[White Foot]

I finally switched my mare to senior feed.
Platform - Senior Horse Feed

And my gelding on Purina professional strategy GX.
Purina Mills Strategy® Professional Formula GX

Before I just gave them sweet feed because they were "easy keepers" but then I did more research and realized it wasn't helping anything. My mare is 20+ and it's hard to keep weight on her. I don't know why on earth I didn't switch earlier. The feeds I have them on now are only about $5 more than the sweet feed, so it was a good decision.

What do you think? And what is your horse on?
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[luvs2ride1979]

I have found that my hard keepers and easy keepers do better on a 100% grain-free diet. I feed ADM's Metabolic Mineral pellets along with Alfalfa pellets and/or chopped Alfalfa hay (comes in a bag). You only need to feed 1-1.5 lbs of the mineral pellets a day, so it works great for my fatties. The hard keepers just get more of the alfalfa pellets to add more protein and calories to their diet. I also feed Uckele's Cocosoya oil to provide Omega 3 fatty acids as we don't have any real grazing to speak of.

Since swicthing to a grain-free diet my horses hold their weight better, have a better work ethic, their coats & feet are healthier, we have less issues with rain rot and thrush, my moody mare isn't as moody, and my spooky horses are much calmer. I will never feed any kind of grain or pellets that have any grain products again. No corn, no wheat, no "grain sweepings", or "grain by-products" will enter my feed room ;-).

The feed I use:
StaySTRONG low starch mineral feed supplement
You can buy it online if you don't have an ADM retailer in your area. My ADM state sales rep delivers mine to me once a month ;-). The nearest ADM dealer to me is 2 hours away. They are a really great company!

I like the above feed because it doesn't have the high protein levels found in many ration balancers (often 30-35% protein). I know that 1lb of 30% protein isn't really that much protein, but they often add weird stuff to the feed to get the protein that high, like "egg product" or "whey protein" (milk!)... Sorry, my horse is an herbivore! lol

A good article:
http://www.admani.com/AllianceEquin...se Feeding Practices are being Challenged.htm

 

[farmpony84]

My senior horse is on Triple Crown Senior Senior Formula | www.triplecrownfeed.com

And Alfalfa cubes (wetted down)

The rest are on country acres pellets and high quality hay.

My witchy mare also gets quiessence but I don't know that I see a difference.

 

[Alwaysbehind]

Easy keeper gets hay stretcher pellets just so he thinks he is being fed. He also gets SmartPak Easy Keeper supplement.

Not easy keeper gets Safe Choice and soaked beet pulp.

Grass hay for both. Not easy keeper hay is basically free choice. Easy keeper it is rationed in a small hole hay net.

 

[Cowgirl140ty]

My horses eat the Life Design by Nutrena. They get half and half of the Compete and Prime. Coastal free choice... and a flake of O&A in the evenenings.
They all look great.

 

[White Foot]

I hope I see a difference in my horses. I have to feed them grain because the hay choice is /okay/ and the grass during the summer is very sparse.

 

[wild_spot]

^ You don't HAVE to feed grain - there are plenty of alternatives. But if what you are doing is working, then keep doing it :]

My easy keepers just have a mineral lick. My competition horse gets Speedi-Beet, A small amount of Copra, and Prydes Easi-Sport (grain free, low starch, low sugar pellet) and grass hay when we go to comps.

 

[eventerdrew]

Ginisee (18 year old TB mare, fairly hard keeper)- Purina Equine Senior

Uma ( 7 year old 3/4 TB 1/4 Shire, hard keeper)- Purina Ultium and Amplify supplement

Demi (7 year old TB mare, super easy keeper)- a TINY bit of Purina Equine Senior

 

[Void]

I feed Purina Ultium

 

[Peggysue]

All 7 here are on Horsego32 by Kent 1lb per day

with alfalfa pellets added for calories as needed
I currentily have 1 of the 7 getting alfalfa pellets plus ricce bran she was a tad thin when she came in

 

[White Foot]

If I knew my horses were getting all the things they need from their hay and grass I wouldn't feed grain. But I know the hay isn't the best and the grass hardly grows. It was a horrible season last year for hay and grass, it was either too wet and rainy or too dry.

Peggysue, what do you suggest? Or is what I'm giving them fine?

 

[garysheets]

I feed a combo, Enhance Equine Daily for off season and Enhance Equine Elite Performance when trialing.
The feed ratio is only 1# per 700# cost per bag is higher than most on the market but daily cost is alot less. I can feed for around $.90 a day.
Vit/Min content is higher than most anything on the market also.

After a recent look at some boarding stables that found that out of 60 horses 10 were tested for EPM and 6 were found to have it. I won't feed a sweet feed ever.

It was developed by Kentucky Equine Research so I can trust the background.

www.arkat.com

Equine Elite Performance :

Equine Enhance® Elite Performance is formulated by veterinarians who strongly believe one of the most important factors in making a healthy feed is the selection of exceptional ingredients. We purchase ingredients only from select suppliers who are able to meet our stringent requirements.
Ingredients:
Whole Soybeans, Rice Bran, Vegetable Oil, Ground Corn, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Brewers Yeast, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Oxide, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Fenugreek Seed, Artificial Flavor, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Sulfate, Manganous Proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate, Biotin, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (a source of Vitamin K activity), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite
Crude Protein (Min.) 20.0%
Crude Fat (Min.) 20.0%
Crude Fiber (Max.) 6.0%
Moisture (Max.) 10.0%
Calcium (Min.) 2.0%
Calcium (Max.) 2.3%
Phosphorus (Min.) 1.2%
Magnesium (Min.) 0.8%
Sodium (Min.) 0.5%
Sodium (Max.) 0.6%
Copper (Min.) 150.0 PPM
Selenium (Min.) 0.9 PPM
Zinc (Min.) 500.0 PPM
Vitamin A (Min.) 22,000 IU/lb.
Vitamin D (Min.) 1,700 IU/lb.
Vitamin E (Min.) 450 IU/lb.​

Equine Daily :

Equine Enhance® Daily Performance is formulated to provide protein, fat, vitamins and minerals to horses of all ages. Fats and oils contain over 2 times the energy of the same amount of starch. The result is a higher level of energy in a lesser amount of feed. Reducing the amount of feed for broodmares and performance horses, lowers the risk of founder and colic.
Ingredients:
Rice Bran, Whole Soybeans, Vegetable Oil, Ground Corn, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Brewers Yeast, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Oxide, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Fenugreek Seed, Artificial Flavor, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Sulfate, Manganous Proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate, Biotin, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (a source of Vitamin K activity), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite
Crude Protein (Min.) 12.0%
Crude Fat (Min.) 22.0%
Crude Fiber (Max.) 6.0%
Moisture (Max.) 10.0%
Calcium (Min.) 2.0%
Calcium (Max.) 2.3%
Phosphorus (Min.) 1.2%
Magnesium (Min.) 0.8%
Sodium (Min.) 0.5%
Sodium (Max.) 0.6%
Copper (Min.) 150.0 PPM
Selenium (Min.) 0.9 PPM
Zinc (Min.) 500.0 PPM
Vitamin A (Min.) 22,000 IU/lb.
Vitamin D (Min.) 1,700 IU/lb.
Vitamin E (Min.) 450 IU/lb.​

 

[Peggysue]

WHite foot being in NY you should be able to get Buckeye's Gro N Win or Triple Crown's 30% supplement ... start there for the nutritin then add calories as needed on each horse... that is another thing I LOVE about the ration balancers... you can add and remove calories without removing the nutrition.

garysheets where are you and do you have ingredient list on that first product you posted??

 

[Peggysue]

DUH I see it now sorry LOL

 

[Peggysue]

I have 4 horses here I feed for about 47 cents a day!! LOL the other cost a bit more with the added calories but I don't have anything costing more then 94 cents a day and that mare gets Horsego32, alfalfa pellets AND rice bran but she was thin when she came in here and looks GREAT now

 

[White Foot]

The only thing I can get around here is from what is at the local Tractor supply co. D; I'll check next time.

 

[Pidge]

My gelding gets two pounds of alfalfa pellets and beat pulp mixed together. He also gets about 8 to 12 pounds of hay daily with a free choice mineral lick and pasture as well as free choice water. thats his winter diet. We dont have much grass in the winter thus the hay, but we do still have grass. One of the bonuses of living in texas, year round grass lol even if it isnt much grass. He is also a sorta hard keeper but not to bad, thus the alfalfa and beat pulp for the extra calories an protein.

During the summer he gets free choice water and mineral lick and is just left on pasture. The nice green grass fattens him up without any help.

 

[garysheets]

I have 4 horses here I feed for about 47 cents a day!! LOL the other cost a bit more with the added calories but I don't have anything costing more then 94 cents a day and that mare gets Horsego32, alfalfa pellets AND rice bran but she was thin when she came in here and looks GREAT now

What kind of feed are you feeding for $.47 a day?

Is there additional cost for supplements?

I am located in Pennsylvania but travel all over from South Carolina to Maine and over to Ohio.

 

[Peggysue]

Gary I feed a ration balancer and the onlysupplement I add are to my one mare that is laminitis prone gets Remission and MSM. the only supplements needed with the Ration Balancer are joint ones. and sometimes Mg for SOME horses.

The only "extra" expense is when you have to add calories.

1lb ration Balancer
1 lb alfalfa pellets
1/2lb of rice bran is 94 cents a day

of course my horses have free choice hay or pasture year round

 

[BackInTheSaddleAgain]

Google LMF Low Carb Stage 2 and see if you think it's compatible.. It's a no-grain feed. I feed my draft Stage 1 (she's not a senior).
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