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Expert
Posts: 2685
   
| So here's the thing... I feed more in volume than anyone else I know of any feed I have ever tried. I don't get it.
I have 2 "performance" horses that I feed Blue Bonnet Intensify. Supposed to be a really nice feed, its 14%p 8%fat 19%NSC has probiotics in it. One gets the recommended 5# a day. She looks fine. The other gets 7# a day (much bigger horse) and looks like poop IMO. Others say he looks fine. Just started him on FORCO, hoping its a digestion issue. I HATE feeding this much grain in volume.
I used to feed Renew Gold. Loved it, accept I had to feed both horses 2+ lbs per day to keep them looking good.
Also just added a little bit of good quality baled alfalfa twice a day.
Both have always been on free choice GOOD Bermuda hay and are now turned out on grass 24/7 with access to a GOOD grass round bale if they want. UTD on teeth and worming. I do regular fecal checks. Both have been treated for ulcers and both are on some kind of digestion supplement. The big skinny (IMO) one on FORCO and my barrel mare on SmartPak's SmartGut Ultra (only thing she doesn't go off feed with while under stress)- she also gets Omep for events.
Anywho, what the heck am I doing wrong?!
I see people only feeding 1# of RG or 3# of BB.... I can't even think about that or they start losing weight lol. My broodmares get grain a few times a WEEK lol. They are turned out on grass only and they stay fat.... My yearling looks great too.
What the heck? Its obviously something I'm doing but WHAT? |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 490
| I quit feeding RG after 4 months. 2 horses looked AWESOME on .5# a day. However, my 2 that I am running were getting 2.5#+ a day plus another 10# of chaff hay and turnout on pasture and didnt look good. I switched to Safechoice Perform and they are looking so much better after a few weeks. I did love that my ulcer prone mare was having less issues on it but was ribby and blah looking. So I decided to switch.
I have nothing against RG but for certain horses, it isnt enough. Perhaps, switching feeds may be your solution? |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | My horse is on .5 lb Renew Gold and he is PLUMP! But, 50% of his forage is alfalfa and it looks like that is what you are missing in in both your diets for those of you not pleased. He's almost too fat, so I'm thinking about switching to a ration balanced but I haven decided yet.
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Expert
Posts: 1314
Location: North Central Iowa Land of white frozen grass | Maybe you need to just go back to oats and a smaller amount of supplements. I am not a big fan of processed feed. I know how feed co. work. They use the absolute least cost ingrediants to get the numbers they need. Its all about cost to them. I manage the grain elevator here and this is what we make up for our horse people. This is a ration directly from Iowa State University Equine department.
936 # whole oats
540 # whole corn
270 # bean meal
100 # alfalfa meal
100 # liquid molasses
6 # limestone
28 # dicalcium phos
10 # trace mineral salt
10 # vitamin premix
2,000 total
we sell this for $ 10.00 a bag
I feed 2 # per hd per feeding twice a day.
Daily cost per horse is $.80 a day and they are on pasture 24/7
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 Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | Have you tested the horse for ulcers? Ran a CBC? Dewormed regularly? |
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Good Ole Boys just Fine with Me
Posts: 2869
Location: SE Missouri | BS Hauler - 2015-07-20 8:50 AM
Maybe you need to just go back to oats and a smaller amount of supplements. I am not a big fan of processed feed. I know how feed co. work. They use the absolute least cost ingrediants to get the numbers they need. Its all about cost to them. I manage the grain elevator here and this is what we make up for our horse people. This is a ration directly from Iowa State University Equine department.
936 # whole oats
540 # whole corn
270 # bean meal
100 # alfalfa meal
100 # liquid molasses
6 # limestone
28 # dicalcium phos
10 # trace mineral salt
10 # vitamin premix
2,000 total
we sell this for $ 10.00 a bag
I feed 2 # per hd per feeding twice a day.
Daily cost per horse is $.80 a day and they are on pasture 24/7
Agree with this for almost all of the companies. There are quite a few that do not least cost formulate now (fixed ration) but you gotta ask the question :) |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Hay is A HUGE thing..Most people that have issues feed just grass hay and its not enough... quality etc..for horses in training...
throw in some alfalfa..
7 lbs a day for a horse in training is Not overboard.its high end yes but some horses need more.. |
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Blessed 
Location: Here | RoaniePonie11 - 2015-07-19 9:02 PM So here's the thing... I feed more in volume than anyone else I know of any feed I have ever tried. I don't get it. I have 2 "performance" horses that I feed Blue Bonnet Intensify. Supposed to be a really nice feed, its 14%p 8%fat 19%NSC has probiotics in it. One gets the recommended 5# a day. She looks fine. The other gets 7# a day (much bigger horse) and looks like poop IMO. Others say he looks fine. Just started him on FORCO, hoping its a digestion issue. I HATE feeding this much grain in volume. I used to feed Renew Gold. Loved it, accept I had to feed both horses 2+ lbs per day to keep them looking good. Also just added a little bit of good quality baled alfalfa twice a day. Both have always been on free choice GOOD Bermuda hay and are now turned out on grass 24/7 with access to a GOOD grass round bale if they want. UTD on teeth and worming. I do regular fecal checks. Both have been treated for ulcers and both are on some kind of digestion supplement. The big skinny (IMO) one on FORCO and my barrel mare on SmartPak's SmartGut Ultra (only thing she doesn't go off feed with while under stress)- she also gets Omep for events. Anywho, what the heck am I doing wrong?! I see people only feeding 1# of RG or 3# of BB.... I can't even think about that or they start losing weight lol. My broodmares get grain a few times a WEEK lol. They are turned out on grass only and they stay fat.... My yearling looks great too. What the heck? Its obviously something I'm doing but WHAT? That isn't that much of BB. I didn't have luck with the recommended amounts of RG either
But truly don't fret about the amount of BB It has beet pulp and fiber in it as well so you aren't getting "Pure" grain weight
Edited by SG. 2015-07-20 9:36 AM
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 Expert
Posts: 5293
| Jazz's Girl - 2015-07-20 6:34 AM
I quit feeding RG after 4 months. 2 horses looked AWESOME on .5# a day. However, my 2 that I am running were getting 2.5#+ a day plus another 10# of chaff hay and turnout on pasture and didnt look good. I switched to Safechoice Perform and they are looking so much better after a few weeks. I did love that my ulcer prone mare was having less issues on it but was ribby and blah looking. So I decided to switch.
I have nothing against RG but for certain horses, it isnt enough. Perhaps, switching feeds may be your solution?
Agree on RG. Both my horses looked horrible on it. As soon as I switched they look awesome now. But I liked the concept. I am sure Winwillows will reply. He has only had 2 bags returned in 500,000 sold. But I am guessing, like me, I just finished what I had and moved to something else. I didnt return it. |
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 Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | RoaniePonie11 - 2015-07-19 9:02 PM So here's the thing... I feed more in volume than anyone else I know of any feed I have ever tried. I don't get it. I have 2 "performance" horses that I feed Blue Bonnet Intensify. Supposed to be a really nice feed, its 14%p 8%fat 19%NSC has probiotics in it. One gets the recommended 5# a day. She looks fine. The other gets 7# a day (much bigger horse) and looks like poop IMO. Others say he looks fine. Just started him on FORCO, hoping its a digestion issue. I HATE feeding this much grain in volume. I used to feed Renew Gold. Loved it, accept I had to feed both horses 2+ lbs per day to keep them looking good. Also just added a little bit of good quality baled alfalfa twice a day. Both have always been on free choice GOOD Bermuda hay and are now turned out on grass 24/7 with access to a GOOD grass round bale if they want. UTD on teeth and worming. I do regular fecal checks. Both have been treated for ulcers and both are on some kind of digestion supplement. The big skinny (IMO) one on FORCO and my barrel mare on SmartPak's SmartGut Ultra (only thing she doesn't go off feed with while under stress)- she also gets Omep for events. Anywho, what the heck am I doing wrong?! I see people only feeding 1# of RG or 3# of BB.... I can't even think about that or they start losing weight lol. My broodmares get grain a few times a WEEK lol. They are turned out on grass only and they stay fat.... My yearling looks great too. What the heck? Its obviously something I'm doing but WHAT?
How much do these horses weigh? Intensify is recommended at a higher feeding rate than Omega Force. For a 1000# horse you would be feeding about 10# a day for moderate activity. It sounds like you have an absorption/digestion issue or you they just aren't getting the right kind of forage to support the grain that they're getting. I'm not a big fan of Forco from the minimal results I've seen on it personally.
http://bluebonnetfeeds.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/172453_Intensify-Pelleted-Fab_Sht.pdf |
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 Swiffer PIcker Upper
Posts: 4015
Location: Four Corners Colorado | How do you know your Hay is good quality? Have you tested it? What do the tests look like?
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 Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | I had an appendix horse that was 15.3 1250 pounds that the vets told me to feed a minimum of 12-15 pounds per day of senior feed if he was just sitting. If he was worked 15-18 pounds. That's on top of all they mix grass hay he could eat. It took every bit of that to keep ribs from.showing.
I kept mine on Strategy for a long time,.if I didn't feed Alf cubes & rice bran they required 10-12 pounds per day plus free choice grass hay.
I have never been able to feed a minimal amount of grain/feed without feeding fat and some alfalfa. |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | Mine all get a small amount of beet pulp & alfalfa pellets (the two retired horses get 1/2 cup of each, the two performance horses get 1 cup each in the summer, two cups each in the winter - measurement is before they are soaked) and then everyone gets Horse Guard multivitamin added to it and timothy hay. I judge the amount of hay by what they're leaving behind...if i notice they're leaving behind some hay and not finishing it by the time I feed again, I will give them a little less, if I see they're pretty much licking up the ground trying to get every last bit I'll give a little more.
Mine are all fat. The two retired horses have to live on a dry lot, and even with that they are still chubby.
My mare is the only one that I ever have to worry about weight, but as long as she is eating, she is fine. If she goes off her feed I treat her for ulcers and then she's good to go again.
I don't have any pictures of them on my phone right now because I accidentally reset it to June 20, 2014 a few days ago lol but I'll maybe post some pics of what they look like after work. Maybe I'm just lucky and mine are all easy keepers, or theres something special in our water. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | Thats not an exceptionally large amount of grain. Most feeds have a recommended amount of anywhere from 4 to 12lbs and even more. As long as you're splitting it up into at least 2 meals then it shouldn't be a problem. I also can't feed just Renew Gold. I have been feeding 1lb with 2lbs oats and 4lbs alfalfa pellets per day (and of course vit/mineral supplement). My horses look FABULOUS on that. |
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 IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| 5 lbs at 8% fat is not a large amount. At one point I was feeding 12 lbs of Triple Crown Complete divided into 3 feedings which is 12% fat to one of my horses. Some just need more. If you are worried about amount break up your number of feedings.
I was having a hard time with Renew Gold on my hard keeper. I bumped him up to 2 lbs Renew Gold, 1 lb oats, and beet pulp. I do feel like he is starting to bloom again. Not where I want him, but he is gaining back what he lost in a healthy amount of time. |
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 A Lady with Fight
Posts: 2701
Location: NC | Just an FYI, you're barely feeding the minimum amount recommended for that feed. 7lbs is not much at all.
You have to feed the minimum and go up from there. If you're not feeding at least the minimum recommended, you can't expect to see results. Some horses just take more than others to keep good weight on.
And for those talking about feed quality, this is definitely one of the better feeds available out there today. It's not one of the cheap junk ones by any means.
Edited by hlynn 2015-07-20 10:54 PM
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Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | hlynn - 2015-07-20 10:20 PM Just an FYI, you're barely feeding the minimum amount recommended for that feed. 7lbs is not much at all. I'm going to try to post a pic of the chart I found from the info sheet on BB omega force. We shall see if my phone cooperates. You have to feed the minimum and go up from there. If you're not feeding at least the minimum recommended, you can't expect to see results. Some horses just take more than others to keep good weight on. And for those talking about feed quality, this is definitely one of the better feeds available out there today. I've heard very good things about it from a lot of people
I posted a link to the recommendations on the feed she's using above...Her's are on Intensify from what I understand. Omega Force is more concentrated than the Intensify pelleted feed. |
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A Lady with Fight
Posts: 2701
Location: NC | rachellyn80 - 2015-07-20 11:36 PM
hlynn - 2015-07-20 10:20 PM Just an FYI, you're barely feeding the minimum amount recommended for that feed. 7lbs is not much at all. I'm going to try to post a pic of the chart I found from the info sheet on BB omega force. We shall see if my phone cooperates. You have to feed the minimum and go up from there. If you're not feeding at least the minimum recommended, you can't expect to see results. Some horses just take more than others to keep good weight on. And for those talking about feed quality, this is definitely one of the better feeds available out there today. I've heard very good things about it from a lot of people
I posted a link to the recommendations on the feed she's using above...Her's are on Intensify from what I understand. Omega Force is more concentrated than the Intensify pelleted feed.
I didn't realize they had two Intensify feeds. My mistake. I edited the post.
So you're barely feeding the minimum to the harder keeper depending on how hard you're working him. Here's the chart for the plain Intensify pelleted version.
Edited by hlynn 2015-07-20 10:56 PM
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Jr. Detective
Location: Beggs, OK | hlynn - 2015-07-20 10:52 PM rachellyn80 - 2015-07-20 11:36 PM hlynn - 2015-07-20 10:20 PM Just an FYI, you're barely feeding the minimum amount recommended for that feed. 7lbs is not much at all. I'm going to try to post a pic of the chart I found from the info sheet on BB omega force. We shall see if my phone cooperates. You have to feed the minimum and go up from there. If you're not feeding at least the minimum recommended, you can't expect to see results. Some horses just take more than others to keep good weight on. And for those talking about feed quality, this is definitely one of the better feeds available out there today. I've heard very good things about it from a lot of people I posted a link to the recommendations on the feed she's using above...Her's are on Intensify from what I understand. Omega Force is more concentrated than the Intensify pelleted feed. I didn't realize they had two Intensify feeds. My mistake. So you're definitely not feeding the minimum by any means. Here's the chart for the plain Intensify pelleted version.
Intensify is actually a line of feed that they produce; Intensify, Intensify Omega Force, Intensify 14/8, Intensify Sr, Instensify Growth & Development. (I think that they made the name of several of their products WAY too long) The Stride supplements are the same way. Too confusing... |
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Blessed
Location: Here | rachellyn80 - 2015-07-20 10:56 PM hlynn - 2015-07-20 10:52 PM rachellyn80 - 2015-07-20 11:36 PM hlynn - 2015-07-20 10:20 PM Just an FYI, you're barely feeding the minimum amount recommended for that feed. 7lbs is not much at all. I'm going to try to post a pic of the chart I found from the info sheet on BB omega force. We shall see if my phone cooperates. You have to feed the minimum and go up from there. If you're not feeding at least the minimum recommended, you can't expect to see results. Some horses just take more than others to keep good weight on. And for those talking about feed quality, this is definitely one of the better feeds available out there today. I've heard very good things about it from a lot of people I posted a link to the recommendations on the feed she's using above...Her's are on Intensify from what I understand. Omega Force is more concentrated than the Intensify pelleted feed. I didn't realize they had two Intensify feeds. My mistake. So you're definitely not feeding the minimum by any means. Here's the chart for the plain Intensify pelleted version.
I agree |
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 Sorry I don't have any advice
Posts: 1975
Location: Sunnyland Florida |
Regarding weight & overall appearance, I've learned that it's mostly about the hay(s), not the feed. Feed hay from different sources/fields/areas for ultimate minerals, etc. I feed all kinds of hay; alfalfa, timothy, orchard grass, peanut hay, a little coastal, etc.; at least 3 pads of hay per feeding; 6-7 per day. Horses look and feel great, and I rarely supplement with anything. Mine run/compete most weekends are are ridden throughout the week. They are fed Seminole Perform Safe (very little!), and are thriving.
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | I agree with everyone else on the hay. Add in more of the alfalfa and worry less about the grain. I have an older gelding that each summer once he got to working he just looked a bit ribby had a good hair coat and lots of energy but just on the thin side. I have tried every grain under the sun for him. This summer I addedin Alfalfa cubes and within 2 weeks his ribs were finally not so noticable. and we are now well into week 3 and I am starting to see some other area filling in. I have a good grassy Timothy hay that all of my other horses look nice on but it was just not enough for him. I will be shopping for a good alfalfa mix this year for him so that I don't have to mess with the cubes but until then he just munches away on them.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 316
| Yes good quality hay and grass are essential! For those that are feeding Renew Gold have you looked into adding some Amplify with it? I have heard of people doing this |
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