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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 795
  
Location: GODS country | Only options in the area are Purina or Nutrena. What are your experiences with these two feeds?
Goal is to maintain weight and keep up the energy level.
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| I think I'd drive to another area if possible. But if I absolutely had no choice other than those, I'd probably go with the purina. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: North Dakota | Those are my only options at my feed store as well and I used to feed Nutrena safechoice senior but switched to whole oats and whole flax from a local mill and both my horses are doing better on that than they ever did on Nutrena. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 795
Location: GODS country | MidWest1452 - 2016-08-19 8:48 AM
Those are my only options at my feed store as well and I used to feed Nutrena safechoice senior but switched to whole oats and whole flax from a local mill and both my horses are doing better on that than they ever did on Nutrena.
I have been considering whole oats and alfalfa pellets. We top dress with flax oil already. Do you add rice bran for extra fat? |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | My choice would be Purina. I am not a fan of Nutrena in general. We have one horse that had a bad colic surgery and requires a pelleted complete feed. We feed her Purina Equine Senior and it has worked well. Ingredient wise, they are just about the same product. I think Nutrena may have a very slight edge in that department. I personally buy Equine Senior. Neither are my first choice and depending on how you are using them, you might find there is something as good or better for your feeding situation. Both of these feeds really should be fed at 12lbs or more/day. Both companies make feeds that are more appropriately suited to feeding smaller daily amounts.
I will say this. Senior feeds are basically a scam. If you have an older horse and think that you are better off feeding a senior feed because it is designed for them....that is not true. In my opinion, and I know I am right, the only thing that makes a Senior feed better for older horses are those with bad teeth. You can feed higher amounts of the senior feed and less to no hay, if necessary. Even then, pelleted complete Senior concentrates are not the best for senior horses. They lack long stem fiber. A soft cube or soaked cube (if you only have access to hard cubes) along with a concentrate of your choice is a better program.
Edited by Tdove 2016-08-19 9:55 AM
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | Tdove - 2016-08-19 9:51 AM My choice would be Purina. I am not a fan of Nutrena in general. We have one horse that had a bad colic surgery and requires a pelleted complete feed. We feed her Purina Equine Senior and it has worked well. Ingredient wise, they are just about the same product. I think Nutrena may have a very slight edge in that department. I personally buy Equine Senior. Neither are my first choice and depending on how you are using them, you might find there is something as good or better for your feeding situation. Both of these feeds really should be fed at 12lbs or more/day. Both companies make feeds that are more appropriately suited to feeding smaller daily amounts. I will say this. Senior feeds are basically a scam. If you have an older horse and think that you are better off feeding a senior feed because it is designed for them....that is not true. In my opinion, and I know I am right, the only thing that makes a Senior feed better for older horses are those with bad teeth. You can feed higher amounts of the senior feed and less to no hay, if necessary. Even then, pelleted complete Senior concentrates are not the best for senior horses. They lack long stem fiber. A soft cube or soaked cube (if you only have access to hard cubes) along with a concentrate of your choice is a better program.
Nutrena is who was mixing feed for Triple Crown feeds when they had their consistency problems...Nuff said.. |
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Regular
Posts: 73
| I've fed both but like the Nutrina better because it breaks down quicker & better in water. So I would think breaking down better in the stomach. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1440
Location: Texas | My old man prefers purina. He is 34 and doesn't have any molars left. I have tried all senior feeds as he cannot eat hay and he does best on purina |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | barrelbasher - 2016-08-19 7:52 PM
My old man prefers purina. He is 34 and doesn't have any molars left. I have tried all senior feeds as he cannot eat hay and he does best on purina
I've had Dan (37) on Purina Senior for over 15 years. Tried Nutrena once, and he coliced half way thru the bag. I realize the feed could have had no bearing whatsoever on the colic, but it scared me bad enough I threw away what was left and went back to Purina. He's on the Active now (as well as my 21 year old gelding), and I'm in the process of deciding how much to change his feed amount. He has arthritis so I have to walk the fine line of enough weight vs not too much weight, and I feel he's looking a little thin right now. He also gets beet pulp, rice bran, and Platinum CJ. (He has basically no teeth.) |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 822
Location: Southwest New Mexico | Purina. I can't add pictures of my old man but he looked like death 4 months ago and now he's a spring chicken. Nutrenas first ingredients are grain by products where purina lists whole grains. I did try both and I love equine senior. Really wish I could show you the difference it's made for our guy.
Edited by nm_ana07 2016-08-19 10:35 PM
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 Veteran
Posts: 103
Location: Georgia | Nutrena Safe Choice Senior is the feed I've been using for years. I have 3 horses ages 32, 20, and 13. I use for all 3 and they all do very well on it.
Edited by cj jet 2016-08-20 9:13 AM
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Purina is the best out of the two,  |
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