In this excerpt from the April 2020 episode of Ask the Vet, Dr. Gray and SmartPaker Dan answer a question about alfalfa being the only source of forage for a hard keeping senior. Dr. Gray points to the results of one report from UC Davis as to why it’s not a good idea and explains why her barn refers to alfalfa as “ice cream.” The two discuss the nutritional benefits and drawbacks of alfalfa and why some horse owners should consider feeding it to their horse in addition to other hay.

Question answered in this video: Can you explain why alfalfa is not good to feed exclusively? More specifically, is feeding a hard keeping senior full alfalfa forage during winter ok?

Additional reading/watching material mentioned in the video:
Horse Health Library Videos: http://pak.horse/HHLvids
Ask the Vet form: http://pak.horse/2gkBThy
Ask the Vet - Magnesium in horses:    • Ask the Vet - Magnesium for horses  
Ask the Vet - Should I feed alfalfa cubes or alfalfa pellets?:    • Ask the Vet - Should I feed alfalfa c...  
Ask the Equine Nutritionist playlist:    • Ask the Equine Nutritionist  
Ask the Vet - How to introduce a horse to grass in the spring:    • Ask the Vet - How to introduce a hors...  
Ask the Equine Nutritionist - Alfalfa and the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio:    • Ask the Equine Nutritionist - Alfalfa...  

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Happy learning and #haveagreatride.