Dengie is the largest producer of alfalfa in the UK and the majority of our feeds have some form of alfalfa inclusion. Alfalfa is a perennial legume belonging to the same family as peas and beans. Legumes are a good source of essential amino acids which have to be included in the diet as they cannot be synthesised by the horse. Alfalfa has deep penetrating roots to take up vitamins and minerals from the soil for use by the plant and in this form they are more 'bioavailable' to the horse.

These are the building blocks of protein and are a fundamental part of all body tissues, particularly muscle. Of the 25 amino acids required by the horse, 10 cannot be made within the horse's body. These amino acids are termed 'essential' and must be supplied in the horse's diet e.g. lysine and methionine. Alfalfa is a good source of methionine, an integral component of hoof horn.

Anti-oxidants are the body's defence mechanism against free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules produced during normal metabolic processes that can be harmful to cells. Exercise increases the amount of free radicals produced and so anti-oxidants are very important for maintaining the health of working horses and ponies. Alfa-A Oil has elevated levels of the anti-oxidant vitamin E to meet the increased requirements of horses fed an oil supplemented diet and in work.