# Anyone had a horse with a bad reaction to alfalfa?



## vanrim (10 January 2015)

I have 2 horses who have been on Simple Systems unmollassed alfalfa and both are showing bad behavioural problems i.e. napping and refusing to go forward. Vets have been out to both and can't find anything obvious wrong that would explain the behaviour. I am at my wits end as they are both unrideable. They live out 24hrs - are dressage bred warmbloods 3yrs and 5yrs. I have racked my brain and the things they have in common are same grazing, same hay, exactly the same feed.


----------



## Meowy Catkin (10 January 2015)

I have one that can't have it, but it gives him skin trouble rather than behavioural problems.


----------



## MrsNorris (10 January 2015)

Mine became badly behaved on Alfa A oil, just much more reactive and started shying and being silly in traffic, culminated with him charging off up a bank next to the road and nearly bucking me off when a rattly lorry went past, totally out of character for him. Stopped the Alfa A and he was back to normal within a day or two.


----------



## BethH (10 January 2015)

Mine had a massive allergic reaction to that particular feed - think the pure lucerne was too much for him.  He went the other way very itchy, came out absolutely covered in hives, very run down and lethargic is only starting to perk up 3 mths later, hives went as soon as I switched back to his old feed.  The feed company concerned were extremely dismissive and unhelpful when I called after their email to ask how he was going on the new feed - was shocked to be honest!


----------



## MissMistletoe (10 January 2015)

Simple System Lucie nuts made my normally sedate older horse very bolshy to handle and shyed at his own shadow.

Within a few days of removing them, normal behaviour returned!


----------



## Penny Less (10 January 2015)

I had one that came out in lumps last year when I fed for the first time


----------



## Midlifecrisis (10 January 2015)

My mare is similar to Faracat's post- skin issues with alfalfa rather than behavioural difficulties.


----------



## Pearlsasinger (10 January 2015)

We have an Appaloosa mare who is naturally quite sharp - on even a small amount of alfalfa she become dangerous to ride and difficult to handle.


----------



## old hand (10 January 2015)

yep an absolute saint of a horse, took to galloping sideways up the road in three days, would have been going faster forwards if I hadn't got him sideways. took him off it and back to his normal sensible self in about a week.  worst week of his time with me!


----------



## nianya (10 January 2015)

Years ago we tried alfalfa with our horses because it was the thing to do then.  It made both of them hot headed.  Took them off and they were both their normal, energetic but not stupid, selves.  So I would only feed it now if it was necessary for some reason.


----------



## Queenbee (11 January 2015)

Not behavioural but within 3 days became footy on a concrete surface, took him off it and he was back to himself in the same amount of time.


----------



## Kikke (11 January 2015)

Our big lad can't deal with it either.

He is always such a good boy, never would do anything to annoy you of be naughty or spooky, but on AA my oh my, we completely lost our lovely man. From spooky to not being able to catch, not being able to mount and in general not listening. 
Never again!


----------



## nikkimariet (11 January 2015)

Alfalfa sends Fig loopy and makes him a bit itchy.


----------



## Surreydeb (11 January 2015)

Mine seemed to get really sensitive skin and almost became dangerous to groom and generally difficult. Removed the alfalfa and reverted to her normal sweet self.


----------



## Ditchjumper2 (11 January 2015)

AA causes skin problems for 2 of ours. 1 goes absolutley loopy on it. Cut it out and they should be fine again.


----------



## CarolineJ (11 January 2015)

My pony can't tolerate it at all, he's ulcer-prone and it gives him an uncomfortable stomach - which does sometimes manifest as napping and planting.  Try running your hand over the girth area on the right-hand side, about level with the elbow.  If Finn's had alfalfa, that'll make him flatten his ears and swing his head around in an 'ouch'.


----------



## vanrim (12 January 2015)

Gosh I didn't realise it was that common. Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. I have stopped feeding it and they are out 24hrs so I am hoping this will sort them out.


----------



## minimex2 (12 January 2015)

No lumps or bumps but ended up loopy and spent most of his time on back legs!


----------



## albertpetersson6 (13 January 2015)

Mine had got lumps on the skin due to overconsumption of Alfalfa. One of my friends suggested me to gradually reduce the amount of Alfalfa in his feed and that really helped my horse to get stable again. I suggest you the same but take care that you don't make any changes to your horse's diet suddenly but do it gradually.


----------



## TheSylv007 (13 January 2015)

Interesring thread - what would you feed instead?  Just unmolassed chaff?


----------



## BethH (13 January 2015)

Mine does well on Top chop lite, charnwood linseed & Benevit.  The Top chop still has a bit of lucerne in but its mixed with straw & mint, no molasses and he does well on it and can cope, I bulk it out with fast fibre when he needs it.


----------



## CarolineJ (13 January 2015)

Mine are both on copra now, which I was initially very sceptical about, but they love it and are looking great on it.


----------



## albertpetersson6 (15 January 2015)

TheSylv007 said:



			Interesring thread - what would you feed instead?  Just unmolassed chaff?
		
Click to expand...

No. I meant to say that you must gradually reduce the amount of Alfalfa, do not make a sudden change. You can also try other multivitamin feeds available in the market. E.g. the feed that includes cereals and oilseeds like linseed.


----------



## TheSylv007 (15 January 2015)

albertpetersson6 said:



			No. I meant to say that you must gradually reduce the amount of Alfalfa, do not make a sudden change. You can also try other multivitamin feeds available in the market. E.g. the feed that includes cereals and oilseeds like linseed.
		
Click to expand...

Apologies, my questions wasn't directed specifically at you, I just meant what would 'one' feed instead of Alfalfa.  My reason for including Alfalfa in my horse's feed is to provide fibre and slow down eating, a job that chaff used to do.  If I was to remove the Alfalfa portion, I would still want the roughage within the feed so I was just wondering what to go for instead.  It is very difficult to find anything which has no molasses or Alfalfa in it!  Also I wouldn't want or need a feed with cereals in it.


----------



## Meowy Catkin (15 January 2015)

I use Honeychops's oat straw chaff. http://www.honeychop.com/chopped-oat-straw.html 

My boy is pretty fussy, but as I kept the rest of his feed the same and was just swapping alfalfa chaff for straw chaff, he didn't seem to notice and ate up.


----------



## Noble (15 January 2015)

My chaps itched badly to the point he was demolishing rugs and tearing holes in his neck, he had a dull and scurfy coat.  After a bit of investigation I removed alfalfa from he diet and he now is shiny and no longer self harming and also hasn't damaged a rug since.  I feed readigrass/top chop grass or the likes instead.


----------



## Fun Times (25 January 2015)

TheSylv007 said:



			Apologies, my questions wasn't directed specifically at you, I just meant what would 'one' feed instead of Alfalfa.  My reason for including Alfalfa in my horse's feed is to provide fibre and slow down eating, a job that chaff used to do.  If I was to remove the Alfalfa portion, I would still want the roughage within the feed so I was just wondering what to go for instead.  It is very difficult to find anything which has no molasses or Alfalfa in it!  Also I wouldn't want or need a feed with cereals in it.
		
Click to expand...

Am very interested in people's replies to this too. I would like to swap off my alfalfa based chaff fof something that provides good fibre without any craziness but not sure where to turn.


----------



## Palindrome (25 January 2015)

grass chaff (graze on I think?) or unmolassed barley or oat straw chaff or just cut up some hay?


----------



## TheSylv007 (26 January 2015)

Palindrome said:



			grass chaff (graze on I think?) or unmolassed barley or oat straw chaff or just cut up some hay?
		
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion - looks promising!


----------



## claracanter (26 January 2015)

I have recently taken my boy off Simple Systems green gold , which is an alfalfa chaff as I think it is affecting him negatively. I have moved him onto Simple Systems Timothy grass which is just a plain chaff of chopped grass


----------



## vanrim (26 January 2015)

claracanter said:



			I have recently taken my boy off Simple Systems green gold , which is an alfalfa chaff as I think it is affecting him negatively. I have moved him onto Simple Systems Timothy grass which is just a plain chaff of chopped grass
		
Click to expand...

What sort of reaction did you get to the Simple Systems Green Gold?


----------



## claracanter (29 January 2015)

He has been very full of himself, more spooky and doing more handstands than usual


----------



## Podgelover (30 January 2015)

I was using alfalfa for my tb and it sent him nuts! He was really forward all the time and really uncontrollable! I couldn't hack him out because he would try and bolt off


----------

