Hi agian!
I love your forum and appreciate this resource. My question is I recently bought a foundered yearling filly. The previous owner had been giving her molasses block, free choice grain and lush pasture. Needless to say this was the cause of her founder. The previous owner thought it was because she was a perlino and nearly gave her to me.

I have her on grass hay with a little alfalfa mixed in, but I have been reading and several sources are saying that there should be absolutly no alfalfa in the diet of a foundered horse because of the protien. I can not see why protien would be a problem. Any advice on what I should feed her for optimal results. I am seeing progress with the barefoot trim and this diet.

Thank you for your time! Paula

Where are you from? Utah

Hi Paula,

I have read in some places that alfalfa should be avoided for a horse that is prone to founder. However, it is not because of the protein, but rather the sugar level. Alfalfa does have a higher sugar level that most grass hays, but it's glycemic index is quite low. Adding some alfalfa to the diet is a good idea, in most cases, because it boosts the overall quality of the protein in the entire diet, making healing more efficient.

So, I'm with you -- you're doing the right thing! Keep up the fine work!

Dr. Getty