I’m playing around with this with Grundy - she’s never going to be a foot perfect angel, but after halving her alfalfa ration (she only got about 1.5# a day, soaked) I swear I do think she’s cooled her jets and isn’t so jumpy.
She is on forage only, but apparently it needs to be grass.
Or I’m imagining the change. I don’t know.
Definitely have had horses that can eat alfalfa with no issues AND horses who have become agitated eating alfalfa and have calmed down physically and emotionally once alfalfa was removed from their diet.
Studies have proven it’s unlikely, unless your horse previously wasn’t getting the calories needed for energy.
This is distinct from alfalfa allergies, which is a bona-fide concern in some horses.
This makes sense. I have my senior horses on alfalfa right now. The old 31-year-old gelding has no issues. The 25-year-old gelding was showing signs of “too much”. In the morning, I’d lead him in after he was out all night, and half way to the barn he would power spook and spin around me. That’s not like him. He did this probably four times recently. He’s normally a very mellow horse. I cut out his morning alfalfa, and he hasn’t spooked since. Anecdotal? Perhaps. He still gets nighttime alfalfa since the boys are turned out together. I think it was just too much for him.
I guess it depends on what forums you are perusing. Alfalfa certainly can cause kookiness with horses and I never use it on any of mine just to rule out any chance of it happening (plus I board and we only get bermuda). Current horse was on alfalfa before I got her but I don’t give her any as she doesn’t need it. I had a TB that could not have any alfalfa because he turned into a horse kite if he did.
I searched here for “alfalfa + hot” and found multiple posts
And there were more, I just stopped opening them 
Any ingredient has the potential to be an allergen for a given individual. Almost always (because I don’t know if it’s 100%) it’s an allergy to a specific protein in that ingredient.
Here’s one thread that seems to prove it’s not a fantasy…not in the UK anyhow:
I saw all the US posts that say alfalfa is godlike, but I seem to have one that’s different. I’ve never had one that I noticed this big of an issue with. I’ll be testing this week with completely removing alfalfa from his diet. It’s just too odd he has EVERY symptom that is spoken of (in the UK at least) that an alfalfa sensitive horse seems able to get.
The balancers in the UK aren’t set up for much alfalfa. Most in the US come in alfalfa or grass hay versions. Never personally seen that in Europe.
Also the alfalfa itself is different, (and generally called lucerne)and often fed fermented like haylage instead of dried like hay. Lucerne baled as haylage is going to be a lot more high octane especially than east coast alfalfa.
Lots of additional differences, you can’t just compare social media posts without background and come to a conclusion.
FWIW my horse Bob was gelded at age 5 after 3 years of pasture breeding. He has 3 off-spring. He has changed hands 4 times --breeder to barrel racer (described Bob as “fat, lazy, and slow”) who travelled extensively to barrel race and may not have had him turned out at all --then to a sale barn --likely no turn out there —next to my friend who found Bob is extremely herd aggressive — he doesn’t play --he bites and bullies.
That’s why she sold him to me as I am set up with separate pastures for each horse. Bob is now living with 4 horses on each side of him --but no one he can maul.
I only feed alfalfa --period. Bob is the only horse I’ve ever had who was herd aggressive. Hay is my single most expensive horse item and labor intensive. I look for and buy the highest quality alfalfa I can find (have it tested). My horses look great and very, very little hay is wasted. Almost all the hay is fed in nibble nets --except for one horse who has no teeth in front --he has hay on the ground.
US Balancers aren’t set up much for alfalfa either, there are only a small handful of them: LMF, ProElite, Buckeye, Tribute, and 1-2 more, that’s pretty much is, barring something done by a local mill. The vast majority of brands, national and local, only have a grass balancer
There used to be more, 20+ years ago or so, Purina, Triple Crown, not sure if Nutrena had one, a few others, but my guess is that not enough people were/are feeding an all or mostly alfalfa diet to make enough purchases.
Lucerne IS alfalfa, both are Medicago sativa. They’re just different names in different countries.
The US has fermented alfalfa as well, several different brands. The UK as a whole tends to do more haylage due to the wet growing conditions where it’s easier and safer to do haylage, than to get hay dried enough for regular hay
My current horse tolerates alfalfa very well.
Previous horse could not get much alfalfa without losing his marbles. BO (I board) got some lovely mixed grass/alfalfa hay with way more alfalfa than usual. A short time later he was super reactive to the point that he was a problem to lead in from turnout. Cut back on grain to reduce calories but no improvement. Switched him to grass hay and he returned to normal, even when grain was increased, So, for him, alfalfa was a problem!
I’ve known one horse for sure that could NOT eat alfalfa. He was the sweetest, gentlest, most reliable old kid’s lesson horse. An angel of an animal. Anyone could ride and handle TC and he was going to take care of them.
Unless someone fed him a flake of alfalfa. I saw it with my own eyes. He turned into a snorting, jittery, glassy-eyed maniac. No one could ride and handle TC. He was NOT going to take care of them (at least not in a good way, LOL).
He’s my one piece of anecdotal evidence. And it wasn’t just the one time. His owner had loaned him to the barn to be used for lessons. She told the trainer/manager “NO alfalfa for him. Ever.” But of course, everyone thinks they know better. A new manager came in and convinced trainer horse could surely eat it…must’ve been a fluke. Nope! TC turns into fire-breathing dragon.
Stop feeding, and he returned to his sweet self. It was absolutely the alfalfa. No doubt.
I’ve had some get a little reactive on it as well. I’ve had some that acted calmer on it because it was probably soothing to some gastric issues. I don’t feed it to my guy much as he’s one that’s more likely to start looking for reasons to act like a goof ball if he’s on the 'falfa!
I’ve posted the story about TC at least once or twice on this forum and another one. I’ve seen sensitivity to alfalfa come up quite a lot on the forums with a variety of experiences.
I know that, it’s exactly what I said? There is still a difference- as there is between east and west coast alfalfa in the USA- due to the growing conditions and number of cuts per year and that it’s typically fed as haylage. It’s often higher protein than you’d typically get on the east coast USA.
IMHO most horses who get too “hot” on alfalfa are missing protein from their regular diet. Do horses on an alfalfa diet need work to “stay sane” or do they just feel good and full of energy for the first time in a long time? They certainly build muscle more easily and hold up to more intense work, especially if they are on rich green and leafy west coast alfalfa
I think sometimes it’s horses feeling better. I have fed alfalfa in order to increase energy in some horses that are too laid back and unmotivated to work.
The horse I mentioned above wasn’t feeling good. He looked like he was about to come unglued and couldn’t stand being in his own skin. Just…freaked out and not at all happy about life.
I’ve had alfalfa as part of my feeding program for over 20 years. Lots of different types of horses, some even coming straight from the track into my program. I’ve never noticed a downside. I have noticed many positives: better coat and hoof, better topline and muscling, better gut health, better work ethic, and personality changes for the better. If they have to be on stall rest I typically pull grain entirely and just feed hay/alfalfa pellets with an RB.
One year I pulled a couple from the alfalfa thinking it didn’t really make too much of a difference, and noticed them dropping condition and energy pretty quickly. It’s a staple in my program, YMMV.
Generally speaking, alfalfa doesn’t make a horse hot but every horse in an individual.
When I was a kid my mom had a horse that lost his mind of Strategy. Every other horse in the barn handled it well - not Nicky….lots of gymnastic moves.
You also have to consider the horses life style and how much work he is in.
I’ve fed a lot of alfalfa over a number of decades, to a wide variety of horses successfully. But in the last decade or so, I’ve had TWO, who are by the same stallion, who can not handle it. The first of these, a home bred filly started to colic regularly after weaning. Like 5 times a week… down and rolling in the stall, moaning in pain. I went through a lot of banamine. Finally, one night I really thought she was dying, and I took her out of the barn/paddock, and tossed her out into the field, to see if “Dr. Green” might help. By morning, she was bright and perky, no problems. I began to suspect the alfalfa. Then, we sold that farm (where I was buying alfalfa loads each year) and moved to our present farm, where we make our own hay, mostly and alfalfa/grass mix. The horses are out at pasture a lot, and winter graze on the alfalfa/grass hayfields. She had no problem with this. But in summer, if I fed her the beautiful alfalfa/grass hay off the same field that she had successfully grazed in the winter… colic again was the result. The only difference was that the hay was cut at the prime of it’s growth, highest protein levels, quick dried, and beautiful. In the winter, the alfalfa was dead and yellow, lower protein. She was fine with that. And I began to understand what was triggering the colic. As a result, we worked up several small grass hay fields, which we now cut and bale specifically for this mare… so that she does not have to eat our “nice” hay. She’s a TB mare, and she’s now 24 years old.
The moral of the story is… there’s a reason why. Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it is, but it’s there. The other mare, by the same stallion, who also became obvious that she had similar issues, not colic, but “girthy” and uncomfortable being ridden. That, also, was the alfalfa. Two horses, with different responses to the alfalfa, but the same source of the problem.
So that’s my thoughts on alfalfa. All the other horses here have no issues with the alfalfa.
Your intent wasn’t clear at all to me. It’s still alfalfa. NC-grown Orchard isn’t the same as Washington-grown, and in WA what’s grown on each side of the mountains can be different. Growing region does matter, but it’s still alfalfa, still the same proteins, still the Ca:P imbalance, etc
Not really. When a horse can’t have a 4-5lb flake, or 3c of pellets, without losing his marbles, it’s not a protein deal.
Lots of broodmares eat a lot of alfalfa to maintain body condition, certainly not in any, or hard work for most of their pregnancy and lactation period.
Absolutely, adding alfalfa to a diet increases energy (calories = energy) and sometimes that makes a horse overweight, sometimes it makes them more energetic aka “hot”
You can make a dull horse who hasn’t been fed well, “hot” by feeding him properly such that he’s finally got his genetic energy properly fueled, and it doesn’t have to be using any alfalfa
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