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 Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
  
Location: the high desert | I have been considering switching to total equine as it sounds like a great feed and definitely has some good results and really seems to put a good bloom and top line on a horse, which is something my mare is lacking in. But it seems like people either love it or absolutely hate it.... am I missing something? |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1035
Location: TN | I've never fed it but the friends I know who did had trouble keeping weight on their horses. One friend couldn't get her horse to gain on it and two other friends had good looking horses that started loosing weight and got dull Haircoats. They looked much better after switching back to a regular horse feed. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1029
Location: TX | I had three horses on it for approx 7 months, mine all started looking bad. At first the representative said it's just transition form "fat" to "fit". When they continued to loose weight, he told me I needed to add a cup of corn oil. I was feeding more than the recommended amount. Didn't work for me. |
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 A Barrel Of Monkeys
Posts: 12972
 
Location: Texas | Look at the ingredients - it's 20% fiber and it's first ingredient is alfalfa hay.
Why not just feed alfalfa hay and a vitamin mineral tub? I'm sure it would be a lot cheaper.
Sorry-I just see it as an expensive gimmick. |
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Veteran
Posts: 264
| Friend switched all her horses to Total Equine, every single one of them became spooky psychos. Pulled them off and they went back to being laid back and relaxed. |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | Fun2Run - 2015-02-18 10:27 PM Look at the ingredients - it's 20% fiber and it's first ingredient is alfalfa hay.
Why not just feed alfalfa hay and a vitamin mineral tub? I'm sure it would be a lot cheaper.
Sorry-I just see it as an expensive gimmick.
I couldn't agree more.  |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 415
| Guess I'll be the odd duck out and say I loved it...filled out my geldings top line awesome! |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | turnedout - 2015-02-19 12:21 AM Friend switched all her horses to Total Equine, every single one of them became spooky psychos. Pulled them off and they went back to being laid back and relaxed.
Must be some cocaine in there.. if it will do it to people, it will do it to horses.. |
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  Fact Checker
Posts: 16572
Location: Displaced Iowegian | We bought 500# several years ago to try and our horses wouldn't eat it......we finally had to buy sweet feed to mix with it to get it gone.....expensive and not worth it....JMO |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1182
Location: Do I hear Banjos? | Like any feed...it works well for some horses and maybe not for others. Depends on the horse and the situation.
I have a 26 year old retired barrel horse gelding. Started having trouble keeping weight on him. (teeth floated etc..just happened with age). I went to Triple Crown Senior and he improved somewhat. But quit that feed when the bags became so inconsistent (dripping with oil one time...dry the next and some with a bunch of corn)
Put him on Total equine as the extruded diets are just more digestible. Thought what the heck. He also gets FORCO.
Here a few months later and in the winter...and he looks great. Filled out and gained back to the point he looks like a much younger version of himself. He is clearly more able to utilize the nutrients in the extruded diet and with the aid of the FORCO as well.
So...while it may not be to the liking of some...it has worked extremely well for my old guy. And no...he doesn't act like a crack head on it. He is his usual self...mellow and happy. |
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Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | Ah I see. This is why I'm so on the fence to try it or not to try it. The two horses that I have seen in person on total equine look great and have nice top lines. One of the horses is my mares sire and he looks really good, so since they share the same genetics maybe she would do good on it?? I hate switching feeds. About a month ago I switched from renew gold because she just wasn't looking all that great, really bristley dull winter coat, was a bit ribby and wasn't shedding at all. Switched to purina enrich plus and she definitely looks better, started shedding like crazy, coat got super soft and shinny and her top line is starting to fill in some. I also added pure lysine to her feed. So while my mare is looking better, I'm still wondering if maybe there is something better out there that would really give me some results. I want her to look like one of those horses that have a big ol creased butt and top line but I'm starting to think she may just not be built or have that kind of muscle to look that way. |
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 Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | I've tried to put my barrel horse on something else 4 different times and every time his feet have fallen apart.
His energy levels are better on other feeds which is the main reason I tried to switch. It doesn't do a great job of keeping weight on in comparison to other feeds - in that regards it's not cheap to feed.
The rest of mine are on Strategy. |
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Unable to Live Without Chocolate or Coffee
Posts: 1841
| I quit wasting money on feeds and supplements. I get my hay tested then buy what I need.
Just feeding whatever seems like a gamble to me. Working with a nutritionist or vet will save you in the long run. IMO.
I've never used total equine but seems pretty gimmicky to me. Very heavy advertising makes me wonder....
Edited by camocowgirl 2015-02-19 1:36 PM
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 Husband Spoiler
Posts: 4151
Location: North Dakota | I stopped feeding grain and just started to feed a high quality alfalfa (or alfalfa pellets) and my horses have never looked better. A horse that has never had a topline and always had that tent back after a few weeks on some great alfalfa he blossomed! I have never seen him look better. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | I feed Bermuda Pellets (Gelding can't have alfalfa) from Ametza along with a Vitamin tub and a few supplements for my Gelding.
My mare looks great on free choice Hay/Pasture and the pellets. She licks her bucket clean when they are soaked.
I stopped feeding Pellets. My mare was so overweight she was having trouble breathing from a few pounds a day of pellets and my gelding could eat a 5 gallon bucket full and still look skinny and scrawny. Never found a feed that worked. They weren't getting what they needed. At all.
I made the switch about 4 months ago to just hay/hay pellets and will never switch my feeding program again! Horses need a certain amount of pounds of forage a day in order to be healthy. Kind of like we need a certain amount of fruits and veggies a day to be healthy. Feeding "feed" is like feeding us only bread and water. We can survive on it, but we won't thrive on it. Took me too long to learn that. |
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 Friendly horse swapper
Posts: 4122
Location: Buffalo, TX | You are not missing anything.....I tried it about 1/1/2 yrs. ago because of the hype on RFD and I also saw my horse's looking worse....I didn't like it at all.... |
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 Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 5666
| I've never used the feed and can't imagine that I ever will. I agree that people either love it or hate it. Some of the people that love it are seeing positive results because they are feeding poor quality hay. Like was mentioned, the first ingredient is alfalfa. We feed alfalfa and have a hard time keeping weight off of our horses. I do feed a small amount of grain, but I really could quit feeding any grain at all and our horses would still look great. I agree that focusing more on the quality of the forage horses are getting would be much better when trying to get better body condition. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | I feed it and I like it. I was told it will keep them from getting hot, keep them from getting ulcers, also more of a slow burn energy as opposed to the spike, then crash, they get from more sugary feeds.
It works for my horses. I guess it's not for everyone. I don't get why anyone would hate it, though. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1182
Location: Do I hear Banjos? | Jenbabe - 2015-02-19 2:58 PM
I've never used the feed and can't imagine that I ever will. I agree that people either love it or hate it. Some of the people that love it are seeing positive results because they are feeding poor quality hay. Like was mentioned, the first ingredient is alfalfa. We feed alfalfa and have a hard time keeping weight off of our horses. I do feed a small amount of grain, but I really could quit feeding any grain at all and our horses would still look great. I agree that focusing more on the quality of the forage horses are getting would be much better when trying to get better body condition.
I assure you I do NOT feed poor quality hay. It's tested...so I know. BUT...we do not have a good source of alfalfa hay here. We just don't. So I feed the best coastal bermuda I can get as that's what is grown primarily in the area. (I drive a long way for the better stuff as it is)
So...I have 3 geldings. Two that have and continue to look fantastic on a simple program of QUALITY hay with very little grain. Just enough to make them feel they got something. And this old guy that just didn't anymore. He does look great on Total Equine. He just does. Likely he cannot utilize the nutrition from the hay as well as he used to.
So...whatever works for you...that's great. But don't assume others that have horses improve on this feed do so because they feed poor quality hay. And you say yourself you have not ever tried it. |
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 A Bit of a Grammar Nut
Posts: 1788
Location: floating down a river | I will be an odd one and say I am happy with it. Have I seen "big" results, no... However, we have great quality hay and we have good pastures. Our main reason for trying switching was for the ulcer protection and the amount me travel. My horses seem to like the taste and I have not had an issue with them being hot. We have seen more growth in their feet. |
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Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | I see, I see.... I think i will stick with what i am currently using as it does seem to be working. Im currently feeding purina enrich plus (the recommended amount) 4 cups of beet pulp (basically just enough to get her to eat her supplements, shes very picky) and rice bran. Supplement wise i am feeding FORCO, lysine and tight joints. She gets 24/7 good quality grass hay and is on pasture. I did buy a bale of alfalfa and was feeding her a flake am and pm and she became HOT and ADD like, were as before on this grain mix she was fine, so i took her off of the alfalfa. |
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Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 5666
| TrailGirl - 2015-02-19 3:25 PM
Jenbabe - 2015-02-19 2:58 PM
I've never used the feed and can't imagine that I ever will. I agree that people either love it or hate it. Some of the people that love it are seeing positive results because they are feeding poor quality hay. Like was mentioned, the first ingredient is alfalfa. We feed alfalfa and have a hard time keeping weight off of our horses. I do feed a small amount of grain, but I really could quit feeding any grain at all and our horses would still look great. I agree that focusing more on the quality of the forage horses are getting would be much better when trying to get better body condition.
I assure you I do NOT feed poor quality hay. It's tested...so I know. BUT...we do not have a good source of alfalfa hay here. We just don't. So I feed the best coastal bermuda I can get as that's what is grown primarily in the area. (I drive a long way for the better stuff as it is )
So...I have 3 geldings. Two that have and continue to look fantastic on a simple program of QUALITY hay with very little grain. Just enough to make them feel they got something. And this old guy that just didn't anymore. He does look great on Total Equine. He just does. Likely he cannot utilize the nutrition from the hay as well as he used to.
So...whatever works for you...that's great. But don't assume others that have horses improve on this feed do so because they feed poor quality hay. And you say yourself you have not ever tried it.
Whoa, I was in no way implying that you weren't feeding quality hay. But I am speaking for SOME of the horses I've seen locally. I won't be trying it because my horses don't need an alfalfa supplement. I was sharing my personal thoughts and observations, so please don't take it personally or think I am judging you. To each his own. You'll see that what I said seems to hold true with the other responses, people either love it or hate it. |
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Regular
Posts: 67
Location: TN | If I remember correctly isn't the 4th ingredient corn? I know when I switched to Total Equine my gelding got body/muscle sore. That was the only thing I changed was his grain. After 3 weeks I couldnt brush him without him flinching. Changed back to what I was feeding and he returned to normal. Anyone else have this happen? I read on a feed forum the high carb/starch (from the corn) could have caused the body/muscle soreness. |
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 Double Standards Don't Fly
Posts: 1283
Location: At the barn | I have fed it for I guess going on 5 years now. I also have friends and family, 4 other barns, that started using it when I switched. My 30 yo hotbred gelding gained about 300lbs on it and would have been long dead had I not switched as he had stopped coming up at feeding time. He wouldn't eat grain at all. After I switched he would be standing at his feed tub pawing the ground at feeding time.
I've seen it put top lines on horses that nothing else would. It also maintained body condition on my horses that were in heavy heavy training. I'm talking 8 hour days in cattle and also heavy roping.
As for it making horses hot, well my very high strung 1d mare totally chilled out after I switched her. And she performs better than ever.
I've got everything from young stallions to brood mares and performance horses and seniors on it. And my horses always look better than anyone's when I haul somewhere. Slick shiny and excellent top lines.
It's also as safe of a grain as I have ever used. Meaning if I've had to make changes with my feed schedule it has not effected my horses. With other grains I was always much more cautious.
It's an excellent feed and real really performs well.
And I feed first class hay.
Edited by trotncowpony 2015-02-21 4:52 AM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 618
| Tried it. Mares looked good. Geldings looked terrible! I've recently gone grainless. Feeding alfalfa (I've always fed once daily) and enrich plus, pasture turnout. Grass is dead right now so I do throw out Bermuda mid day. It's been about 30 days and my horses look amazing. I really researched and talked with my vet bc I was worried about my hard keeper dropping off but he's hasn't. My vet told me to add oil (pure fat) if he did start dropping weight, but he has blossomed! I attribute that to the increase in quality alfalfa and the enrich. It has EVERYTHING they need. I've always heard alfalfa will make a horse hot but I think their are possible other contributing factors often overlooked in those situations. My quirky gelding seems much happier and chill. My feed bill has been cut in half since switching to enrich, another plus! |
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Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | I might have to try it and see if it works. They have a corn free formula |
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10D Crack Champion
| I see Total Equine Feeds mentioned as a clinic sponsor on Charmayne James' website. Is she feeding this feed to her horses or still using the popped milo she had fed for years? I know Scamper Feed is no longer available, but she had her own personal feed made for years before she launched Scamper Feed. I also just saw her featured for a split second in the Total Equine Feed ad on RFDTV......unless I'm getting the feeds mixed up because of similar names or something.
Edited by sodapop 2015-02-22 2:19 PM
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Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | Yes, she feeds total equine now. There is a video of her talking about it on total equines website. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1526
Location: Texas | I do not like it and neither do the horses |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Took the to line right off my horse and it has taken a long time to correct it. The young horses looked good, but I wasn't riding them. |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas | Fun2Run - 2015-02-18 10:27 PM Look at the ingredients - it's 20% fiber and it's first ingredient is alfalfa hay.
Why not just feed alfalfa hay and a vitamin mineral tub? I'm sure it would be a lot cheaper.
Sorry-I just see it as an expensive gimmick.
I agree. I've heard lots of stories about it not keeping weight on a horse, and actually made them look worse.
You'll see better results with the alfalfa hay |
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 Maine-iac
Posts: 3334
Location: Got Lobsta? | We fed it here for about 6 months. Horse's loved the taste and I was glad alfaffa was the first ingrediant. NSC is 39% which really got me worried as I wanted under 20%. As for ulcers - I switched to TE in April - in late July one horse dx with grade 3 ulcers first time ever. Didn't work for my horses - love that it is extruded feed. Now on RG. |
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 Cinnamon Honey One
Posts: 6549
Location: between here and there | This colt has been on it since he was 4 mths. old and he's now going on 2 yo. No problems at all and I think he looks pretty good. Here's a little rundown of his growth from 4 mths. and just in Jan this year. We do have good hay and pasture for the summer months.
Edited by wimpyb 2015-02-23 9:52 AM
 (Sam 4 mths 9.jpg)
 (Sam 2015.jpg)
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 Sam 4 mths 9.jpg (93KB - 162 downloads)
Sam 2015.jpg (82KB - 167 downloads)
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Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | Good looking colt WimpyB! |
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 Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | wimpyb - 2015-02-23 9:45 AM This colt has been on it since he was 4 mths. old and he's now going on 2 yo. No problems at all and I think he looks pretty good. Here's a little rundown of his growth from 4 mths. and just in Jan this year. We do have good hay and pasture for the summer months.
Very nice!! |
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 Living on the edge of common sense
Posts: 24138
Location: Carpenter, WY | I'm not into supplements in general and we feed good quality grass/alf hay. We did start feeding Total Equine early last spring to Teehaha who is 31 or 32 this year and the 5 babies and have to say I'm very pleased with the results. Teehaha is rolly polly fat on her TE and beet pulp and whatever hay she can gum down and the babies look great. No raving maniacs and can't think of anything negative to say about it. Nice looking colt Wimpy |
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Cinnamon Honey One
Posts: 6549
Location: between here and there | teehaha - 2015-02-23 1:04 PM
I'm not into supplements in general and we feed good quality grass/alf hay. We did start feeding Total Equine early last spring to Teehaha who is 31 or 32 this year and the 5 babies and have to say I'm very pleased with the results. Teehaha is rolly polly fat on her TE and beet pulp and whatever hay she can gum down and the babies look great. No raving maniacs and can't think of anything negative to say about it. Nice looking colt Wimpy
Thanks, Meg! I do think Slim did himself good with this boy! So happy with him!
My mare gets TE, too and she's done great with it. She took about 2 days to start eating it and now does great! Hope to get her settled to another Tres Seis stud this year! :) |
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Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | So it seems like the general consensus with TE is that you just have to try it for yourself and see if it works and either join the "I love it club" or the "I hate it club" |
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Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas | wimpyb - 2015-02-23 9:45 AM This colt has been on it since he was 4 mths. old and he's now going on 2 yo. No problems at all and I think he looks pretty good. Here's a little rundown of his growth from 4 mths. and just in Jan this year. We do have good hay and pasture for the summer months.
beautiful colt wimpy |
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Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | Iwish - 2015-02-23 4:21 PM So it seems like the general consensus with TE is that you just have to try it for yourself and see if it works and either join the "I love it club" or the "I hate it club"
Pretty much.
Nice colt! The horse that I have it on was started on it as an extremely small and scrawny yearly - he looked stunted he was so small. He's pushing 16 hands and easy 1300 pounds. He's huge! |
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Cinnamon Honey One
Posts: 6549
Location: between here and there | We have a great rep in our area (Indiana) that is super good at answering questions. I called him when we were all discussing the horse feed dangers. Great guy to talk to. If anyone would like to discuss this with him, I'd be more than happy to put you in touch with him. He is very good at explaining the reasoning behind the product.
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Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | I'm going to bite the bullet and try it once my current feed is gone. For those of you who switched did you actually do what the website says and not give your horse grain for 24 hours the start TE? Anytime I have switched feeds I gradually (2weeks) made a switch over, worries me to switch that quickly |
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Cinnamon Honey One
Posts: 6549
Location: between here and there | Iwish - 2015-02-23 6:18 PM
I'm going to bite the bullet and try it once my current feed is gone. For those of you who switched did you actually do what the website says and not give your horse grain for 24 hours the start TE? Anytime I have switched feeds I gradually (2weeks) made a switch over, worries me to switch that quickly
Of my 3, my mare was the pickiest. She refused to eat it the first day, nibbled at it the second and no problem from then on. I think missing a full day, would be fine. The change over for the rest was simple. The boys dug right in. If you're worried, cut the amount in half but I didn't. Good luck! |
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Career in Looney Tune Land
Posts: 1717
Location: the high desert | My are has no problem eating it, in fact she loves it (just gave her a taster sample). I was wondering more so if I should mix it with my current feed to gradually switch her over to TE or just do exactly what the website says. Can I still feed FORCO with it? |
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A Bit of a Grammar Nut
Posts: 1788
Location: floating down a river | I did what the site said and didn't feed for 24 hrs then started mine on it... No problems at all, and they all love the taste of it. |
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