The Dangers of Feeding Pelleted Horse Feed

Alfalfa and mineral pellets, used as food or dietary supplements for horses, are marketed as cost effective, healthy and easy to digest. Since the availability of grass and other plants wanes in the wintertime, pellets can be an attractive alternative or supplement to hay. Before deciding to feed pellets to your horses, you should be aware of the risks associated with these products.

  1. Choking Hazards

    • Alfalfa is a major source of hay, which horses depend on for roughage in the wintertime. Alfalfa pellets, however, aren't a good replacement for alfalfa in its regular form; to make pellets, the plant must be finely ground, which eliminates the stems. The pellets expand like a sponge when wet, and can plug a horse's esophagus when ingested, presenting a serious choking hazard. If you must feed these pellets to your horse, consider chopping them into smaller pieces to prevent blockage.

    Hazardous to Other Animals

    • Horse feed, including pellets, is designed to fit the dietary needs of horses. If you have other animals on your farm, the products in some horse pellets can be hazardous to them. Some mineral pellets for horses contain copper, which is dangerous to other livestock such as sheep. If your horse shares a space with other livestock, make sure your horse pellets don't contain ingredients that could harm them.

    Risk of Contamination

    • Horse pellets are marketed as a budget pet food, which makes them especially vulnerable to low production standards. Within the past few years, there have been several examples of specific brands of horse pellets being recalled due to high aflatoxin levels or filthy factory conditions. Brands manufactured in the U.S. as well as foreign countries such as China have been affected by recalls. To ensure that your brand of pellets are safe for consumption, check a Website such as the Food and Drug Administration or Petsumer Report.