Alfalfa Hay and Horse Colic

Colic is the term used to describe a variety of abdominal pain and distress caused by anything from excessive gas to obstructions to intestinal twists. Colic, for any reason, is a medical emergency and the horse owner should contact his veterinarian immediately. There are steps that a horse owner can take to help prevent bouts of colic, including feeding a proper diet to their horse.

  1. Feeding Practices

    • "Horses are made to eat grass and hay, and they supplement their food with a variety of plant material," says veterinarian Joyce Harman, DVM, MRCVS, of the Harmany Equine Clinic in Washington, Virginia. A high-fiber, low-carbohydrate diet of 8 to 10 percent protein is best to maintain proper digestive balance in a horse. When the majority of calories are fed via a fibrous grass or hay, the chance of colic developing is minimized. Grass and grass hay contain fewer calories than alfalfa and hence require that a larger portion be fed to meet the calorie requirements of the horse.

    Alfalfa Hay

    • Alfalfa hay generally contains more calories and less fiber per pound compared to grass hay. Therefore, horses consuming alfalfa are given smaller portions of hay per day. A horse who maintains a full gut and a continuous level of digestive activity, free of feast-or-famine stresses, will have less risk of developing colic.

    Alfalfa Hay Contents

    • Although alfalfa hay typically contains more calories than grass hay and is lower in fermentable fiber than grass hay. This lack of fiber in the alfalfa hay can influence a colic attack. Alfalfa hay also has much higher protein content, 15 to 20 percent, versus grass hay, which has 7 to 10 percent.

    Enterolith Stones

    • Enteroliths are stones, which form in the intestines of horses. A single enterolith is usually round. When there are two or more enteroliths in the same space, the grinding effect produces multifaceted concretions. Enteroliths become symptomatic when they grow large enough to obstruct the bowel. Accordingly, signs of intestinal obstruction are often preceded by bouts of severe abdominal pain---colic. According to Diana M. Hassel, DVM, PhD, of Colorado State University, there is a correlation between the high pH of alfalfa hay and the high pH found in horses that develop intestinal stones, which cause obstructive colic.

    Solution

    • Feed the horse Timothy grass hay or a mixture of grass and alfalfa hay instead of straight alfalfa to increase fiber and the continuous feeding behavior of grazing, says Diana M. Hassel, DVM, PhD, of Colorado State University.