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Veteran
Posts: 118
| Can anyone suggest a good mineral, either loose or top dress, to feed with a diet that is primarily alfalfa? Keeping in mind a proper calcium/phosphorus balance. My horses are currently fed 16 lbs alfalfa a day with free choice orchard/timothy and 1 to 1 1/2 lb Renew Gold. The only additional things I feed right now are flax, salt and GastroElm plus. |
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 Ms Bling Bling Sleeze Kitty
Posts: 20904
 
Location: LouLouVille, OK | I am currently trying Gro Strong, have been for the last few months.. and they love it and they are all soft and shiney! :)
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 432
| Oats are higher in phosphorus and I like CA trace minerals
Here's a supplement just for alfalfa diets
https://www.smartpakequine.com/ps/megamag-1815 |
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| I like HorseTech's High Point Alfalfa, it will provide about 7 net grams of phosphorus per 3oz serving. It is a little light in some of the minerals for my area so I supplement it with a 2oz dose of CA Trace regular formula, 2oz of plain white salt and 8 grams of elemental magnesium. Select the Best's Alfalfa Balancer is another option to consider - it comes in pellets, if you prefer them over powder/meal form. |
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Veteran
Posts: 118
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| cindyt - 2019-02-08 3:04 PM
I am currently trying Gro Strong, have been for the last few months.. and they love it and they are all soft and shiney! :)
Same here! When I first started I couldn’t keep their trays filled with it! Now they have evened out and don’t require as much. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: Georgia | Im looking for a good mineral for an alf based diet too. IMO the Gro strong has too high for a calcium content in it to be fed with an alf based diet. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | I really like Sho Glo. Could always tell a difference when my horses were on it and when they weren't.
ETA: I feed free choice alfalfa and 1 pound of rice bran
Edited by BamaCanChaser 2019-02-11 12:19 PM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1100
Location: Southeastern Idaho | I have tried 3 brands of loose mineral. I LOVED Hoffmans Horse Mineral but its tough to get where I live, so I looked around for an alternative. If you can get that brand, I highly recommend it especially if you are breeding mares. I tried the Purina 12:12 and it was ok, but the horses didn't seem to like it. It lasted a very looong time so I worry that it was even worthwhile. I then found Vigortone Triple V Horse mineral that is much easier to get in my area. Its labeled for horses that are on pasture or hay.
A local rep delivers it with our other ranch meds and minerals. I was impressed when I opened the first bag as it smelled really good. As soon as I put it out in the mineral feeder they were checking it out immediately and went to working on it right away. I went through quite a bit at first then they seemed to level off to a moderate amount. I keep just enough in front of them that I can tell what is being used and I am happy with the consumption. My "poop" eater (reason I went looking for mineral in the first place) is still behaving herself while on the Triple V. Keeps a good shine to their hair coats even in the winter. Here is a breakdown of whats in the Triple V: https://www.palmerfeed.com/products/category/vigortone
Edited by luvropin 2019-02-11 10:52 AM
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Expert
Posts: 1694
Location: Willows, CA | mandita8907 - 2019-02-11 8:09 AM
Im looking for a good mineral for an alf based diet too. IMO the Gro strong has too high for a calcium content in it to be fed with an alf based diet.
I formulated Gro Strong mineral for ADM years ago. They used to make an alfalfa formulation that was lower in Calcium. I would assume that they still do. On that topic though, the mineral is fed at such a low rate that you vary the calcium level in your horses diet more by the size of the flake of hay that you grab each feeding than the several ounces of mineral mix that they eat. All that said, I don't know if ADM still makes it in a medication free mill. They used to, but I have not done formulations for their horse program for quite a few years. They have certainly had a few suspected issues in recent years. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | BamaCanChaser - 2019-02-11 9:14 AM I really like Sho Glo. Could always tell a difference when my horses were on it and when they weren't. ETA: I feed free choice alfalfa and 1 pound of rice bran
I use Sho Glo too..  |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: Georgia | winwillows - 2019-02-13 7:34 PM
mandita8907 - 2019-02-11 8:09 AM
Im looking for a good mineral for an alf based diet too. IMO the Gro strong has too high for a calcium content in it to be fed with an alf based diet.
I formulated Gro Strong mineral for ADM years ago. They used to make an alfalfa formulation that was lower in Calcium. I would assume that they still do. On that topic though, the mineral is fed at such a low rate that you vary the calcium level in your horses diet more by the size of the flake of hay that you grab each feeding than the several ounces of mineral mix that they eat. All that said, I don't know if ADM still makes it in a medication free mill. They used to, but I have not done formulations for their horse program for quite a few years. They have certainly had a few suspected issues in recent years.
Thank you for the response Win! I used to LOVE ADM products, but since the scare they had a couple years ago I switched. My horse is on free choice alf out of a slow feeding net so Id really love to find a good mineral with lower calcium content. Ill have to research ADM and see if they still make that product, as I loved the Gro Strong minerals. |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | Progressive nutrition has a "balancer" that is forage specific. |
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Expert
Posts: 1207
| All 3 of my horses wouldn't eat the Gro Strong. I presently feed the Bluebonnet vitamin/mineral. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 900
Location: TExas | Stride 101 by Stride Animal Health and Bluebonnet |
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