Thinking about switching to whole oats VS Omelene 200?

[Taylor Jo]

I have had my horses on Omelene 200 for a little over a year now and it does ok but as you know it's got a lot of molasses in it and they have changed they're forumla, which is fine I don't have a problem w/ that but my horses are gaining weight and it could be because of the summer pasture too. However, I had been thinking about putting them on whole oats and taking them off the molasses feed and feeding them something more natural. Any input? I mentioned it to my stepdaughter who has biggy's and she said her advice was to make sure I supplemented them w/ vitamins and minerals cause the Omelene comes w/ that and the oats doesn't. Any input would be appreciated.

Also, should I wait till I get back from Nationals to change my feeding program? I'd hate to switch and have a disaster,,,,,, OR do I have enough time between now and then to make the change. I have 2 1/2 bags of Omelene left and I go through those in about 3 weeks. Thanks, TJ

 

[MiniatureEscapades]

How much Om200 are you feeding? maybe before you switch to another feed, if you're worried about weight, try cutting back with what you have. I'm not sure just switching over to plain oats would be a good plain as oats has less protein then a processed feed. Oats: 11.5% protein & Om200: 14% protein, so for a horse doing moderate to intense work for every 1.5lbs of Om200 you feed them they would need about 4lbs of Oats to make up for it. There would also be a significant loss of the other minerals, and nutrients a working or growing horse would need. Here comes in supplements. A young horse would need different supplements than a working horse would, and a different amount of those supplements. With other feeds most of the time all you would need to do is change the amount being fed.

However, if you want something more natural, you might look into Nature’s Essentials ENRICH 32 or Nature’s Essentials ENRICH 12. They advertise them as supplements but they are also regular feed. ENRICH 32 is supposed to be really good for pony's,and insulin resistant horses and is supposed to cut hyperactivity as well.

 

[Anne ABC]

[SIZE=12pt]Another thing you might consider is a pelleted feed by the name of "CROSSROADS" it is made by Purina but does not carry their label, I am told. I believe it is a complete diet, 12% protein and the horses we use it on love it and do very well. Less expensive than Omelene also[/SIZE].

 

[muffntuf]

Switching within 6 weeks of a National show? Hmmm. Do you weigh your grain? Do you know the weight of your minis? Do you know the ratio they are supposed to have?

The other comments are correct, Omolene 200 has additives, including a protein pellet I believe. IMHO I would weight to switch, just adjust what they are fed now, pull them off the pasture over night, or increase their activity by adding a play time out in the pasture, where you push them around for 30 minutes.

Take care! Good Luck!

 

[uwharrie]

I have been feeding Strategy for about 8 months now with great results. It has less molasses than the "sweet" feeds and my "easy keepers" are maintaining great weight

 

[~Lisa~]

Whole oats is a great feed when fed wtih good quality hay. I think it will be fine to switch however if you have halter horses I would wait until after Nationals and cut back on the pasture time if you have a dry lot turn them out there

AS far as the minerals and vitamins that come in grains.. you have to remember if you are not feeding the bag recommended amounts they are not getting what they need daily. Most of us do not feed enough to ensure our horses get what they need and should supplment with a vitamin /mineral anyway. So that would not be a deciding factor for me.

many feel a trace block covers that however .. if you look at the ingredients it is only a few percent minerals and over 90 percent plain salt

 

[Taylor Jo]

Great feed back. Thanks so much. I don't weigh their grain, I weigh their hay. My 30" weighs did weigh 175 lbs but has gained weight now and 34" did weigh 200 lbs but has gained weight now yearling geldings are getting 1 cup grain in the morning a and 2 cups grain with 2 cups wet beets at night. They get 1/4 lb of hay in the early morning cause they don't get out to pasture till 8 or so, depends like this morning I worked them out so the day's I work them out they don't get out to pasture till 9. I usually work them out 3 day's a work or try to. My 32" 225 lbs mare is getting 1 cup grain in the morning and 1 cup grain and 2 cups beets at night. The yearlings get a 1/2 lb of hay at night.

My other 33.25 weighs 200 lbs but I think he's ok, gelding gets 2 1/4 cups of grain in the morning and 2 1/4 cups of grain and 3 cups of beets at night. He's gets 1/2 lb of hay in the morning and 1/2 lb of hay at night. He's VERY hard to keep weight on and I have found this works really well for him these amounts, he drives and burns a lot of energy doing it. I tried to cut back and he lacked a lot of energy, I put him back up and he's doing much better. I think he's ok he just needs to be worked out and some muscle put on him.

I take them off the pasture at 3-330 in the afternoon and barn them for the night. They play a lot in the pasture, do a lot of running and chasing each other as well. There are none of the other brands that you mentioned here in town. I live in HOKEYVILLE........... It's Omelene or nothing, well there's Platform which I used to feed w/ the Omelene but I took them off of that. Oh yea and they have STOCK feed which a lot of farmers use here and I don't want to use that.

 

[wpsellwood]

Maybe cut back on the beet pulp?? I know thats what I do too.

I was comparing labels on omelene 200 (which I love and use) with this sweet feed and I dont know whats it even called. But they are so close with the exception of the protein omelene 200 14 percent, this other sweet feed 12 percent. The omelene is 16.99 a bag, sweet feed from Big R is 7.99??? wont change this year but am thinking about next year.

 

[Taylor Jo]

Ok, so just go ahead and stay w/ the Omelene then is what your all saying. They are doing good on it like I said I was just looking for something a little bit more natural and less fattning. Brenda I'll take your advice and cut back the beet pulp good idea. All except Oreo he's doing fine on his 3 cups of beets, if I drop him he'll start to loose weight and I don't need that. Man I wish that I could find a feed that was more reasonable, I can't even imagine your feed bill, I choke at mine, I really at yours. TJ

 

[Minimor]

well, I'm one that would have no problem in switching to the plain oats...because that's what I always feed anyway.

I don't know what the recommended amounts are for Omalene 200...but given the suggested amounts on other similar products I suspect that you're feeded less than the recommended amount, which means the vitamins/minerals your horses are getting from the product are not sufficient. I wouldn't worry about having to give them a vitamin/mineral supplement if you switch them to oats, because they probably should be on that supplement already.

If you've got good hay and/or pasture they would do very well on oats. I personally wouldn't even have a problem switching them now, just because I've seen horses gain or lose an obvious amount of weight in 2 weeks--6 weeks would be enough for me to find the right balance & have the horse in the right shape--but when the feeding program is new to you it might be best to wait until after Nationals to switch.

 

[Taylor Jo]

Thanks Minimor, I do have good hay and good pasture. I have one horse, my driving horse on vit and minerals. I'll have to look at the calorie (sugar) content of oats, I really would like to go more natural. I'll have to wait till they finish they're grain and then decide what I'm going to do I guess. I'm just not thrilled w/ giving them all those calories and cutting them back to almost nothing, my boy's NEED grain to grow as they're only yearlings and I'm concerned with the small amounts that it impedes it. However, if I put them on oats they may be able to have more bulk and more calories w/ less sugar. At least that's what I'm hoping. TJ

 

[Echo Acres]

I agree a little in all directions. Here is a thought. I was one that fought it, but realized it is so true. You can't always feed all of your horses the same food. Now I know some people go over board (in my opinion) feed each age something different and end up with 10 different kinds of feed.

We had a Purina rep come out and talk to us and he was a lot of help. Here is what we decided on feeding. I feed our stallion, a gelding, and a brood mare who has foundered 1/2 whole oats and 1/2 enriched 32. Our stallion is not hard to keep weight on and my gelding looks at food and gains weight. Also to give you an idea they all get different amounts. The stallion gets 3/4 cup of each and beet pulp. The gelding gets 1/2 cup oats and 1/4 cup enriched 32. The mare gets 1 1/4 cup oats and 3/4 cup enriched 32 and beet pulp. Now for our other horses. We also feed Omolene 200 and have liked what it has done for our horses. The other ones get 1/2 200 and 1/2 oats or 1/2 enriched 32. Some of these only get 1 cup of food per serving to 1 1/2. They also get beet pulp. This year our horses have looked their best on this program. I really like what we are feeding and every one seems fine energy wise even with being worked 3-5 times a week 20 minutes a time. We are using this on yearlings to 11 year old horses.

My biggest suggestion is I would not totally redo your feed program before nationals. You could really regret it. Also not sure where you live but here in MN our horses start to change now as it gets cooler so we have to watch and maybe adjust feed quantities. I for one thing never give our show horses pasture. They are all on dry lots and get quality alfalfa hay. Grass really does give them a belly. I noticed it really well when we sent a mare out for breeding. She came back with a huge belly. After a couple of weeks she was back to normal. Same with a mare that came in for breeding. In the week she was here and fed grass hay rather than pasture her belly went down.

The enriched 32 is a great way to ensure your horse is getting the vitamins they need. In my opinion oats in itself is not enough for a horse who is exercised on a regular basis. Especially a driver.

I think you have a good basis, just maybe need to tweak it a little. I would also start with less beet pulp.

Question for you...why do your horses get different amounts of grain in the morning and evening?

 

[Marty]

The last thing I would be doing right now before Nationals would be changing a thing. Its too close and you don't know what you will end up with. I would tread very softly right now about any significant changes. Your horse will loose weight there most likely before your eyes after the trip there and just being there so I wouldn't sweat it.

The Enrich products from Purina mentioned is not exactly in the catagory of "horse feed". It is a ration balancer which means it is a selection of vitamins and minerals in pellet form, a supplement. It can in fact stand alone for a horse on maintenence with hay/roughage or be fed in conjunction with grain ( and roughage) if your horse needs extra protein. Its quite pricey now about $22.00 a bag or so but if you aren't feeding a herd, it may be a nice efficient way to go.

Read over what Lisa said about your Omelene. Read the back of the bag where it tells you that you have to feed their recommended amount to ensure your horse is getting the vitamins and minerals promised. It will tell you straight up that it provides 14% protein and 100% of the required vitamins and minerals when fed as directed. You aren't getting nearly any of that because it is several pounds. Since you cannot feed that much to a mini, your horse is getting only a fraction of what supplements are in the bag, an insignificant amount. The way to ensure your horse is getting what you want him to be getting in the line of supplements would be to put him on a ration balancer which most brands to carry (and are different) or provide a broad spectrum vitamin and/or free choice minerals. Oats are also high in starch and sugars and require a supplement of some kind.

 

[5StarRanch]

OK, here is my input on the deal.............

I work for a Purina dealership. I believe that some of thier foods are very good, and for the right situations, are exactly what the horse needs. Equine Sr is amazing for Sr horses, hard keepers, horses that have digestive disorders, etc. Omolene, Athlete, etc are all great feeds..........but, here is my opinion.

I have studied dog nutrition for about ten years (I also show dogs) and have come to the conclusion years ago that the best diet for a dog is a natural diet. What they would have eaten in the wild. Raw meat, bones, innards, greens, etc. This has worked amazing and I would never switch them back. Now, I have also studied human nutrition. The healthiest foods for us are unprocessed meats, veggies, fruits, legumes, etc. So..............what makes us think that the more processed foods are healthier for our horses? I just brought a mini stud home on a lease for the summer. He was on nothing but pasture grass when I got him. I put him on a heavy training schedule, therefore fed a food that was supposed to give him plenty of energy. This is a processed, pelleted food. He was lazy, would fall over jumps, didn't want to trot, had a horrible attitude in his stall, pasture and working. Tried different methods, nothing worked. I took him off of this pelleted feed, out him on whole oats and barley, with a good liquid amino acid supplement. Within one week he would greet you with his ears up, is happy to work, has plenty of energy, etc. NOW....this feed that I was feeding, I have seen it work awesome on some horses, but not for him. I for one, am going to try the "natural" approach with my horses and see what happens.

 

[~Lisa~]

After thinking about this thread... I am going to go back to whole oats. I will still have some horses that need something added to that I have 3 hard keepers so I will continue to add the safe choice (of course less) to their ration but really all my horses always look their best on whole oats with the exception of our 25 or close to it pony she looks amazing on safe choice and Sr feeds just do not do the same thing for her

 

[minih]

Ok, here is another opinion

which if you are talking about feeding you will get lots! Are you talking about your show horses or just your pasture pets, or breeding stock?

My show horses get a good quality of feed, hay( I consider this to be Omalene 200), vitamins, the whole kit and kaboodle since I ask so much from them. The exercise and travel demands a lot on their bodies.

Our pasture pets---we switched last Fall over to plain whole oats with a good quality free choice hay and some of our usual fatties are looking a lot better this summer and I am sure it is easier on them handling the heat not having the extra pounds.

Our broodmares we give plain whole oats until the last trimester and then I start them on what we feed, Omalene 200.

Stallions---for them it is backwards, they get Omalene 200 in the summer while breeding and running the fence, then I switch them over to plain whole oats when they settle down for winter and start to add pounds.

All pastures have access to free choice Moorman's minerals (sp?)

 

[Katiean]

When we were on the race track (Standard Breds in the 70's) our horses were fed 1 flake of alfalfa, 1 flake of oat hay and a 2lb coffee can of oats. on race day we added a handfull of cracked corn. They were fed this 2x's a day. It got them around the track and no one was thin.

 

[Alex]

You are feeding such small amounts that if you switched to oats you would not have this problem but I have founf that when you get to a certian amount of whole oats that the horses stop digesting them. I have a mare that was at about 6 cups of whole oats and I noticed she would pass some, whole, undigested. I bumped her oat amount down and upped her pelleted feed and the problem went away. You can also feed crimped, rolled, steamed etc oats that helps the horse digest them. Steamed oats are partially cooked , and rolled and crimped oats have their husks broken in different ways for digestability. But whole oats are my preferance so I continue to use them.

If these horses were mine I would get them on oats, but not before nationals. I would wait just in case. Also, as said,

Get them on a vitamin/ mineral supplement too.

As for Purinas "Natures Essentials", I for sure would not consider that a natural feed. It is another questionable feed by Purina, IMO,that I would never feed to a horse. I was very disgusted when I found out what Purina is willing to put in their feed. Very appaling, and with their just as disgusting marketing strategies, purina feeds would not be found anywhere around my animals. No flames please... Just my opinion.

 

[Little Indian Acres]

As for Purinas "Natures Essentials", I for sure would not consider that a natural feed. It is another questionable feed by Purina, IMO,that I would never feed to a horse. I was very disgusted when I found out what Purina is willing to put in their feed. Very appaling, and with their just as disgusting marketing strategies, purina feeds would not be found anywhere around my animals. No flames please... Just my opinion.

I share a similar opinion. I have this theory on Purina. If they will advertise that they did a study showing that Dog Chow increases your dogs life by so many years, then they will say anything. If this study existed, my theory is that the other test matter must have been cardboard.

I don't feed Purina anything if I can help it, and just when I get close to doing it, that Dog Chow commercial comes on and there turns my stomach again.

I do take advantage when I get free coupons etc from them for feeding the squirrels etc.

 

[Taylor Jo]

Well I have decided NOT to do it before Nationals and I did bump my horses grain back up to the amounts I was feeding them (for my yearlings) before and lowered the beet pulp, cause they are growing. I just took them off the pasture sooner. I have no dry lot here and they can't sit in a barn stall all day I feel as they do play out in the pasture and move around and run, in a stall all day they'd just lay around and get fat. Well, EVER SINCE I have put them on the "new" Purina they have gotten fat. I didn't have trouble with the "OLD" Omelene 200 before. Their weight was fine. It's just ever since they've added they're whatever it is to it. I was NOT happy when they did that. However, it's NOT like I have a lot of choices here in toolyville. Trouble is here where I live they tend to ADD CORN to everything and I avoid it. So I'll probably switch to oats when I get home and put them "all" on a good supplement. I want to thank you all for such a wonderful thread I have learned a great deal and I want to thank you for all your valuable input and sharing I sincerely appreciate it.

TJ