Disneyhorse,
I don't post on the forum very often, but I would like to give you my findings on the Platform feed. I was one of the very first feeders on the trial. In fact, the bay pinto on the bag is one of my stallions.
I, as you might know, have all-around performance horses. I ask a lot of my horses, and I too work them VERY hard in their trainning program. I am talking that it is not unsual for my horses to drive many MILES down the road, most of it at a huge ground covering trot. Not to mention their jumping and other training they also get. Before I was on the feed trial, my horses were feed Merit performance feed, beet pulp, alfalfa, BOSS as well as other additives. My performance "under" horses were getting anywhere from 3 to 5 pounds of grain a day, plus good bermuda hay and additional alfalfa hay. The Over horses got the same hay and 4 to 6 pounds of grain. My ponies stallion that are constantly on the move, breeding and training got 6 to 10 pounds of grain.
Now, they looked great and were very healthy on the old feed. I was approached to be on the trial and I was skeptical, but I gave it a try.
Now, my horses have been on the Platform feed since February 2006 and I couldn't be happier with the feed. I would have NEVER thought that my horses would look good on such a small amount of grain. Most of my show horses are getting about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of grain. Even horses that were needing several pounds to maintain they're weight. In fact, I had my over gelding and my over mare that used to get 6 pounds of grain a day down to 2 pounds at Nationals. That same gelding is now down to 1 1/2 pounds of grain as of now and is actually heavier than I want him for showing. I figure when we start picking up our driving around here (it's been really cold still) the extra weight will come off and I might have to increase his grain with increased activity. The other horses look great.
Now, I don't cheat the feed and use a bunch of different things with it. I only feed the Platform and good hay. I also limit their hay, they do not have it in front of them all the time. All my horses that are on the Platform feed have reduced the amount of grain that they need to keep them by at least half and often more than half of the old grain that I mixed. Their coats are better, they are retaining their color better thoughout the year and their attitudes are better. They are not so grumpy or grouchy with each other. And they have tons of "GO", all the stamina you could want, are bright and alert and totally fit.
The other thing I noticed, is that it did effect the "fat" storage on ALL my horses. I have a mare with a lovely neck that I never sweat, the Platform feed reduced fat storage on her neck that I really didn't think was there. Several of my show horses and MANY of my breeding stock lost "fat" storage places that they were carrying on the neck, withers, around the tail head and the chest and shoulders. It was very noticeable on broodmares than have been broodmares for years and have that little "extra" they can get. The only change in their world was the change of the grain. I didn't start working them, or sweating them, it just came off and the mares looked great.
And, again, my horses are worked hard. At 2006 Nationals, ALL of my halter/performance horses that I showed all TOP-TEN'd, Many TOP-FIVE's and one Res. Championed. So they had to have looked good and they had to have driven well. All on a fraction of the grain they used to get. I have some pictures of horse if you would like to see them I can tell you excatly how much grain they were getting at show time. (I just an not very good at posting them...)
So, that is what my horses had done on the Platform feed. I love results, love the way my horses look and lucky me....it is easy to feed and less work for me!
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