I decided to try my Friesian on the new Tribute Seniority Low NSC …I like that it’s only 10% nsc and a bit less calories than Kalm N EZ …first thing I noticed is that the pellets are green and look and smell like alfalfa …dehydrated alfalfa meal is first on the ingredient list vs like 5th on the list for Kalm N EZ …I’m about 1 week into feeding it and it definitely has given my boy more energy …I asked Tribute about it and they said that it wouldn’t cause that beings that it’s less nsc and calories than Kalm N EZ …which in theory makes sense but it’s the only change so it’s definitely from that …has anyone else experienced this ??
not all horses get “hot” on higher NSC feeds. If it’s creating inflammation due to internal metabolic issues, that can cause them to feel bad and be LESS energetic.
Another option is your horse is more sensitive to alfalfa, and is reacting to the higher amount here.
Or it’s the Spring Crazies LOL
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@JB I wonder what it is about alfalfa that makes some sensitive or reactive to it ?? A lot claim that there is no correlation between alfalfa and a horse acting hotter or having more energy…Tribute Seniority Low NSC has no molasses , corn or oats …just dehydrated alfalfa meal listed as first ingredient on the feed tag …Tribute wouldn’t give me an amount that it contains but did finally say that there is more alfalfa in it then Kalm N EZ …it straight up looks and smells like alfalfa pellets …they are sticking with there’s no way it would cause them to have more energy
Anything with protein has the potential to cause a sensitivity or outright allergy. That’s what food allergies generally are - allergy to a protein. And an allergy to alfalfa is real. But how the body reacts isn’t set in stone. Maybe it’s hives - histamine reaction. Maybe it’s something that affects how they process stimulus.
And alfalfa has about 20% more calories than an average grass hay, and while some horses will just get fat on extra calories, some get extra energy - “hot”
What ISN’T true is that alfalfa (or anything) automatically makes a horse “hot”
Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so alfalfa being first automatically means there’s more than if it’s listed 5th. That just doesn’t tell you how many ounces in 1lb of the feed though.
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Well… I agree that is an unsupportable supposition.
I could see how any feed that was less inflammatory could give the horse more energy. But also, it is spring grass season, and it would be impossible to isolate the variables.
Hence why "real science " is hard to do.
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@anon68314200 OK that makes sense and yes very hard to isolate the variables for sure… But the so-called anti-inflammatory Hoof rehab diet does not contain any alfalfa… I thought or at least it was my understanding that the people of that group who created that forage-based hoof diet says that alfalfa is inflammatory I’m assuming??
@JB that makes sense thank you for the explanation… I’m gathering that it must be a decent amount as the seniority low NSC pallets literally are green and look and smell exactly like alfalfa pellets… Not that there’s anything wrong with that of at all of course… It’s just it seemed almost instantaneous I added one cup of it and subtracted 1 cup of the calm and easy the night before and the next morning and it seemed like I had a different horse
More details are needed, but if I were rehabbing a laminitis scenario and the horse was also IR, I would be removing all soy and alfalfa just in case they are triggers for that horse at that point in time.
Alfalfa is simply not inherently inflammatory.
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