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Horse feeds

2K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  gigem88 
#1 ·
Wondering what you think the best feeds are for my boys. I have 2 totally opposite horses. Jet's a 15yr appendix, super easy keeper, mostly used for trail rides. Currently feeding him about 1 scoop (3 qts) omolene 100, and 6 lbs alfalfa cubes plus free choice hay.
Zaim's a 2.5 yr old Arabian, not such an easy keeper especially during his growth spurts when he tends to lose a little. He does no work right now. His feeding is about the same a Jet's plus he gets oil and caf-manna added.
Is there a better feed that will work for the two of them, or what are your suggestions?
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#3 ·
I've seen that mentioned several times though out the forum. What's so great about it?
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#4 · (Edited)
It is a very well balanced feed.
I have used it on all different kind of horses....hard keepers, easy keeps....young, old....fat, skinny.....and have gotten whatever results I was trying to get.

I would also recommend using a pellet feed just because textured feed can cause teeth issues.

I am a fan of the Omolene line, I mix Omolene 200 with the safe choice for my barrel mare. mostly just for added energy and because i spoil her. She gets a lot of supplements because of the stresses barrels puts on her so the textured feed kind of helps cover the taste of the supplements....I mix one scoop of Safe, one scoop of Om 200, half part water, her supplements, soaked alfalfa cubes and mix it all up --> turns into a mush so she can not sniff out the things she does not like.

SafeChoice Horse Feed by Nutrena
 
#5 ·
Hi,

I would not feed - or feed very little alfalfa or other high energy feeds to an easy keeper. I'd stick to something like hay/grass & a low-carb nutritional supplement. For your young arab, remember he's an arab, not a QH for one & they are finer built. Also re growth spurts, I wouldn't stress at all about him 'losing weight' then. If you look at other animals - puppies & human kids for eg, they tend to go through stages of looking stocky & then looking lanky when they have an 'up' spurt. It's also healthier for them not to be kept overweight, as with us:think: Therefore I'd probably be inclined to feed them pretty much the same & see how they go.

I would generally avoid grainy, high starch feeds, especially corn, which is particularly high in starch & harder for horses to digest than other feeds. Both Omolene and Calf Manna(that has 2 types) have corn in them. If you're going to feed something 'high octane' such as these, it's even more important to feed little & often, to minimise risks of this type of feed. Otherwise I'd go for something like beet pulp, which you can mix supplements with. As for oil, I tend to feed ground linseed, which provides some oil along with essential fatties. This does lose it's nutritional value quickly after processing though, so I buy the whole seeds & grind some daily myself.
 
#6 ·
Unless you are riding hard on the trails whereby the horse either works up a sweat or you're out for 5 or 6 hrs at a time, on a daily basis, all he needs is a good grass hay. Save the alfalfa for treats. If the arab is still growing it's better to let him grow it his natural rate and not stuff him as fast growth creates weaker joints. A handful of the alfalfa for either horse is plenty. Alfalfa can overload the calcium balance if fed in excess. I was advised by vets to feed hay only until the horse either begins to lose weight from riding or begins to feel a loss of energy and only then to add a supplemental feed.
 
#7 ·
I have an Arabian mare in foal, an Arabian gelding that I show and a geriatric QH gelding that needs a low sugar/starch diet. I feed Life Data Lab's Barn Bag for Performance Horses. They all get about a cup of this mixed with whole oats. I adjust the oats to each horse's energy needs. Plus, they are on pasture 24/7 and hay in the winter. They all are doing very well on this regimen.
 
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