Feed Preference

[Greystone]

Always have tried to be healthy at home but alas my husband has been diagnosed with diabetes (he eats breakfast and lunches out). Anyway I am thinking of taking out the "sweet" in my horses feed. My local feed store does not have that option so I am either going to TSC or Co-op. My guys are pastured 24/7 rotating between lush and poor to try to keep their belly down, except for my preggo girls. They are currently eating a 11% sweetfeed varying for weight, metabolism and being preggo.

Is there something out there without feed? Was looking at the co-op at their equimax but it contains molasses.

 

[chandab]

I don't know what is available in your area, but I'm loving Progressive Nutrition ProAdvantage grass formula (diet balancer). http://www.prognutrition.com/

They have a dealer locator, so perhaps you'll have luck finding a dealer near you. I buy direct from my area Sales Rep, he even delivers (last time I met him at our mail box, as he had a loaded trailer - we live 1/2 mile off the county road). [looks like there are 6 or so dealers in TN, so maybe one is close; I'd check surrounding states, just in case one is closer just across state lines]. They also make an alfalfa balancer, if you feed alfalfa hay. If they need more energy, you can add plain whole oats to the feed.

I feed the Progressive grass formula, BOSS and grass hay to all my minis and my senior half-Arab gelding, they all look great (I've owned the gelding for 20 years, he's been on Progressive for a year and he hasn't looked better). The amount of Progressive they get depends on their age and weight; if you decide to go with Progressive contact me and I'll e-mail you the feed chart for ponies (it doesn't quite work out to just downsizing the full-size horse amounts).

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I recently began using Safe & Sound, as I was concerned about sugar/starch. There is so much to know about equine nutrition, one could go crazy researching. This is the only feed I know of that isn't sweet. I've been using it for about a year. Good luck!

http://www.accofeeds.com/horse/brand.asp?brand_id=66

 

[Greystone]

Thanks for the responses. Neither are in Lebanon but the Progressive is at the co-op in Murfreesboro which is about 45 minutes (not bad).

Anyone else?

 

[kaykay]

well im for sure a beliver in purina horse feeds. equine jr and sr and horsemans edge. that is all the horses here get

none of these are sweet feeds. congrats on getting them off the sugar feeds! your horses will thank you for it

 

[Hosscrazy]

I have all my horses on a low sugar/low starch diet, which includes soaked/rinsed grass hay, Mountain Sunrise timothy pellets and LMF Lo Carb Complete. I try to keep the NSC levels at 15% or under. Note: my horses are non-performance horses.

Below is a list of common feeds and their NSC (non-structural carbohydrate) levels:

LMF - Low Carb Complete Stage 1 - 11% or less

LMF Senior - 30%

FARNAM:

Platform Senior - 16.1%

BLUE SEAL:

Vintage Gold - 32%

Vintage Mare Foal - 33%

Vintage Senior - 20%

Vintage Racer - 30%

Vintage Sweet - 35%

Vintage Victory 36%

Demand - 26%

Contender - 34%

Hunter - 33%

Trotter - 25%

Sport 40%

Strider - 42%

Charger - 39%

Pacer - 48%

Rider - 44%

Horse 10 - 45%

POULIN:

Senior 31.3%

MVP - 17.4% (27% protein)

Stablemate 14 complete - 16.3%

Endure 10:12 - 33.7%

Endure 10:8 - 33.9%

Carb Safe - 10% or less

SEMINOLE Happy Hoof - 15%

Sterett Low Carb Complete (pelleted - hay) - 8.6%

TRIPLE CROWN:

10% performance - 41.5%

14% performance - 38.2%

Complete 21.7%

Senior - 15.7%

Growth - 19.8%

Low Starch - 15.0%

Lite - 15.9%

12% - 29.7%

PURINA:

Horse Chow 100 - 16%

Horse Chow 200 - 18%

Strategy - 28%

Omelene 100 - 40.5%

Equine Adult - 20%

Equine Jr - 23%

Equine Sr - 22%

Complete Advantage 22.9% (beet pulp based)

Nature Essentials (Mare & Main) supplement - 16% (protein about 12-14%)

Nature Essentials Born to Win 16% (but 32% protein)

NUTRENA -

SafeChoice - 28% (12% sugar, 16% starch)

 

[chandab]

Thanks for the responses. Neither are in Lebanon but the Progressive is at the co-op in Murfreesboro which is about 45 minutes (not bad).

Anyone else?

When the Progressive Rep isn't coming my way, I can pick it up in town (60 miles from here - when the store is open - he's closed at the moment for spring seeding).

[60 miles is my closest feed store].

 

[Frankie]

:aktion033: TSC

They all now carry Platform, a complete pellet and my horses have done sooooooooo good since being switched to it.

4 different kind

They look and feel so much better.

 

[whitney]

I use Buckeyes "Gro N Win" very similar to Progressive

 

[Greystone]

I went to the TSC site which took me to the Platform site. Unfortunately there is molasses in it. Am I being unreasonable or too picky?

 

[whitney]

NOT IMHO. Sugar serves NO purpose in a horses diet. Unless you have a skinny picky eater.

 

[chandab]

I went to the TSC site which took me to the Platform site. Unfortunately there is molasses in it. Am I being unreasonable or too picky?

It can be difficult to find a horse feed, especially pelleted feeds without at least a little molasses added, it is often used as a binder to help hold the pellets together.

There are products out there that use little to no molasses, you just have to look for them. Usually, the ration balancers will have the least amount of molasses (likely, none at all); there are several companies that make a ration balancer. I don't know what they are all called, but...

Buckeye makes Grow N Win

Purina make Born to Win (and I think Mare and Maintenance)

Progressive makes 3; one for alfalfa, one for grass and a hi-fat formula

Seminole = Balancer, Pennfield = Allphase Balancer, Triple Crown = TC Lite or TC-12 or TC-30

This is by no means a complete list, but should help with finding one in your area.

 

[Leeana]

I feed Equine Jr & Adult.

Harley & Lexus get Jr.

Royal, Coco & Joey get Adult.

I've been pretty happy with it. You can never go wrong with a complete feed! They look very nice and healthy, plus i feel better knowing there getting all the things they need. I use to feed 12% and 10% SweetFeed but i stopped because i wanted to try out Equine Jr/Adult on them and after going through 1 bag of that ....i was satisified with it. The extra money (in my eyes) is worth it.

Leeana H.

 

[Marty]

Dianna when my local Purina dealer bit the dust a few years ago I started my horses on co-op feed. Within a few short weeks my horses looked horrible. I sent my labels to Robin C to have a look for me and let's just say that I will NEVER buy anything from co-op here again. Now I travel a good ways to the next closest dealer.

Recently I posted ?????about Purina Born to Win and I was amazed at how many people use that to avoid the sweet and starches. I'm not sold on it just yet as I have to train my brain for the whole concept again as to understand that it is not grain, but a ration balancer.

 

[SILVER]

Hi Greystone, good thread

I seen a reply from kaykay that she is a strong believer in Purina products. We too have a purina dealer in the area and am wondering how anyone, or kaykay feel about the Purina Junior Developer. Has anyone else used it?

 

[Cowboy's my baby]

I switched my boy to Buckeye Grow'n'Win and he's doing awesome on it. Buckeye has a whole assortment of different feeds all designed to meet specific needs. I get to speak to a horse nutritionist who came out to see my boy and recommended what he needed, how much, etc. It's wonderful.

 

[Hosscrazy]

Don't forget, it's not just sugar you're looking at - you need to look at total sugars and carbs. The best place to learn about this is:

SaferGrass.org

Liz R.