Question
I own a four-year-old gelding that’s in moderately fleshy body condition (14.3 hands, 870 lb or 395 kg). He doesn’t have pasture access in winter but gets turned out for an hour daily in a drylot with other horses, though he has no opportunity to eat. He’s fed 5 lb (2.3 kg) of feed daily with a couple handfuls of soaked alfalfa cubes. I'm concerned that the lack of mobility caused by stalling has caused some behavioral issues, including more sensitivity in the flank area. The boarding stable grows its own "organic" hay—which means the owners practice no weed control in their hay fields—so his four flakes of hay are often full of weeds and stalks. Free-choice access to hay is not an option at the stable. Could the alfalfa be causing the unusual behavior?
Answer
Restricted turnout and grazing opportunities combined with the limited hay can have a negative impact on both behavior and digestive health. I don’t believe the alfalfa cubes are a contributing factor, and I would encourage you to continue to offer this supplemental forage.
Limited hay that is consumed quickly leaves horses without access to forage for extended periods of time, which can lead to increased acidity in both the stomach and hindgut.
Kentucky Equine Research offers two digestive health products for these situations. RiteTrac is a total digestive tract buffer, providing stomach support through antacids and coating agents, and hindgut support through EquiShure, a patented time-released buffer. EquiShure is available as a standalone product as well. These products reduce digestive discomfort by neutralizing excess acid. Horses that show sensitivity to being groomed or having their flanks touched often respond well to EquiShure.
Feeding hay based on the number and size of flakes can lead to issues with over- and underfeeding. Horses should receive 1.5% of their body weight as dry forage per day. For an 870-lb (395-kg) horse, this would be 14-15 lb (6.4-6.8 kg) of hay per day, ideally offered throughout most of the day. The 5 lb (2.3 kg) of concentrate feed is likely making up any calorie deficits from the lower quality hay, and maintains the gelding’s weight and condition.
