Can this legume act as a natural dewormer? Studies indicate yes!
- Ardani Farm
- Feb 2
- 4 min read
Introduction
Like many of you, Sainfoin pellets have been popping up all over my social media feeds as a miracle feed. Legume based forage production systems are also of interest because of their low reliance on nitrogen fertilizer leading to potential environmental benefits along with a high protein content that contribute to low-input and more sustainable systems. Also in the claims of Sainfoin is that it can help with ongoing parasite resistence concerns as a natural dewormer. What actually is Sainfoin and how does it hold up to studies? I went through the data so you don't have to.
What is Sainfoin?
Sainfoin is a legume (in the fabaceae family) like alfalfa, peas, and beans.
It's not native to the US, but has low invasive potential, and its lovely pink flowers are an excellent source of pollen and nectar.
Analysis seems to support that Sainfoin is comparable to Alfalfa in terms of nutrient profile, perhaps a slightly lower protein content (around 11%)
Unlike alfalfa, it is high in condensed tannins, and herein lies its claim to fame.
Can Sainfoin Support Deworming?
Due, in part, to its high Condensed Tannins (CT) and polyphenol content it does appear to have a anthelmintic effect, based on studies.
When horses in the high sainfoin group were fed sainfoin at a rate of approximately 4 lbs a day, by day 28, there was a significant decrease in fecal egg count (FEC) in the high sainfoin group.
It's unclear if there is something in the CT or polyphenols specifically that reduce worm burden or if there is an overall improvement in gut microflora that leads to a decrease in infection. More studies are needed, and I'm very interested in seeing more.
A second study seems to indicate that a high forage (vs high starch) diet combined with Sainfoin seems to have benefits to the gut health of tested equines.
The pelleting process seems to concentrate the CT though it does (of course) reduce the particle size and no longer has "long stem forage" benefits, as chew time is reduced.
Are There Cons?
It does have some evidence that it can bind minerals (like Cu, Mg, Ca, and to a lesser extent Zn) however, based on the studies I've read, it didn't seem significant when paired with a mineral supplement (such as Vermont blend, CalTrace, etc).
It does seem to have a more substantial issue binding Iron (which I find very interesting and at the surface seems like it could be beneficial to equines with EMS- more information is needed on this)
It's expensive! At the time of writing alfalfa is between $18-30 a 50 lb bag. and sainfoin is starting around $30 a bag and up to $45.
Can I Grow It?
For those running horses on pasture, you could add sainfoin to your pasture mix. It does best mixed with birdsfoot trefoil, meadow brome, and orchard grass.
It does not tolerate close grazing and is pretty easily out competed. Does best in a rotational grazing system where grazing can be stopped around 8" of forage growth.
For me, I'll try adding some around the permeter of my inner track to see if I can get some benefits there.
Is Sainfoin Safe for Metabolic Horses?
To be honest, it was hard to find information on the NSC
The one test I was able to dig up, on MadBarn's site listed the NSC around 11%, so, it's not a slam dunk for me here. I would want to be careful with our metabolic crew.
I'd love to see more tests on both straight Sainfoin and mixed meadow hay with Sainfoin added.
Summary
I'm very interested in the deworming benefits of Sainfoin, especially knowing the growing resistance to chemical dewormers.
I'm interested in the benefits it may have on equine gut health and will continue to read all I can on that front, as we are already feeding a high fiber diet, it seems studies back up the benefit of the addition of sainfoin.
I'm cautious about the mineral binding issues, but also acknowledge that the studies seem to suggest this is less of a concern in live horses than it is in a lab environment. I'm interested in learning more about the potential iron binding effect, as it seems iron could be detrimental to EMS impacted horses.
I want to see more analysis on the average NSC; Mark suggested we grow and analyze a test patch.
Down the road I'd love to engage with our hay grower to see if we'd be able to potentially overseed a bit of his fields with some Sainfoin seeds (though, I'm not sure it would produce in our region and against the fescue he has growing already).
The cost of the pelleted feed eliminates it for me as a base feed in our program, however, I will experiment with adding it in a periodic supplement to see if we can gain some of the anthelmintic benefits.
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