말(馬)에게 알팔파만 먹이면?

말(馬)에게 티모시같은 화본과 건초와 알팔파 같은 두과 건초와 곡류사료를 혼합해서 공급하는 것이 좋다고 합니다. 하지만, 만약에 알팔파같은 두과 건초만 먹이면 어떻게 되는지 조사해보았습니다.

 

  

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한국어 검색사이트에 '알팔파'라고 치니, 대부분 토끼한테 알팔파 먹이는 내용만 검색이 되어서 영어로 된 사이트 원문을 올려봅니다.

 

 

Should You Feed Alfalfa to Horses?

Alfalfa is to horses like steak is to people; in moderate amounts it's tasty and nutritious, but it can cause problems if it becomes the majority of the diet.
 
Simply put, alfalfa hay has higher levels of protein and minerals than most horses need. An average horse, even one who works hard, needs only about 8 to 10 percent protein in his diet. Alfalfa, depending on its age at harvest, contains at least 15 percent and as much as 25 to 30 percent protein. Super-rich alfalfa is usually reserved for dairy cows, which need the extra nutrition to produce milk.
 
Likewise, alfalfa is a good supplement for growing equine youngsters and pregnant or lactating mares, who need more protein to fuel their higher energy needs.
 
But giving the average horse too much of this rich forage is asking for trouble. Besides taking in too much protein, which leads to smelly, ammonia-heavy urine, a horse's biochemistry may be adversely affected by alfalfa's high mineral content.
 
In particular, alfalfa contains high levels of calcium, which can lead to metabolic problems like synchronous diaphragmatic flutter ("thumps"), and magnesium, which in excess has been associated with the production of enteroliths (intestinal "stones").
 
Given all of this, you don't need to pass up a convenient source of quality alfalfa, but you'll want to exercise caution in incorporating this rich forage into your horse's diet. Making alfalfa a limited part of his overall nutritional mix and balancing it with another type of forage will help keep your horse healthy.

 

* 출처 : http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/nutrition/hay/eqalfalfa432/

 

 

 

 

 

Feeding Alfalfa

Alfalfa is one of the best types of hay that you can feed your horse.  However, there are several myths around this hay, such as it’s “too rich” or it is “hard on the kidneys.”  The fact of the matter is that these statements are simply not true.  You’ll hear them come out of the mouths of some of the oldest horsemen, but they are simply myths.
 
The main reason that people tend to think that alfalfa is hard on the kidneys is because horses do tend to urinate more frequently when eating alfalfa.  This is due to the horse’s body eliminating the excess nitrogen from their bodies.  Alfalfa contains a high amount of protein, which is converted into nitrogen in the body.  The body uses what it needs and eliminates the rest.  Just because the horse urinates frequently doesn’t mean that the hay is hard on his kidneys, it simply means that the horse’s body is healthy and functioning properly.
 
Due to the excess nitrogen, you’ll probably smell a strong ammonia scent, especially if horses are housed in stalls.  This is nothing to be alarmed about and is perfectly natural.  However, you do want to keep stalls clean – particularly if you have foals in the barn.  Ammonia tends to linger in the area right around the height of their noses, so for their health it is important that the barn is well ventilated.
 
Alfalfa may be fed with plain oats, but you do need to keep in mind that your horse’s phosphorous to calcium ratio needs to remain at a ratio of 2:1.  The combination of plain oats and alfalfa can throw off this balance and cause calcium deficiency in horses.  It is important that you test the alfalfa to ensure this does not happen.  Excess phosphorous binds with calcium in the body and can create a deficiency.  The body will react by drawing calcium from the bones, which can cause them to become brittle.  Horses that have an upside down calcium to phosphorous ratio are prone to bone breakages.
 
When selecting alfalfa or any legume hay for that matter, the leaf to stem ratio is very important.  You want to find a hay that has a lot of leaves and a little stem.  All of the hay’s nutrition is located in the leaves and the stem has virtually no nutritional value.  The stems are poorly digested as well.  As the leaf to stem ratio goes up, so does the hay’s protein level. Early cut alfalfa tends to have a higher leaf to stem ratio.
 
To learn more about feeding your horse, purchase Horses 101: The Complete Guide to Buying & Caring for Your Horse today.

 

* 출처 : http://www.caringforyourhorse.com/feeding-alfalfa/

 

 

 

 

 

 

▶ Univ. of California, Davis에는 알팔파 연구를 위한 워크그룹이 있더라구요.

    http://alfalfa.ucdavis.edu/  참고하시면 됩니다.

 

 

▶ 알팔파와 말(馬) 사양관리 관련 유용한 PDF 파일도 올려봅니다

 

    ☞ Hay for Horses: Alfalfa or Grass?  U.C Davis         Hay for Horses, Alfalfa or Grass.pdf

 

    ☞ Alfalfa Cubes for Horses.  Univ. of Kentuky       Alfalfa Cubes for Horses.pdf