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Alfalfa cubes or pellets?

2K views 9 replies 8 participants last post by  Sharpie 
#1 ·
Looking to lightly supplement my 3.5 yr old's diet. BO has been happy to try adjusting hay/grain amounts, but the grass hay is grown on site and the grain is her own mix, so alternatives aren't available unless I provide. Other horses on property look good and I love the amenities, so I'm not in a rush to move if I can help it.

He's shiny and alert, but a bit more lean than I'd expect for one who's been sitting mostly unused for 3 months while eating 7-8 flakes of hay per day. I'm just beginning to ride him again and worry he doesn't have any weight to lose.

My thought is to offer some alfalfa pellets or cubes on the 3-4 days a week I work him, because I can store it in my tack locker. Is one better than the other? Do pellets need to be soaked like cubes? Or am I way off base with this idea?
 
#2 ·
I like the pellets, I water mine sown but my guy only has 4 teeth. I don't like the cubes because I had one choke bad on them. If you go cubes I suggest watering them down.
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#3 ·
I prefer pellets. I have all three of my girls on them and they thrive on them. I don't soak mine. However if your horse bolts its food you might want to wet them when you feed them. You don't need to pre soak for an hour before. Just wet them as you go to feed and they almost instantly expand.
 
#8 ·
Is your horse looking lean because he is thin from not enough food or thin because he has lost muscle tone?

You could have a horse who is a good weight but looks poorly because his muscle tone is lacking so his looks are poor....
Or you could have a horse who is indeed thin and needing to be fed more calories to increase the fat on the frame...

You also happen to probably have a horse who is still growing and maturing...a baby yet in many ways. 3.5 years, that horse is still a growing animal probably.

All those things need to brought into the equation of why your horse looks poor and others look good to you...

jmo..
 
#9 ·
Yes, he lacks muscle tone. My goal here is to add a handful more calories to support muscle building and growth, while still maintaining weight as I begin to work him over the winter (moved to this facility for the covered arena.)
 
#10 ·
I much prefer pellets to cubes. I've only ever soaked them when we had a horse recovering from choke and another from colic and wanted things soft and to get extra water into them. For extra calories, for my guy, a few pounds of pellets top dressed with 1/2-1 cup of veggie oil helped a lot, especially the first year I had him where I was starting with a lean horse going into winter and trying to build muscle as well. If you are going to feed much beyond a pound or two though, I'd recommend just making it part of his daily ration- feeding a significant amount some days and not others just isn't good for their digestion.
 
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