Interesting update . Had a professional in town and decided to get help from him. As we are at the horse park, my guy is standing there half asleep on the buckle (I had not stopped the alfalfa). After me riding for him and he riding him the next day, he strongly felt it was lack of experience in busy shows and felt he needed some professional finishing. He felt that was the issue and not the alfalfa since he was a saint the 2 days he saw him despite continuing the alfalfa. Go figure…
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I don’t KNOW how alfalfa or protein gives them gut pain… if there is any reading on the subject, I couldn’t find any. I just HAVE two horses who have told me clearly that this is the case. When you have a horse who is happy, calm, quiet, easy and highly competitive on grass hay, and turns into an unridable sea monster under saddle, and can’t be groomed and is obviously “miserable” when on higher protein and/or alfalfa diet, the relationship is inferred (eventually, when the stupid human gets it figured out). When you have a horse who colics daily, or 5 days out of 7 when she gets alfalfa, and doesn’t AT ALL without alfalfa, the relationship is also “inferred”. You keep them both OFF alfalfa, and on a lower protein diet, and everyone is happy. And you wish that someone had some study and explanation as to why this is the case, but since they don’t, you answer a question that someone else has on this subject based on your experience.
In comparison, my DH has issues with what he eats, and he eats the same things that I eat- we eat “healthy”. He gets gut pain… severe. Makes him miserable. Has had all diagnostic tests, for ulcers, for hernias, cancer, infections, for everything the health care system can test for… no answers, doctors shrug. But there are foods that he stays away from, as he draws conclusions from his own personal experiences. Some foods don’t agree with his system. Same thing with some horses. We don’t always have access to ALL the answers. But we can share experiences.
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This issue isn’t that “protein makes them unhappy”. The issue is that any food can contain a protein that any animal is sensitive or allergic too. A dog can be highly sensitive to a protein in chicken but be very happy with another protein source and eating the same or even more total protein
Allergies lead to inflammation somewhere. For some, that’s hives or other skin issues. For others (and maybe all) it’s an internal inflammation which we know happens in a lot of immune issues.
You entirely switched protein sources - alfalfa/legume, to grass. That comes with a drop in total protein, but you can’t say it was the drop in protein that was the fix. Of things horses are sensitive or allergic to, alfalfa is a very common one.
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Totally anecdotal, but moved this winter from Boise area (default is alfalfa or alfalfa/grass mix) back to North Idaho (mostly grass) and son’s pony has gone from obese, parental-supervision required, codependent senior delinquent to best shape of her life, kid can catch and tack her up model citizen.
Lifestyle is comparable (lives out with friends) except on grass/grass hay rather than high desert pasture/alfalfa. I even let one of the neighbors use her for a preteen birthday party (neighbor’s own pony being a little too spicy for pony rides). Last year? No way in h e double hockey sticks.
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