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Sainfoin – unique fodder crop for horses

You cannot stop progress, not even in the area of horse nutrition, even if such progress “just” means a return to the wisdom and experiences of our forefathers. Exactly this type of innovation embodies

the rediscovery of the sainfoin,
a long-forgotten but very popular feed plant for horses many decades ago. Since agricultural horses were replaced by tractors, sainfoin (Latin Onobrychis viciifolia) has unfortunately hardly been cultivated anymore, despite its unique properties. Not even for other animals. But why actually…?

Dr. John E. Sheehy, (Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, UK, 1982) explains to us why sainfoin was displaced by the much higher-yielding alfalfa. Quote: “Sainfoin is something of an agricultural paradox; from the point of view of animal nutrition it seems to be the most desirable of all forage legume plants; from an agronomic point of view it is an undesirable plant because it doesn’t grow very well.”” End quote.

Sainfoin is a fodder legume that is botanically related to alfalfa and other legumes.

The sainfoin originally comes from the Mediterranean, southeastern Europe and Siberia and was brought along by humans when they settled in Central Europe. The scientific name of the plant Onobrychis viciifolia indicates the extraordinary palatability of Sainfoin, since  Greek onos means donkey and brychein means to eat greedily.

It is worth looking at sainfoin (left) as a fodder plant for horses in direct comparison to alfalfa (right):

While alfalfa is generally known as a protein-rich forage crop, sainfoin is less protein-rich, but has a significantly better composition of protein, which is considered to be optimal for horses.

Thanks to the high proportion of essential amino acids (lysine, methionine and threonine), sainfoin supports the formation of strong muscles, a healthy, firm hoof horn and healthy and resilient skin.

Thanks to the optimal quality of the protein, the entire feed ration is utilized better and the strain on the kidneys is relieved. Less urea is excreted in the urine and the stable air is significantly improved.

The stem of the sainfoin is tender,
Significantly less lignified (woody), i.e. not “spiny” like alfalfa. That's why sainfoin fiber is an ideal substrate for healthy intestinal flora. The sainfoin contains almost no starch and the sugar content is low, up to six percent.

In addition, sainfoin has numerous health benefits compared to alfalfa and is therefore called sainfoin in English or French, which literally means “healthy hay”.

The sainfoin has an anti-flatulent and vermifuge effect, strengthens the immune system and stabilizes the gastrointestinal tract.

Wurminex, a natural supplement to chemical wormers. One of the main components is sainfoin, the other is  disc mayweed (the picture on the right).

Sainfoin is also recommended for problematic skin or irritated mucous membranes of the digestive and respiratory systems.

Last but not least, sainfoin has proven itself effective against fecal water and diarrhea.
The sainfoin contains, among other things, specific herbal active ingredients that support the kidneys and urinary tract and is therefore used, for example. B. recommended in the Italian pharmacopoeia as a medicinal plant for diseases of the urinary tract.

Sainfoin has not yet been sufficiently researched using modern scientific methods, neither as a medicinal plant nor as horse feed. So far, only cows and small ruminants have been the focus of agricultural scientists' attention. This has happened in sheep and goats

Sainfoin has not only proven to be a particularly valuable food, but also as a natural deworming agent.
The vermicidal properties of the condensed tannins contained in sainfoin have been proven in scientific studies on small ruminants.

However, one should not draw any conclusions about monogastric horses from the studies with polygastric ruminants, also with regard to the vermifuge effect of sainfoin. That's why, with the support of Dr. Marcus Menzel and Ms. Nana Keck from the Thurmading veterinary practice had Sainfoin Cobs tested in 2014 and 2016 as food that could curb the population of intestinal parasites. The results in terms of the effect against small strongyles and the improvement in the condition of the test horses exceeded our expectations. It has been confirmed that sainfoin can suppress and maintain the population of small strongyles, which are the most common but difficult to control, below the damage threshold.

Nevertheless, we strongly advise against attempting to extrapolate any conclusions from ruminant studies to horses. To be sure, you always have to carry out similar studies with horses, because it would only lead us to a dead end to believe that all herbivores or their digestion and physiology are similar.

Tasty pellets from the sainfoin plant are produced in the drying plants.

There are serious differences between polygastric ruminants and monogastric horses. All the more surprising are pseudoscientific articles that emerge from studies with cows and draw conclusions for horses. A lack of scientific studies with horses cannot be eliminated by mere extrapolations from the area of ruminants.

But now a question arises: Do we actually have to research and prove EVERYTHING through scientific studies? Isn't it enough for us to acknowledge with a little humility the empirical experiences accumulated over generations and to rely on the wisdom of our ancestors, who lived in harmony with nature and their horses? Before you drink a glass of water, do you need to know the chemical formula, dew and boiling points and other properties of water? Or is a simple empirical experience enough for us, such as that fresh water can quench thirst and has a refreshing effect…?

This is exactly what applies to sainfoin: you can draw on the accumulated experience of generations of horse owners and feed sainfoin successfully without any concerns. And this without any limitations, because sainfoin is actually the right food for every horse, whether the horse is healthy or sick, young or old.

Tannins are often spoken and written about in connection with sainfoin.

Completely right, because sainfoin is known to contain so-called condensed tannins. Tannins are a class of flavonoid compounds. The term tannin goes back to the word fir and refers to the wood tannins. Tannins are undoubtedly very beneficial for the horse's digestion. Despite the bitter and astringent taste, horses intuitively like to bite off wooden branches of trees and bushes.

With the topic of tannins, we come to another typical dead end where some feed specialists get stuck - namely, assessing the entire plant or its effects based on the content of a single substance or group of active ingredients. Some feed specialists are unsettled by the relatively high content of condensed tannins in sainfoin. Here we have to distinguish two things. First, the condensed tannins are not bitter but sweet, which is why sainfoin is sometimes called sweet clover. Secondly, the effect of condensed tannins on the mucous membranes is comparable to the effect of tannins found in trees, acorns, but also e.g. B. found in red wine or tea, significantly milder. That's why it can

Sainfoin is not only problem-free, but also successful in treating various digestive and metabolic disorders such as colic tendencies, diarrhea, fecal water, stomach ulcers, gastritis, laminitis, EMS, Cushing's
etc. are fed. All possible health problems that, according to the literature, could cause an overdose of tannins refer to the group of hydrolyzable tannins, which are also called gallotannins or ellagitannins. On the other hand, the condensed tannins of sainfoin, which belong to the group of catechin tannins and are also known as condensed proanthocyanidins, are absolutely unproblematic in the feeding quantities we recommend.

Conclusion:

Sainfoin can be viewed as a “starch-free concentrated feed” with roughage properties,
which is not only highly digestible, but also ensures that the entire feed ration can be better utilized. Feeding sainfoin supports healthy digestion, stabilizes the gastrointestinal tract, promotes healthy skin and a shiny coat.

The sainfoin counteracts flatulence,
which consequently reduces the risk of colic. The population of intestinal parasites can be kept below the damage threshold by feeding sainfoin.

Sainfoin is an ideal supplementary feed for all horses,
not only for healthy animals, but also for animals weakened by age or illness. Growing young horses as well as pregnant and lactating broodmares also benefit from the good protein quality and intestinal stabilizing properties of sainfoin.

There are no justified concerns about sainfoin, which generations of our ancestors as well as the generation of modern horse owners have appreciated and still value as an ideal horse feed.