Alfalfa
10/12/21
“Is alfalfa bad for metabolic horses prone to laminitis?”
Assume the horse has a BCS of 5.5, would receive it at the appropriate feeding rate to maintain good body condition, is otherwise healthy, etc.
I know the smart minds out there want more info, and it does depend, but in general, is alfalfa a "NO" just because a horse has had laminitis related to a metabolic issue?
No, alfalfa is not inherently bad for horses who are in good body condition and suffer from laminitis due to metabolic issues. It should, however, be fed appropriately based on the needs of each individual horse and straight alfalfa is not usually appropriate for these horses.
There are some thoughts currently about excess protein (alfalfa is quite high in this compared to grass forage) causing a spike in blood glucose with the high level of protein and gluconeogenic properties of certain amino acids. This has yet to be demonstrated in horses, but that doesn't mean it doesn't occur and someday we may have data in hand indicating this does happen.
On the flip side.... pre-cecal protein digestibility from alfalfa isn't great and carbon skeletons recycled further down the tract get converted to VFAs (which are energy but wouldn't cause the spike in blood glucose the same as a meal high in NSCs). Yet... because there is more energy per pound from alfalfa compared to grass, a horse with metabolic issues (especially one who is overweight or prone to obesity) would not need a large amount of alfalfa, if any, in the diet.
There are a few other things to think about here...
There is a growing community of individuals who would say they see horse hoof sensitivities in metabolic horses with insulin dysregulation in response to high amounts of alfalfa in the diet. While the science doesn't tell us this is accurate as of yet, it may someday. I like to keep an open mind on these things, but in my experience I have yet to see this. But I have also yet to see or recommend a high level of inclusion of alfalfa into the diets of these horses. I may recommend a blend or use of alfalfa pellets or cubes, but not as an entire forage replacement.
I feel comfortable recommending a blend of alfalfa/grass to horses of IDEAL body condition that are metabolic, have suffered from laminitis and are sensitive to starch and sugars. It will bring down overall NSCs which is a benefit. I do make sure we are not exceeding protein and energy requirements excessively, as that can be problematic for any horse, but I have yet to see a blend (~30-40% alfalfa / ~60-70% grass) be problematic for these metabolic horses who are in good body condition. I've seen more the opposite of this blend helping manage blood insulin levels and maintain a good source of protein in the diet.
I do believe one should approach feeding alfalfa with special attention to the feeding rate and condition of their horse. Straight alfalfa isn't appropriate for most horses (whether they have metabolic issues of not) unless their energy demand is quite high - think lactation or very heavy training. And if a horse is overweight, I do not believe alfalfa is appropriate. In the case of a horse sensitive to NSCs and overweight, the approach I take her is soaking hay or finding a grass that is more mature and lower in NSCs.
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