Last updated: September 1, 2026
Are you feeding alfalfa hay and thinking about switching to cubes or pellets? Or maybe you’re considering alfalfa for your horse for the first time and wondering which form is best?
For most horses that can comfortably eat hay, good-quality long-stem alfalfa hay is where I’d start. But pellets and cubes can be excellent choices when a horse has dental problems, eats too aggressively, you’re dealing with a hay shortage, traveling, or simply need a more practical way to provide forage.
In this article, I’ll share what I’ve learned from feeding alfalfa to my horses, what the research says about the different forms, and how I’d approach feeding alfalfa hay, pellets, and cubes depending on the horse standing in front of me.
Table of Contents
Are Hay Pellets and Cubes Actually Forage?
Hay pellets and cubes made from hay are forage products. They aren’t a grain concentrate simply because they’ve been pelleted or cubed.
Whether you’d call them a “supplement” depends entirely on how much you’re feeding. A pound or two alongside a full hay ration is functioning as a supplement. Feed enough to replace most of a horse’s hay, and it’s functioning as the forage portion of the diet – not a supplement at all. That distinction matters more than the label on the bag.
Alfalfa Pellets vs Hay vs Cubes: What Actually Changes
Hay pellets are made by cutting and drying hay – most commonly alfalfa, though grass-hay pellets exist too – then grinding it fine and forcing it through a die under heat and pressure. The pellets come out warm and harden as they cool, typically 3/16 to 1/2 inch across. Cubes start the same way, but instead of grinding, the hay is chopped into shorter pieces and compressed into cubes, usually 1 to 2 inches across, using a hydraulic press.
Pellets still contain the fiber from the hay they’re made from – grinding doesn’t remove the fiber. What grinding changes is particle size and physical structure: it greatly reduces particle length and moves away from the long-stem structure that encourages prolonged chewing, increases meal duration, and better resembles the way horses naturally consume forage. Cubes usually retain longer forage particles than pellets, since they’re chopped rather than ground, but they’re still a processed forage product – not the same as offering long-stem hay or pasture.
That physical difference is behind many of the practical concerns people have about pellets and cubes: horses often eat them faster than loose hay, spend less time chewing, and produce less saliva during the meal—not because the forage is automatically less nutritious, but because it has less long-stem physical structure to work through.
| Hay Pellets | Hay Cubes | Loose Hay | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processing | Finely ground, then compressed | Chopped, then compressed | Dried, original long-stem form |
| Fiber particle length | Very short | Shorter than hay, usually longer than pellets | Long-stem |
| Typical eating speed | Usually fast | Often slower than pellets, varies by horse | Usually slowest |
| Can it replace hay? | Yes, when properly formulated and managed | Yes, when properly formulated and managed | The forage foundation for most horses |
| Useful when chewing ability is limited | Often excellent when soaked | Often useful when soaked | May be difficult |
| Best practical use | Soaked mash, senior/dental support, carrier for supplements, travel | Convenient partial forage, travel, horses that eat pellets too fast | Primary forage for most horses that can chew it |
When I’d Choose Pellets, Cubes, or Hay
If a horse is doing well on good-quality hay and can chew it comfortably, that is where I usually start. Long-stem hay gives a horse the longest chew time and the most grazing-like feeding behavior, and it is often the most economical way to meet forage needs when good hay is readily available locally.
If I’m dealing with an older horse that cannot chew hay properly – one with worn or missing teeth, or one that drops wads of hay instead of swallowing it – soaked pellets become a practical option. A thoroughly soaked pellet mash may be the only practical way for a horse like that to get adequate forage and calories at all.
If a horse eats too aggressively, I wouldn’t dump a large amount of dry pellets into a feed tub. Cubes may take some horses longer to eat than pellets because they need more breaking down, but they are not automatically safe for a horse that bolts feed. If the horse has poor teeth, a choke history, or eats like it is racing the clock, soaking may be the better choice regardless of the form.
If I’m traveling, dealing with limited storage, or riding out a regional hay shortage, cubes and pellets both become far more practical than hauling loose hay. Neither is a compromise in that situation – they’re genuinely the better tool for the job.
How Much Forage Does a Horse Need?
Total forage intake generally works out to around 1.5 to 2% of body weight per day on a dry-matter basis – that’s a starting framework, not a universal prescription, and the right number for your horse depends on body condition, workload, pasture intake, forage quality, age, and the rest of the ration. The University of Minnesota Extension’s guide to using hay in horse diets is a useful reference for understanding how forage fits into the overall daily ration.
When adding pellets or cubes to a hay-based ration: start with the smallest amount needed for the job – whether that’s carrying a supplement, adding calories, replacing poor-quality hay, or helping a horse with chewing trouble. For many adult horses that might be a few pounds a day, but the right amount depends on the horse’s body weight, workload, hay analysis, and body condition – not a flat number that applies to every horse.
When pellets or cubes are replacing most of the forage: don’t calculate the amount from a scoop. Build the ration around the horse’s daily forage requirement, worked out as a percentage of body weight on a dry-matter basis. For a 1,000-pound horse, 1.5% of body weight works out to about 15 pounds of forage dry matter – a horse may need more depending on the individual and the rest of the ration. Because pellets, cubes, and soaked feeds all differ in moisture and density, work from the product label and feed by weight, not by scoop.
I don’t measure these feeds by scoop when I’m trying to get a ration right – I put the bucket on a scale. Density varies enough between products, and even between bags of the same product, that “one scoop” can mean meaningfully different amounts of actual feed.
What to Look For on the Feed Tag
Not every bag labeled “hay pellets” or “alfalfa pellets” has the same nutritional profile – and “hay pellets” and “alfalfa pellets” aren’t necessarily interchangeable terms, even though they’re often used loosely. If I’m feeding a bagged forage product as a major part of the ration, I want to know exactly what it is – not just what the picture on the bag suggests it is. Before changing a horse’s ration, I look at:
- Ingredient statement: 100% alfalfa, grass hay, a forage blend, or a fortified product
- Crude protein, crude fiber, fat, and moisture
- Sugar/starch or NSC information, when the manufacturer provides it – important for a metabolic horse
- Calcium and phosphorus levels, particularly when alfalfa makes up a substantial part of the ration
- The feeding directions, and whether the label describes it as a straight forage product, a forage extender, or a fortified complete feed
If the product is being fed as the horse’s primary or sole forage, I want a forage analysis or manufacturer information adequate for that use – not just a general marketing description. If you are not used to reading a forage report, the University of Minnesota Extension’s explanation of how to understand a hay analysis is a practical place to start.
Feeding Pellets and Cubes Safely
Pellets and cubes are not inherently unsafe, and many horses eat them successfully. Many of the problems owners run into are management problems: making a sudden ration change, allowing a horse to eat too much too quickly, feeding a dry product to a horse with poor teeth or a history of choke, or relying on processed forage without building the rest of the diet around the horse’s total fiber, water, and calorie needs.
Processed forage is eaten faster and takes up less volume than loose hay. That can mean less time spent eating and chewing, particularly when a large portion of the daily forage is fed in a small number of meals. Measure the ration by weight, divide larger amounts into several meals, introduce changes gradually, ensure free access to clean water, and soak pellets or cubes when the horse’s teeth, eating habits, or veterinarian’s advice make that appropriate.
Call your veterinarian promptly for signs of colic – repeated pawing, rolling, looking at the flank, reduced manure, sweating, or refusing feed – or for signs of choke, including feed or saliva coming from the nostrils, coughing, or repeated attempts to swallow.
Dust is genuinely product-specific rather than a fixed rule by category. Some cubes and pellets are low-dust, others shed fines in the bag, and hay quality and handling matter just as much as the product type. I wouldn’t automatically assume cubes are dust-free or pellets are dusty – open the bag and look at what you’re actually feeding. For a horse with respiratory disease, inspect the feed itself, minimize dust during handling, and ask your veterinarian whether soaking or a different forage option makes sense. Cost varies just as unpredictably – by region, product, bag size, freight, and local hay supply – so compare price per pound of dry matter rather than assuming pellets, cubes, or hay is automatically the cheaper option where you live.
How I’d Make the Switch
A horse’s digestive system is sensitive to sudden diet changes, and switching too fast raises the risk of digestive upset. Make the change gradually rather than switching the ration overnight – a 7 to 14 day transition is a reasonable general framework, but the exact pace depends on the horse and how large the dietary change is. Add a small amount of the new feed on top of the existing hay ration, then gradually increase it while reducing hay over the transition period.
If you’re replacing a large share of forage, I wouldn’t make the switch off a calendar alone. Watch the horse’s manure, appetite, water intake, weight, and body condition, and adjust with your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist if anything changes.
If you want to see what these products actually look like side by side and how I think through using them, here’s a short video covering the practical differences.
FAQs
Are alfalfa pellets roughage or concentrate?
Alfalfa pellets are a processed forage product because they’re made from alfalfa hay, not grain. They may be fed as a small forage supplement, but if fed in enough quantity they can make up part or most of the forage portion of a horse’s ration. Their classification doesn’t change because of the amount fed; their role in the diet does.
Can horses eat alfalfa pellets instead of hay?
In some situations, yes. Soaked pellets can provide much or all of the forage for a horse that can’t chew long-stem hay, but the ration still needs to meet the horse’s total fiber, calorie, protein, mineral, vitamin, and water needs. For most horses that comfortably eat hay, long-stem hay or pasture remains the preferred base of the forage program because it takes longer to eat and supports more natural chewing behavior.
Do hay pellets and cubes need to be soaked?
Not always. A healthy horse with good teeth that eats at a normal pace may eat some pellets or cubes dry. Soaking is commonly helpful for horses with poor dentition, a history of choke, reduced chewing ability, or a tendency to bolt feed. Fully soften the product before feeding, and discard leftovers before they spoil, especially in hot weather. Follow the manufacturer’s soaking directions, because pellets and cubes do not all absorb water at the same speed.
Final Take
Hay, pellets, and cubes are all forage tools, but they aren’t interchangeable from a management standpoint. If your horse can comfortably eat good hay, loose hay or pasture is usually where I’d start because it provides the longest chewing time and most natural feeding pattern. Pellets and cubes become especially useful when a horse needs soaked forage, you’re traveling, storage is tight, hay quality is unreliable, or a senior horse can’t manage long-stem hay.
The main thing is to feed the horse in front of you: weigh the ration, make changes gradually, read the tag, and get veterinary or qualified nutrition help before making a major forage change for a senior horse, a hard keeper, or a horse with a metabolic condition. If you’re trying to understand the bigger picture of how forage fits into a horse’s diet, see our guide on what horses eat.
There isn’t a universally best forage form. There’s the right forage management for the horse standing in front of you.
About Miles Henry
Racehorse Owner & Author | 30+ Years in Thoroughbred Racing
Miles Henry (legal name: William Bradley) is a professional horseman based in Folsom, Louisiana. He holds Louisiana Racing License #67012 and has spent over three decades managing Thoroughbreds at premier tracks including Fair Grounds, Delta Downs, and Evangeline Downs.
Expertise & Hands-On Experience: Beyond the track, Miles has decades of experience in specialized equine care, covering everything from hoof health and nutrition to training protocols for Quarter Horses, Friesians, and Paints. Every guide on Horse Racing Sense is rooted in this “boots-on-the-ground” perspective.
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