A Simple Horse Question ?
We have been feeding our horse straight alfalfa, however our trainer suggested we mix it beside grass hay. Anyway we are going to buy grass hay tomorrow and just mix it with the alfalfa so here is my question. We buy from one guy solitary who we trust the last guy we bought from the hay was horrible he let it out within the rain and all kind of weed and bugs in it as well. Anyway the guy where we buy any sells straight alfalfa or grass hay not mixed. So when we want to add grass hay to his diet should i just put one flake of alfalfa and one flake of grass hay on the first sunshine or something like 1 1/2 flakes of alfalfa and 1/2 flake of grass hay. (He gets a total of 4 flakes daily) Or would it be like nurture two flakes of alfalfa at night and two flakes of grass hay at night? It sounds confusing the way I wrote lol.
Please do not articulate he is fine on alfalfa I don't want him to founder which, he is ridden two times a week for about an hour. How do I safley add grass hay into his diet is what i am basically asking! Thanks
Just ease him on to the grass hay. 1 and a half flakes of alfalfa and a half of orchard would be flawless.
I know what u mean when you said no one tell u that u can freshly feed alfalfa because I have a mare that is touching on foundering.
The best way or the style that I alter my horses diets is a small amount at a time. I would start him out with 3/1...3 alfalfa flakes with 1 grass/hay..maybe 1 1/2 al near 1/2 grass like you mentioned and gradually increase it every week till it is 2/2. it's also how I change their crumb with my horses.That should help the horses stomach adjust without upsetting it or cause the horse to colic.
I'm not totally sure because I haven't done any recent research but I think that it would be kind of approaching a dog but in a larger scale. If you are trying to introdusce a new food to him later you should make it 3/4 alfalfa for the fist couple of days then 1/2 alfalfa 1/2 grass hay for a couple days then whether he seems to like it then simply stick with the 1/2 & 1/2. If he doesn't really like the grass hay then put it to 3/4 alfalfa again. I focus the most important thing is that he gets some. It soesn't hold to be too much just enough that he is getting some good out of it.
Hope I help! :)
we add alfalfa in the winter months. i tera up the flakes for him and only give 1 flake a day for a week then week 2 add the moment flake so that its not such a shock for it...good luck
Answers: Going to grass hay is not going to hurt him whether he's only been on alfalfa. It's going to 'rich' foods and grains that produce the problems.
Even starved horses are given as much grass hay as they will eat during rehab.
You can just add the amount you want to impart him. More than likely...he will eat all the alfalfa first...and afterwards eat the grass. I don't know any horses that choose grass over alfalfa if they have the choice. I mix hay adjectives the time...and don't 'introduce' the grass hay. They just get it. I introduce the alfalfa.
I don't like to feed our horses full alfalfa, so we mix it beside a grass, oat or forage, whatever we can find. Sometimes we give alfalfa at night and other contained by the morning. Sometimes we give them 1/2 and 1/2 each meal. Some horses take more alfalfa/less other and some get mostly oat/forage and little alfalfa.
We usually like to nurture the alfalfa at night since it's a little hotter food, but I know people that prefer alfalfa within the morning, so they can "burn" it off.
Feed whatever works for you and your horse. Just don't do any drastic menu changes.
Good luck and own fun
The second one you mentioned would work perfectly. You are a awfully good horse owner! Because most other horse owners would just give their horse everything at once, so the horse wouldn't know how to adjust right away. Good Luck!
I think you've got the right idea! Whenver you're varying an animals diet you want to do it in increments. Start slow, 1/2 to 1, or even 1 to 1 is fine. Eventually though, you do want to be feeding more grass hay than alfalfa. Alfafa is very rich contained by proteins and minerals, which is a good thing, but we all know too much of a suitable thing can cause problems mm? You need to be feed more 'forage' which will fill them up without packing them too full of vitamins etc.
This also depends on how much your horse is worked. If they are ridden heavily throughout the week and kept quite fit, more alfalfa is fine. If they are a sluggish winter pony that doesnt get out quite as much, you'll want to cut back a bit. Since he singular gets ridden twice a week, I would honestly suggest feeding lone 1 flake of alfalfa at dinner, since it is quite rich and quite dense.
