Hi Dr. Getty...

I just joined your blog and subscribed to your newsletter. I am devouring your book; it's a fountain of equine nutritional information!

I have a couple of questions. I have two Peruvian Paso Horses that are VERY easy keepers. I just started feeding them with slow hay feeders, so they don't devour everything at once, and have access to hay at all times.

I feed only timothy grass hay, and I give them timothy pellets as a carrier for supplements...Forco, Platinum Plus, apple cider vinegar, salt, flax seed oil; and Psyllium twice a week....we live in the high desert with lots of sand. And in the evenings, I give them a warm mash of timothy pellets, as well.

Timothy hay has gone up to $28.00/bale out here in the high desert, so my hay bill has gone up considerably. I don't know if I can substitute/add any other hays to lower my costs. My feed store carries only Bermuda, timothy and orchard grass hays. I will not feed Bermuda, or the grain hays, and orchard is way too high in phosphorous. My husband is suffering from sticker shock, so I was trying to see what I can do to lower my feed bill. But, from what I see, I will have to stay with the timothy, (which I actually prefer to do), since I don't want to compromise my horses' health because of high feed bills. What I am afraid of, is the timothy is becoming hard to get out here; I don't want to be left without a hay to fall back on. Any suggestions?

Nest question is: Can I feed alfalfa pellets instead of the timothy pellets, to raise the protein levels in my horses' diet? You suggest a 30/70 ration of alfalfa to grass hay, but separating the right amount of flakes of hay can be confusing for my ranch hand, and anyone else who may need to feed my horses, besides me. I thought the pellets would be a more convenient way to give alfalfa in order to get the protein my horses need. Or, is giving my horses Platinum Plus giving them enough protein?

If giving alfalfa pellets is the right way to go, how much of the alfalfa pellets should I give them on a daily basis? My mare weighs about 1000 lbs. and my gelding is only about 800.

I'm so glad I found your site. I am enjoying your book so much, I've told my friends about you.

Many Thanks,
Diana Reed

Where are you from? Agua Dulce, CA

How did you locate this forum? I bought your book, then went to your site

Hello Diana,

Thank you for your patience.

Bermuda, timothy, and orchardgrass can all be fine hays to feed. True, orchardgrass can be high in phosphorus, but often times it contains more calcium than phosphorus -- the only way to know would be to have it tested. I recently came across some timothy hay with higher phosphorus than calcium levels -- a surprise but it does exist. So, I always recommend testing your hay, if at all possible.

Bermuda gets a bad reputation because some horses have seemingly experienced colic while consuming it. Bermuda can be higher in indigestible fiber than other types of grasses, but the times when I've seen colic were times when the horse was waiting for his next hay supply after experiencing an empty stomach for hours beforehand -- he ate it very, very fast, which caused the colic episode (which could happen with any type of hay, by the way).

To answer your question about alfalfa pellets -- yes, they are an excellent way to boost the protein quality since they complement the amino acid profile found in grasses. I recommend feeding them instead of timothy pellets.

Thank you for your very kind words about my book. I am so pleased you are finding it helpful.

All the best,

Dr. Getty
Author of Feed Your Horse Like A Horse

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO