I have been researching this and have found conflicting information. One place will say it is great for metabolic horses, the next place says it is not. But if you look at the NSC of alfalfa hay or pellets it is low so I don't really understand this either. From what I can figure... some horses handle it just fine and others don't. Only way to know is to either not feed it at all or feed it and see how your horse handles it. I have a horse that had a mild case of laminitis this spring. I have kept him off the grass as much as possible, only grazing in the early morning or when it is overcast/cloudy. I have been giving him a small amount of alfalfa and he seems to be doing ok with it.
Thank you, that is my confusion too. I only have alfalfa and have been soaking two feedings of hay a day for about a month now.
I've seen a huge improvement by soaking it - my gelding was not ridable but is now - but am going to have to wait until first cutting of hay comes down to try and find some grass hay that is a lower starch hay.
I fed my mare a mix and then last fall gave her a half of flake of alfalfa as a treat and she tied up. It was the only thing I could think that was different, I too have always assumed since it was low in sugar it could be fed. I really feel like this disease is so specific to each horse it is really hard to say what works as they all react so different. It's a constant battle!!
Equine Metabolic Syndrome/PSSM - Feed questions
