Help me choose a feed for my hard keeper.

Which of these three would be better for a hard keeper, and why? Opinions please! :)

DuMORŽ EquiStages Horse Feed, 50 lb. - 5109922 | Tractor Supply Company

NutrenaŽ SafeChoiceŽ Horse Feed, 50 lb. - 2802262 | Tractor Supply Company

NutrenaŽ Life DesignŽ Prime Horse Feed, 50 lb. - 2802296 | Tractor Supply Company


The horse in question is a 7 year old APHA. He gets ridden for 45 minutes to one hour almost every day. He's on free choice hay and has no health problems. He's not thriving on E32, so I'd like to check these out.

Thanks!

Bump..I could really use some help with this.

The safechoice has the highest fat content but I would still personally want more.

Have you considered a senior feed?

I don't have any hard keepers; even my TB is a chunk.

Bewteen those 3, I'd go with Safe Choice or Life Design. I've heard good things about Nutrena, and Safe Choice in particular. I'm a little biased, though, since I know nothing about DuMor.

Enrich32 is a ration balancer- meant to be low calorie- and it sounds like your horse needs a little more than that. You can also try adding some high calorie forages to his diet and stay on E32 if that sounds interesting to you; there are definitely health benefits to being on a low-grain or grain-free diet. Rice bran and/or beet pulp are common choices, and you could also try alfalfa (cubes, pellets, or hay), oil (fish, flaxseed, soy, vegetable, or others.), Cool Calories, etc.

If you go with safe choice, look away from tsc and find a retailer with the new "perform" formula (rural king is a chain carrying it). My little feed guy can add one bag or twenty to his order as needed so the independent feed places are sometimes better for there feeds. Tsc, etc only have access to regular safe choice, not the new formulas.

The local equestrian therapy group uses a Purina brand and they have several rather elderly horses. You could always add corn chops from a local feed store to increase the fat content.

It's not one of options you listed, but I know people who have used empower and beet pulp to help put weight on their hard keeper and had a lot of success.

I'd go with a senior feed and some beet pulp. You'll have to soak the beet pulp, and he may need a while to get used to it, but it really helps to add on the pounds.

Nutrena SafeChoice Senior is one of the best feeds that I have found! My 13 year old gelding was put on it and it's made a world of difference.