Potential of alfalfa as a source of calcium for calcium deficient horses.

This research paper explores the potential of high temperature-dried alfalfa as a source of calcium for horses. The study demonstrates that alfalfa is a significantly more effective source of calcium and magnesium for horses compared to timothy hay, while absorption of phosphorus remains unaffected.

Research Design and Procedure

• The study was designed as a 4 x 4 Latin square digestibility trial. This design is a comparatively efficient way of detecting differences between treatment groups. It involves dividing the subjects into different groups, each of which gets different treatments in each period.
• Four thoroughbred horses were used in the experiment, with an average weight of 531 kg. The selection of thoroughbred horses of comparable weight was likely done to ensure homogeneity among the experimental subjects, making it easier to attribute observed differences to the dietary treatments.
• The subjects were divided into four groups, each receiving a different dietary treatment. The four treatments were; being fed solely timothy hay, a mixture of 33% alfalfa and 67% timothy hay, a mixture of 67% alfalfa and 33% timothy hay, and being fed solely alfalfa.

Findings of the Study

• The study discovered that horses absorbed significantly more calcium and magnesium from alfalfa compared to hay. This suggests that alfalfa could be a superior feed source for these nutrients than hay.
• Phosphorus absorption was found to be unaffected by the feed type. Therefore, feeding alfalfa instead of hay wouldn’t significantly change the phosphorus intake of horses.
• The study quantitatively compared the digestibility of calcium in the two food sources. It found that calcium from alfalfa was significantly more digestible compared to that sourced from hay, with apparent absorption coefficients of 0.78 and 0.15 respectively. This further confirms the higher nutritional value of alfalfa.
• There was a lower variation between individual horses in their ability to absorb calcium from alfalfa, showing that feeding horses alfalfa can yield more predictable results regarding calcium intake.
• Horses that were fed alfalfa had significantly higher creatinine clearance ratios for calcium and magnesium than horses fed hay, suggesting that alfalfa-fed horses may have healthier kidneys.