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Elite Veteran
Posts: 788
  
| So I know a lot of ppl feed alfalfa, and I havent seen any horror stories on here yet, but I personally know of several ppl who have horses that developed those dredded stones in the gut that they either had to pass with much pain or had surgery to remove. This kind of scares me. Any experience? Is this something I should be worried about?
Im feeding RG and oats mixed with Alfalfa pellets.
Edited by horsiace1025 2016-07-25 11:22 AM
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 Did I miss the party?
Posts: 3864
 
| Most enteroliths are mostly made up of magnesium actually (which alfalfa tends to be high in as well). A high gut PH tends to contribute as well. Some people feed Apple Cider Vinegar in an effort to slightly lower gut PH. Being in the southwest, these things are prevalent here. I feed 50/50 grass/alfalfa and have not had any issues luckily. |
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 Saint Stacey
| If you aren't balancing the ration, you will have problems. You have to balance the calcium and phosphorous. While the above poster mentioned magnesium, I know that all these nutrients interact with one another. |
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Did I miss the party?
Posts: 3864
| SKM - 2016-07-25 9:47 AM
If you aren't balancing the ration, you will have problems. You have to balance the calcium and phosphorous. While the above poster mentioned magnesium, I know that all these nutrients interact with one another.
Completely agree. Cal/phos ratio is important and another reason why I don't feed straight alfalfa. I just didn't want Calcium to take all the wrap! Most stones are made up largely in part of magnesium and phosphorous but, these minerals all play a role and balancing is very important. As well as keeping your horses feed area as clean as possible of debris, pebbles, or anything that could potentially start the cycle of a stone being formed if you can help it. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 788
| I did a little research and found that keeping them turned out in a pasture helps also. But one of the things mentioned was feeding vinegar to help with pH. It also said that as long as the horses diet is less than 50% alfalfa, the chances are greatly reduced. I feel a little better. |
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Alfalfa causing issues