amount of energy. Several qualities associated with performance were monitored, such as maximum speed, maximum power, or the horse's running time over 2400 m. This trial showed that horses in training fed alfalfa as a cereal substitute had the same performance improvements as their counterparts fed without alfalfa. Racehorses can therefore benefit from the "health" virtues of alfalfa while maintaining their highest level of performance.
Palatability and nutritional values
IDEAL AMINO ACIDS AND PROTEINS
Compared to grass hay, alfalfa hay is more palatable. This is confirmed, for example, during “cafeteria tests” (Photo 1): when several forages are offered together, the horses turn preferentially to alfalfa hay. Regarding the forms of presentation, there is no significant difference in the voluntary consumption of alfalfa between the short strands, the long strands and the pellets.
From a nutritional point of view, dehydrated alfalfa provides a quantity of energy equivalent to natural pasture hay, but on average three to four times more digestible protein for the horse. This high protein content is particularly interesting for breeding situations. Indeed, during the growth of foals and during the gestation and lactation of mares, very high protein intakes are necessary. In addition, the amino profile of alfalfa proteins approximates the protein profile of milk or equine skeletal muscle, which are assumed to correspond to the “ideal horse protein”. This analogy makes it possible to optimize the use of alfalfa proteins distributed to horses.
CALCIUM AS AN ANTI ULCER AGENT
Among other peculiarities of dehydrated alfalfa, the calcium content is four to five times higher in alfalfa than in natural pasture hay. However, calcium and proteins confer buffer properties to alfalfa. At an equivalent dilution of barley and alfalfa in water, 3.5 times more hydrochloric acid is needed to lower the pH from 7 to 4 with alfalfa than with barley (Figure 1). This is probably at the origin of the health benefits brought by alfalfa…
In horses, several diseases are associated with acidification of the digestive contents, such as gastric ulcers when the pH drops in the stomach, or colic, diarrhea, or even laminitis when it drops in the large intestine. Acidification can have several origins: the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, and the fermentation of starch and simple carbohydrates by amylolytic bacteria throughout the digestive tract.
Today, the most scientifically substantiated relationship between alfalfa and health concerns gastric ulcers, and in particular ulcers that affect the squamous mucosa, which is not protected by antacid secretions. Gastric ulcers are extremely common in horses that practice regular physical activity: in epidemiological studies on racehorse populations, between 80% and 100% of horses are affected.
In horses, several diseases are associated with acidification of the digestive contents, such as gastric ulcers when the pH drops in the stomach, or colic, diarrhea, or even laminitis when it drops in the large intestine. Acidification can have several origins: the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, and the fermentation of starch and simple carbohydrates by amylolytic bacteria throughout the digestive tract.
Today, the most scientifically substantiated relationship between alfalfa and health concerns gastric ulcers, and in particular ulcers that affect the squamous mucosa, which is not protected by antacid secretions. Gastric ulcers are extremely common in horses that practice regular physical activity: in epidemiological studies on racehorse populations, between 80% and 100% of horses are affected.
In two international clinical studies, beneficial effects of alfalfa were noted on scaly mucosal ulcers. In the first study, conducted in 2007 in the United States, half of the horses monitored received a ration composed of 50% hay and 50% industrial pellets, and the other half a ration composed of 50% alfalfa and 50 % of these same pellets. The author notes a significant reduction in the severity score of the ulcers with the "alfalfa" diet: among the 11 horses which presented ulcers of the squamous mucosa at the start of the test, only one horse remained affected after 28 days of the "alfalfa" diet. .
At the same time, horses that ate the grass hay saw their average score increase. In another clinical study published in 2013 and conducted in New Zealand on horses with gastric ulcers at the start of the trial, the authors observed healing of ulcers in horses fed 100% fermented alfalfa in 28 days, and in 42 days in horses whose diet included 70% alfalfa. The authors conclude that their products could “heal and prevent gastric ulcers”.
The biochemical properties of alfalfa limit intestinal acidosis associated with high starch consumption. This buffering capacity in the large intestine could minimize disturbances of the microbial ecosystem, allowing better utilization of the ration and a lower risk of digestive diseases. To deepen knowledge of these effects, a research program is underway.
False beliefs about alfalfa
Even today, we can sometimes read in articles: "beware of the side effects […] of protein-rich rations", "it can be irritating for the intestines", "beware of colic if too much protein", etc. However, the link between protein intake and digestive diseases has not been established from a scientific point of view in horses. In the latest book on the American dietary recommendations for horses (NRC 2007), the Protein excess chapter even opens as follows: “there is not much evidence regarding the effects of excessive protein consumption”! In order to check that the massive supply of alfalfa was not dangerous, a research trial was conducted in 2018 on 18 horses receiving 6 kg per day of alfalfa (16%, 18% and 25% crude protein on a dry basis) for 28 days. Confirming the initial hypothesis, all the horses consumed the daily 6 kg of alfalfa without any problem and no change in their health was observed during the trial.
Fears associated with proteins seem to stem from a misinterpretation. Frequently, horses led to grass trigger episodes of colic, diarrhea, even laminitis in the spring. As at this time the grass is rich in protein, it was hypothesized in the 1970s that this could be the cause of imbalances in the intestinal ecosystem. However, it is at this time of year that grass is also the richest in fructans... It is these carbohydrates, which are not broken down before reaching the large intestine, which when consumed in very large quantities are cause of the diseases observed.
Sources for this article:
2 SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS:
Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, Volume 100, May 2021, 103556
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0737080621001866
Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, Volume 100, May 2021, 103494
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0737080621001246?via%3Dihub
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Our recommendations for use
1. For an average horse: Hay at will + 2 to 6 kg of alfalfa per day depending on the weight of the horse and its activity divided into 2 meals
2. In case of rationing: 8 to 10 kg of hay minimum, and 2 to 3 kg of alfalfa divided into 2 meals
3. Gradual introduction into the diet over 1 week after stopping cereals
4. In dehydrated version:rehydrate several hours before
5. In case of ulcers to be treated, add 2 capfuls of aloe will see per ration for 3 weeks
6. For baled alfalfa, feed 1/4 of what is fed as hay
7. Alfalfa must be free of CMV and molasses to be effective
For CMV: 1 week at the beginning of winter and 1 week at the beginning of spring maximum.
Salt and magnesium must be offered in 2 different blocks with free access.
Possibility of adding beet pulp for horses of advanced age. We do not recommend linseed oil, extruded linseed, fenugreek, soybean meal etc.
Our two horses below, Mieke and Souchong, are fed exclusively hay and alfalfa, without grains or CMV.
