I have fed Buckeyes GRO N WIN ration balancer for over 2 years and LOVE it but..................
Triple Crown 30 has a better vit/min analysis, its lower in fat and it has the following: (this feed is the same price as the Gro N Win.
TRIPLE CROWN HORSE FEEDS
EQUIMIX® TECHNOLOGY
Equimix® is a unique blend of supplements that is found only in Triple Crown® feeds. Equimix® inclusion in the feed eliminates the need for much of the additional supplementation that many horse owners use to enhance performance or condition of their horses. The supplements we incorporate are not only cutting-edge products, but also some products that are proven by years of research and feeding experience.
ORGANIC MINERALS:
Organic minerals (also called proteinate or chelated minerals) are mineral salts chemically bonded to a protein/amino acid complex. Equimix utilizes 6 different organic minerals; Magnesium, Potassium, Iron, Zinc, Manganese, and Copper. Normal minerals are usually added into feeds or supplements in the form of oxides or sulfates. Their form limits the digestibility of both these mineral salt forms, oxides more than sulfates. In the organic form, the minerals are recognized as an organic substance by the digestive system and digestion is improved by as much as 50%. In fact, by combining the mineral to the right protein complex, you can target specific body tissues that will benefit the most by the mineral addition. Our Bioplex® minerals are actually bonded to 2 or more amino acids, improving absorption over single amino acid or saccharine bonds.
Research has proven that organic minerals are associated with improved stress and heat resistance, reproductive performance, and energy utilization during exercise. Organic copper and zinc, specifically, have been shown to reduce structural disorders in growing horses and improve hair and hoof quality.
Feed companies who include organic minerals do not provide 100% of the mineral source in the organic form, primarily because of cost. Many may use as little as 5% or 10%. Triple Crown Nutrition utilizes 40% or more of the added mineral as organic.
KELP MEAL:
Kelp meal is a source of natural organic minerals, such as boron, chromium and vandium. Research has indicated that these micro trace minerals are required by the horse in extremely small amounts to maintain structural soundness and to improve protein and energy utilization.
LIVE YEAST CULTURES:
All Triple Crown feeds include live strains of Yea-Sacc® 1026, an equine specific yeast culture proprietary to Alltech. Research supports the fact that yeast is very beneficial to improve fiber digestion and increase protein utilization while helping to stabilize cecal and colon pH. Added advantages are increased digestibility and retention of calcium and phosphorus. For breeding operations, yeast cultures favorably alters the nutrient composition of milk, improves the efficiency of mare diets in converting feed to foal tissues, and maintains structural integrity in pregnant and lactating mares. For foals, it strengthens growing bones and accelerates weight gain while maintaining linear growth. Yeast cultures are also the base of many of the other digestive improvements included as part of the total Equimix package.
DIGESTIVE BACTERIA:
The fiber, primarily pasture and hay, that your horse eats is converted into energy by a fermentation process in the hindgut (large intestine and cecum). The microbes that are responsible for the fermentation process convert the fiber into volatile fatty acids. Changes in internal body temperatures and pH levels caused by stress, heat, and diet changes constantly challenge the microbial population in the hindgut. An unhealthy microbial population is a common cause of digestive upsets such as loose stools, hay bellies, poor weight maintenance and colic. Supplemental digestive bacteria have been specifically selected to improve digestion in the hindgut to help prevent digestive upsets. Constantly fed, probiotics have proven to be much more effective than products that you dose only during periods of stress.
DIGESTIVE ENZYMES:
The grain portion of a horse's diet is important to provide protein, calories, vitamins and minerals that the horse cannot get on pasture and hay alone. The amount of grain needed depends on many factors such as the horse's individual metabolism, level of activity, age, and type of forage available. Sometimes the volume of grains required for performance or body condition can overwhelm the small intestine. If undigested grain hits the hindgut, it can drastically increase the potential of colic or laminitis (founder). Research indicates that the addition of specific enzymes can increase the digestibility of oat and barley starch in the diet. The combination of enzyme supplementation and feeding management can reduce the chance of digestive upsets. For feeding management, do not feed more than 0.5% of body weight in feed per feeding and allow a minimum of 4 hours between feedings.
YUCCA EXTRACT:
One of the most common feeding errors is over feeding protein. A small amount of protein is converted to energy, but much of the excess protein produces high levels of ammonia in the large intestine. Ammonia absorbed into the blood inhibits performance due to increased joint unsoundness, abnormal electrolyte balance, decreased immune response, and poor energy metabolism. The yucca extract binds with the ammonia and passes it out through the feces not allowing absorption into the bloodstream and subsequent release through the urine. A beneficial side effect of reducing urine output of ammonia is air quality. This reduces irritation to the horse's respiratory tract and reduces complications with air passage disorders. Also, elimination of excess ammonia through the urine increases urine output requiring more water consumption.
Bio-Mos®:
Horses are constantly exposed to pathogenic bacteria such as E. Coli and Salmonella. When they are exposed to a high enough dose of these bacteria and/or the immune system is not functioning adequately, they become infected. Bi-Mos® is a proprietary mannan-oligossacharide (MOS) which is a yeast derivative. There are over 200 feeding trials indicating that Bio-Mos® has benefits associated with these types of challenges. Bio-Mos® has also been shown to aid in increasing the hors's immune system activity, thereby making him less susceptible to other forms of disease as well. In Europe, where traditional antibiotics have been essentially banned from livestock feed, Bio-Mos® is being used to support herd health and growth levels similar or superior to antibiotics. Bio-Mos® provides a particular advantage to young horses, geriatric horses, or horses under stress. A recent study at the University of Florida has shown that addition of Bio-Mos® in the broodmare diet has increased Immunoglobulin levels in colostrums fed to foals by 30% to 50%
MTB-100â„¢:
Grain traveling through normal channels of commerce is often tested for the presence of mycotoxins so people, livestock and horses remain safe. However, University research has demonstrated that mycotoxins are also found in about 80% of the hay that are capable of triggering a colic epidemic or simply robbing your horse of condition and performance. It is the presence of low mycotoxin levels in your horse's diet that can be so damaging because you probably don't know they are there. Many times we do not realize that the slight decline in our horse's appearance, condition and/or performance is a result of low levels of mycotoxin ingestion. A team of University and industry experts at Alltech have developed MTB-100â„¢, which is now available to be added to livestock and equine diets. Research on MTB-100â„¢ has shown that it can bind with many mycotoxins commonly found in equine diets. The result is to help allow your horse to remain safe and healthy and able to look and perform at optimal levels.
With the addition of Equimix®, it provides an extra layer of nutrition and insurance not found in any other horse feed. If your not providing your horses with these cutting edge products, you're not really giving them the best chance to perform to the top of their ability.
So as soon as my barn is back to acting normally (been dealing with stomach problems for over 2 months) I will be switching.