Equine Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis

13/05/2026

Please read this info about lucerne hay. I have found that from testing thousands of horses over two decades that Lucerne gets a bad rap because 1) it is often the protein that many horses do not tolerate as their gut is not tuned for having a hit of protein as many of the premixes are protein by products 2) There is a minerals imbalance in the horse's system (very common) and no commercial or branded minerals mix will correct that. You need to test your horse's mineral levels to identify the imbalances and then I can recommend the correct dosages and the correct minerals to suit your horse. Targeted and specilaised testing can improve, performance, health and well being. An unprocessed as possible diet reduces incidences of metabolic diseases such as insulin resistance and laminitis. Hair mineral analysis ( if interpreted correctly by a scientist) is far more accurate and less expensive than nutritional programs that do not test the mineral status of the horse or consider the horse's enviroment

ALFALFA ALLERGY & INTOLERANCE – IS IT REAL OR ANOTHER FACEBOOK MYTH AND MARKETING TRICK?

It common to see posts in many Facebook Groups along the lines of “My horse can’t even look at Alfalfa (Lucerne in other parts of the world) without coming out in a rash” OR “If my horse has even the slightest amount of alfalfa it makes him go crazy OR “Alfalfa will destroy your horses feet”. This has led to many feed and supplement companies proudly declaring that their products are “alfalfa free”.

This is backed up by people with NO nutritional qualifications writing informed articles about the dangers of alfalfa. Horse owners need to seriously start to think carefully about where they go for nutritional advice – setting up, owning or running a feed or supplement company doesn’t suddenly empower you with 30 years of equine nutrition knowledge and wisdom.

I feed alfalfa to my own horses and have done for many years! I see many many clients using it. I’ve read the scientific literature. I’ve spoken to other equine professionals. I think its time to set the record straight on this one.

What is alfalfa?
Its similar in digestible energy to grass hay. It’s a lot higher in protein (~18%) than grass hay (~10%). Starch and sugar content are both less the 5% each! Its higher in calcium (~12g/kg) than grass hay (~6g/kg) and has a similar magnesium concentration (2-3 g/kg). Does high protein send horses mad? No. It might make the smell of ammonia a little worse if you are feeding it as the SOLE source of forage. It will increase water intake if it’s the SOLE source of forage. If the horse is drinking more and producing more urine it will lose more electrolytes if it’s the SOLE source of forage. This isn’t an effect of alfalfa per se. Its an effect of feeding a LOT of alfalfa.

What is a LOT of alfalfa?
Feeding more than around 2/3rds of the forage as alfalfa would be considered a high alfalfa intake. That’s rare in this country.

Allergy/Intolerance
Most equine nutritionists in the UK don’t believe they have seen more than a handful of true alfalfa allergies – horses that come out in hives after eating alfalfa. We see a lot more in horses that are allergic to shellfish products. Intolerance – think IBS in people. You may not be allergic to Baked Beans but eating a can may cause you some lower abdominal discomfort due to the way in which your gut microbiome is setup. If you eat 5 baked beans you will probably be ok. So the concept of amount is important. A bale of alfalfa might cause a horse a problem but 10g in a supplement is highly unlikely to. A source at Dengie (who make a lot of excellent alfalfa based products) once told me that they get a high number of owners calling up who say their horse is allergic to alfalfa but fine on the Hi-Fi range; a range of high fibre feeds which ALL contain alfalfa.

Coincidence
When something changes for the worse in our horses we naturally look for a possible cause. If we are already on “high alert” for alfalfa due to all the bad things we have read then it's easy to focus on this without looking at the bigger picture. Things sometimes happen for no apparent reason. It could be totally unrelated to the alfalfa in a feed or supplement. It could just be a coincidence. Many “sarcoids” are not sarcoids and resolve on their own. It's easy to believe it was the turmeric paste that “cured” the sarcoid. Its coincidence, not cause and effect.

What are the possible adverse effects of feeding a lot of alfalfa?
In SOME regions where high amounts of alfalfa are fed (80-100% of the total forage intake), two different problems have been identified. The first is an increased risk of enterolith formation. Enteroliths are composed of minerals and have the appearance of stones and they form around a foreign body such as a piece of wood or metal of hair. The high calcium content of alfalfa is often blamed by horse owners but in fact enteroliths are primarily formed from magnesium and phosphate. Enteroliths are undesirable as they can lead to colic. A number of researchers have suggested causes other than alfalfa due to the fact that in some regions of the world where horses are fed only on alfalfa, enterolith formation is very rare. Remember also that even though alfalfa is high in calcium it has as similar magnesium concentration to grass hay. Here is a good source for information on enteroliths. https://www.vetstream.com/treat/equis/diseases/gastrointestinal-enterolith

In horses fed high amounts of alfalfa (80-100% of the total forage intake as alfalfa), some horses may develop photosensitisation. This is not the same as sunburn. Photosensitivity affects both the pigmented and non-pigmented areas of the skin. Photosensitivity can also occur due to ingestion of other plants, ragwort being a well-known one. However, the fact that again in many regions where alfalfa is fed as the only forage (i.e. 100% of the forage intake) and photosensitisation is rare and the fact that there can be outbreaks of photosensitisation should make us cautious about assuming a direct link between alfalfa and photosensitisation. One small study which fed alfalfa associated with an outbreak in the US to 3 horses did report that after 2 weeks 2 horses did develop photosensitisation. I am not aware of any confirmed cases of primary photosensitisation due to alfalfa in horses in the UK

Alfalfa and Laminitis
Alfalfa is low in starch and sugar (both less than 5%). The majority of laminitis cases occur in horses at pasture NOT grazing alfalfa but common grasses. There is no evidence that alfalfa increases laminitis risk.

Alfalfa and EOTRH (Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis)
Some sources have proposed a link between alfalfa feeding and EOTRH. However, a study from Germany published last year by Rehrl et al. (2018) reported that in 142 horses (all owned by different owners and on different diets and none likely to be on 100% alfalfa and many not getting any alfalfa) aged 10 to 37 years, 94% of all horses had at least minor and 62% had moderate to severe radiological changes of the incisor teeth associated to EOTRH. No horse older than 14 years was without radiological signs of EOTRH. They concluded "With older age, disease is more frequent and radiological changes become more severe. Since no horse older than 14 years was without radiological findings, it is likely that mild changes may be associated with the normal tooth ageing process."

Alfalfa and Headshaking
The prevalence of headshaking in the UK has recently been estimated to be ~5%. Feeding Alfalfa as the only source of forage to a horse with headshaking might be contraindicated on the basis that some horses may develop photosensitisation when fed alfalfa.

Summary
*Alfalfa is a good forage source for horses
*Alfalfa may cause photosensitisation in a small number of horses if fed as the sole forage source but this is extremely rare in the UK
*Alfalfa intolerance is rarely reported in regions where it is fed as the only forage source
*Alfalfa will not make horses fizzy unless it's fed inappropriately as it has a similar energy content to grass hay. The same goes for most feed materials.
*True Alfalfa allergy/intolerance is very rare
*A handful of Alfalfa in a supplement or feed is highly unlikely to cause problems for the majority of horses
*Alfalfa is great for horses with or prone to gastric ulcers, but avoid sharp chopped chaff.

Finally, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE look at who is giving you "advice". Do they have ANY qualifications to be writing on equine nutrition?

12/05/2026

RHODES HAY.
Seems a lot of you are feeding Rhodes hay at the moment. It is an excellent hay but it IS NATURALLY HIGH IN POTASSIUM. To counteract that add lucerne hay - first or second cut which is less expense than prime lucerne and usually has a lower potassium content and is low in sugars and starches.

It is always best to supply more than one variety of hay if possible because each variety will provide different nutrients and different fibre content. The other benefit is that horses do not graze just one variety of grass - they pick and choose. Many studies have found that horses prefer having a mixture of hays.

Note: All hay takes up whatever minerals are in the soil so the mineral content in ANY hay can vary widely. FOR THOSE CONCERNED ABOUT FEEDING LUCERNE HAY PLEASE READ THE NEXT POST BY DR. DAVID MARLIN ABOUT LUCERNE HAY

05/05/2026

JUST A REMINDER about the accuracy and acceptance worldwide about using hair minerals analysis. The Veterinary Sciences Journal ANIMALS is one of the MOST INFLUENTIAL IN THE WORLD. They use equine hair mineral analysis to monitor the health of horse populations by tracking minerals and toxic metal levels.

04/05/2026

FEEDING AS UNPROCESSED AS POSSIBLE.
I have been trying to educate horse owners for two decades about the benefits of feeding as unprocessed as possible feeds with the addition of individual minerals. FINALLY I am hearing more discussions about horse owners looking for a more natural approach to their horse's diets

Most horse health and behavioural problems are directly related to lack of adequate nutrients (vitamins and minerals) in their feeds and MISMANAGED nutritional programs. Instead they are getting estimated amounts of synthetic minerals, hulls and waste by products of the cereal and vegetable industries containing varying amounts of fillers, binders and preservatives. Kibbles which resemble dog food, pellets which resemble kitty litter, beets and coconut waste that resembles cardboard. Fast food for horses!! This is why there are so many horses with gastric ulcers, gut dysfunction and laminitis just to name the most common health problems that horses face today. Worse are the nutritionists that recommend such diets without evidence to prove efficacy.

The unprocessed as possible equine diet requires evidence based testing of current mineral levels to design it properly and for it to deliver positive health outcomes and improved performance. An equine diet cannot deliver if the horses age, breed, s*x, height, weight, soil and water type, colour and workload are not investigated.
" The study presents the necessity of specialised feeding plans based on a horse's age workload and physiological state" (1)

Horses cannot perform, remain sound and healthy with stable behaviour if they are forced to eat feeds that are not balanced and are lacking in nutrients. I say that feeding 'kitty litter and dog kibble' are the reason why so many horses are having significant health problems. "The findings show that planned nutritional interventions not only enhance physical performance but also promote mental health, decrease stress and promote recovery" (2)

The unprocessed as possible diets I have designed over the past two decades have improved horse health issues, performance and behaviour. However, it is not just the diet IT IS THE MINERAL BALANCE that makes my diets work. You cannot safely guess mineral dosages and requirements without testing your horse.
Feel free to share.
Kerry Marsh BAgrSc kerrymarsh@htma.com.au

Bib: Dr. Awais Shafique, Dr. Muawuz Ljaz (2025) Exploring the impact of nutrition on equine performance, health and well being Pferdeheilkunde Equine Veterinary Med 41, 1-10

21/04/2026

FERAL DEER VERSUS BRUMBIES IN VICTORIA
A quick run-down of the latest news
Hard to believe feral deer are STILL NOT declared a pest species despite the wholesale environmenral destruction they are causing across the landscape.
Brumbies on the other hand are declared pests, run in herds making them less difficult to find, targeted and usually shot by helicopter, numbers significantly less than feral deer.
WHY IS THIS SO?
Feral deer are harder to kill than brumbies, are harder to locate and extremely difficult to be shot by helicopter, mostly require on foot tracking, are very skittish making for a more challenging target, do not run in herds.

Brumbies are blamed for alot of the damage feral deer create. Actual brumby numbers are a contentious issue.
Please note I do agree with controlling populations of brumbies as is necessary.

CLEARLY poor planning, research and action from the VIC govt is to blame for the explosion of feral deer even though many have been concerned about the numbers and disasterous damage for years.

07/04/2026

06/04/2026

WHY IRON EXCESS CAN BE A PROBLEM FOR AUSTRALIAN HORSES AND WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW YOUR HORSE'S IRON LEVEL. Iron rich soils are widespread across Australia. The grass that grows on such soils will have a level of iron. Horses ingest soil constantly when grazing and often are taking in more iron than is healthy. Natural water sources can be problematic containing unhealthy amounts of iron.

The following all contain varying degrees of iron which many horse owners may not be aware of; hay, legumes and grains, various premixed feeds highly processed feeds such as beets and copra meals, many mixed mineral supplements, nutritional tonics, performance enhancing products and even a few joint supplements. This demonstrates how Australian horses can inadvertently be consuming additonal sources of often unnecessary iron.

Iron excess and overload are more common than realised and often ignored in veterinary diagnosis. However, researchers have found that "equids exposed to high levels of iron in water, grass or hay over a prolonged period of time can accumulate the minerals in their liver resulting in chronic overload" (1) From approximately 15 horse I test per week forminerals levels, around 8 results reveal iron to be in excess of what the horse needs. The horse requires approx 400 - 500 mg of iron per day and any excess above what is required is not excreted but stored in the liver.

The most common source of iron excess is soil and water. it is beneficial to know how much iron is in your soil. if soil has high iron it will be poor and acidic and will also have a high level of aluminium. If you are using ground water as in bores, springs, wells be aware that minerals concentrations fluctuate seasonally and may require testing each season to monitor iron. "Long term excessive iron intake in equids should be avoided if animals drink from natural water sources, it is important to test the water (3)

There has been a few studies that link iron excess to metabolic diseases such as laminitis. The ECIR group studied 33 horses with metabolic syndrome and found that 100% of the horses were iron overloaded. Another study by Juliet Getty in 2016 states that studies have shown a direct correlation between iron intake and insulin levels in blood making it an imporatn factor in managing the diet of these horses.

THE EXCESS IRON MERRY GO ROUND where iron overload is confused as another conditions. For example; horse has stiif, painful joints so a joint supplement is used with little effect. Horse cannot flex and do a basic shoulder in movement so a body worker or similar is engaged, horse shows some improvement for a couple of weeks but the horse inflexibility returns. NO amount of manipulation, massage or the like will be succesful as this is an internal problem. The iron has to be lowered for symptoms to lessen.

SYMPTOMS OF EXCESS IRON MAY INCLUDE ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: stiffness and inflexibility mostly in the hind but can have general stiffness, often confused with a sore back, shuffling of hind legs, not tracking up, stiff joints, dull coat, reduced growth rate, respiratory distress when in hard work, liver dysfunction, arthritis in joints, susceptibility to infections, loss of performance, hidn musclespasms, irritable behaviour, pain, locking/stiff gait, muscle loss over hind, skin sensitivity plus all the symptoms of copper deficiency.

Once you know your horse does indeed have iron overload or excess be prepared for it take to months - yes months to lower. It took months to get to an excessive level. IDENTIFYING the cause is essential to lowering the level as the exposure can be environmental, dietary or a combination of both. In most instances it is a case or removing as much iron as possible from the diet and often supplementing withTHE CORRECT INDIVIDUAL DOSAGES of zinc and copper. It may also be that soil and or water testing is necessary if your horses iron level is over 25mg%. Many of my customers had to do just that and the soil and water testing results showed positive for high iron which confirmed the causative effect for excess iron in the hair mineral results.

HOW TO CORRECT EXCESSIVE LEVELS OF IRON IN YOUR HORSE. Firstly know your horse's iron level from a hair mineral analysis test. " Hair is a more stable analytical matrix, providing a lot of information about a given type of expopsure over the years: (2) The hair mineral analysis results can explain whether your horse's excessive iron is from dietary and or environmental sources with changes to diet and often the environment of the horse are undertaken. It will take months but the iron level will lower along with the many symptoms most horses suffer when they are carrying an iron overload. Testing you horse's mineral levels is an inexpensive tool to correct health and behavioural problems and to monitor horse health.

Kerry Marsh BAgrSc
kerrymarsh@htma.com.au

Bibliography
1.Bazay C. Unsafe water can cause deadly iron overload in horses. The horse 2019.
2. Cygan-Szczegielniak D & Stasiak K. Concentration of selected essential and toxic traceelements in horse hair as an importsnt tool for themoniroring of aniumal exposure and health. Animals 2022, 12 2665
3. Theelen MJP et al. Chronic iron overload causing haemochromatosis and heptopathy in 21 horses and one donkey. Journal Equine Vet Science 2019
Reference. GettyJuliet PhD. Too much iron can be detrimental to the insulin resistant horse. Getty Nutrition 2016

12/03/2026

MORE ON BEET PULP. Some of you may remember a few years ago now I posted about copra products being a poor feed choice and high in iron. I had death threats, abusive messages and no end of aggressive comments. I kid you not. The police were involved. Yesterday I posted about the high iron content in beet pulp and I have had four private messages of a threatening nature including being sued. I had posts on FB stating I am scaremongering etc. ALL FROM STATING THE IRON LEVEL ON A BEET PRODUCT BAG!

Revisiting what I posted yesterday: Beet products are high in iron. I DID NOT state stop feeding beet products or speedibeet or any of the branded beet products. I STATED THE IRON CONTENT which is there for all to see on the labels of the products. Horses in Australia rarely require additional iron in feeds as the environmental impacts from iron on horses can be an issue for many in AUSTRALIA.

I have been seeing the effects of iron toxicity and excess for decades and only since about 2019 is it being discussed. Iron overload as Dr. Kellon states in her literature is an issue " If you ask any veterinary pathologist, they will tell you that finding black, loaded livers at necropsy is common in horses"

From the posts yesterday people stating soaking, washing or rinsing the flakes, pellets or whatever form it comes in has to be done to remove the iron. SOMEONE please show me the evidence from a laboratory assay where the iron level has been reduced. I have searched everywhere and I'm not too shoddy on the research, I found nothing but did find this pertinent study called Processing and Soaking of Sugar Beet Pulp Changes the Feeding Behaviour of the Horse. In Animal Science and Feed 2025. Of interest for this discussion was, "horses fed sbp (sugar beet pulp) either dry or soaked....Interestingly, the physical and hydration of spb were altered by processing but the chemical composition was not. Thus, the nutritional value of the three products tested remained the same" No reduction to nutrient levels which includes iron.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2025.116426

If you feel you want to abuse, threaten or discredit me for posting the level of iron stated in beet products don't bother commenting on my page. If you are from overseas and you think you know about Australian conditions and horses don't bother commenting. If you want studies from me which I keep getting asked for about the level of iron in beet products READ THE DAMNED LABELLING AND DATA SPECS. If you want my before and after lab results of horses with iron toxicity scroll through the posts on this page to Iron Toxicity in Australian Horses Feb 2024 where soil and water reports are very similar to the hair mineral reports revealing iron toxicity.

Before I am accused of no knowledge of iron levels in horses, I am a scientist and have been testing mineral levels in horses as for over 20 years and was the first to do this with horses in Australia using a Govt licensed and accredited laboratory.
Kerry Marsh BAgrSC

10/03/2026

THE BEET PULP ARGUMENT CONTINUES...IT IS VERY HIGH IN IRON

Many horse owners in Australia not to mention world wide feed beet pulps with or without sugar. What many in Australia do not realise is the HIGH IRON CONTENT in beet products.

Australian horses rarely require additional iron in their feeds as most our soils are high in iron. The grass and hay from those soils known as ferralsols also contain high levels of iron.

PLEASE READ THE LABELS on your beet products. For example on the Barastoc Speedi beet label iron is stated at 762ppm and calcium is 0.8.
The excellent resource Feedipedia states dehydrated beet pulps which is what most people feed as having iron levels at 647ppm.

ALL beet products are high in iron. All are highly processed waste. They provide very little protein and there are more inexpensive, healthier forms off fibre. Doesnt look very appetising!

26/02/2026

HORSES THAT DO NOT HAVE ADEQUATE LEVELS OF COPPER ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO WORMS AND PARASITES.

A round up of this week's hair analyses results is worm/parasite burdens AGAIN which equals a degree of anaemia. All the horses with this profile have low iron, low copper, low cobalt.

Supplementing your horse with copper will not kill worms and copper should not be used for that purpose EVER. However, horses with normal copper levels have more resistance to worms and parasites.

Copper is an ESSENTIAL trace element that all horses require on a daily basis for a range of health benefits ranging from poor hooves to glossy coats and all in between. The dose is different for each horse and darker coloured horses require a slightly larger dose. Best to HTMA for accurate dosing and to check current copper levels.

Please evaluate your worming programs and your paddock management. Worm resistance requires horse owners to be more savvy about what wormers to use and when and what wormers are now ineffective.

Kerry Marsh BAgrSC
kerrymasrhs@htma.com.au

11/02/2026

Owning a horse especially an OTTB is not an inexpensive hobby. They are often so stuffed from being flogged and treated like commodities to dispose of. All those individuals who own a syndicate share in a racehorse or the never ending list of breeders, when that horse has run it's guts out or not to recompense your investment where the f**k do you think that horse ends up? Shame on every single racing board/authority in Australia. You have let down the VERY heart of the industry and continue to do so. I have never denigrated the racing industry BUT nothing has changed .....it's worse. Time for all horse lovers to say ENOUGH