Is wheat hay okay to feed to horses?
Are alfalfa hay and cubes safe for horses? I recently read that sometimes alfalfa hay will cause hair loss in light colored horses. Finding hay is getting harder and more expensive. Someone mentioned that people are feeding alfalfa cubes when hay is short. I would love to but I’m not sure it is safe for my horse, a 13 year old Paint. If you have any advice on the matter I would love to hear it! I checked with our other nutritionist on faculty, Dr. Sarah Ralston, and we both agree that there is absolutely no evidence for this claim. Alfalfa hay or cubes are safe as long as they are introduced slowly and the horse has normal kidney function. The cubes can be used as a forage substitute but should be fed in multiple feedings to reduce boredom and wood chewing. For a 13 year old Paint I would recommend Timothy/Alfalfa mix cubes because the straight alfalfa might be a little too high in nutrients and energy for his needs. I would not feed them free choice, as most horses will tend to overea
