Alfalfa, Medicago sativa, also called Lucerne, is a deep rooting perennial flowering plant in the pea (Legume) family and is cultivated as an important forage crop throughout the world. Very low in sugars, it is an ideal source of digestible fibre, calcium, protein and high levels of carotene. Carotene is in itself the antecedent of Vitamin A, and therefore an essential anti-oxidant.

A perfect feed for most horses, it is ideal for building muscle and condition. When horses are back in work after illness or rest, it provides all the right nutrients for developing muscle, but due to its low sugar levels, does not cause any ‘hotting-up’. Alfalfa is also a great supplement for growing youngsters and pregnant or lactating mares, who all need additional protein to fuel their extra energy needs.

As many horse owners will know, horses seem to be drawn to the plant, and like many human luxury foodstuffs, it’s tasty and nutritious in reasonable amounts. If eaten in large quantities, it has the potential to cause problems. This is because alfalfa hay can have, depending on the age when harvested, between 15-30% protein, whereas a horse, even one in hard work, only requires 8-10% in his diet. However, don’t panic- if you follow the feeding guidelines as suggested by the companies who manufacture alfalfa based horse feeds, you should be fine. Don’t forget that if you have any concerns, many feed companies have feed lines available where you can call a member of the team and explain your situation.