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boon
Posts: 1
| Hi everyone,
I was looking for some advice on going grainless or mostly grainless. I currently have 4 horses eating strategy healthy edge, timothy/alfalfa and pasture. I would love to hear some of y'all's recipes on what you feed your barrel horses and how much. Thanks! |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
   
| I suggest that you order THE HORSE NUTRITION HANDBOOK. By Melyni Worth. It will change how you feed your horses. Costs less than $15 on Amazon. A very good read. Should be read by everyone who feeds their own horses. |
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Queen Bean of Ponyland
Posts: 24952
Location: WYOMING | I have one allergic to most feed and hay. she is on pasture, alfalfa cubes & pellets, a ration balancer and renew gold. |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | Every horse is different. My horses get beet pulp, alfalfa pellets, Horse Guard multivitamin and grass hay. They're turned out 24/7 but not really a whole lot to graze on, so the grass keeps them entertained more than actually nourishes them.
For amounts, I measure out 2 cups of beet pulp and 2 cups of alfalfa pellets...once it's soaked I split it between 3 horses. My old gaming horse gets 3 cups of it (easy keeper and rarely ridden) and then the rest I split between my two barrel horses. My dad's horse gets 1/2 cup of beet pulp (alfalfa of any kind gives him diarrhea), once it's soaked it comes out to like 2 cups (another easy keeper and rarely ridden).
Some horses might need more than that, but mine are all easy keepers. Honestly I just feed them this so I have something to mix supplements with.
My one barrel horse acted ulcer-y up until I took her off all grain. She was being fed Healthy Edge when I got her and was hard to keep weight on, especially if I was running her a lot. I treated her with Ulcer Cure OTC and it helped for a little then she went back to not eating. Switched her to Ultium, she did good on that for awhile, then same thing...finally I treated her for ulcers one last time, started her on the beet pulp/alfalfa pellets and also added Smart Gut Ultra to her supplements and she's been great ever since...she's been on this feed regime for about a year now.
Edited by livexlovexrodeo 2015-01-11 9:57 PM
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12704
| I replaced grain with western alfalfa, 1:1 poundage wise. They all got FAT! Not haybelly fat - PHAT fat.
They all get a handfull of Legends Performance Textured, less than 1 lb per day, just enough to stick their vitamin. My pregnant hard keeping broodie is the only one still on measurable grain and she's down to about 2 lb x 2 daily. Her grain gets rice bran and soy oil and vitamin. My choice of grain product is based on it being sticky enough to hold the vitamin supplement.
I decided to try a new non-grain program of feeding a nice 50-60% alfalfa. They will go from 5-6 lbs of western alfalfa (24%, $800 per ton) to 9-10 lbs PA alfalfa (19-20%, still much higher than they can use, $325 per ton), and increase their total hay intake from 15ish lbs to 20ish lbs. I'll spend $400 less per month this way. I'll know in a couple months if they hold to their phat fat, or if I need to switch back to the western alfalfa to get them phat fat again! |
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 Lived to tell about it and will never do it again
Posts: 5408
| Ours get 20lbs of top quality alfalfa daily, split between two feedings. Never looked or acted better. |
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Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12704
| euchee - 2015-01-11 8:42 AM Ours get 20lbs of top quality alfalfa daily, split between two feedings. Never looked or acted better.
I had peeps telling me that if I put my hotrod mare on an alfalfa-based feed program that she would get even hotter. Nothing could be further from the truth! She has become more sensible, less looky-lou, but clocked solid 2D times all year. |
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 Go For It!
Location: Texas |
Many folks mistakenly think that alfalfa will make a horse hot... in fact, in my experience, just the opposite is true. Alfalfa is rich in B Vitamins, which tend to be more calming. I think the culprit is feeding the grain along with the alfalfa... some horses just can't seem to handle the prosperity. I don't generally have an issue with hot horses because I feed very little grain, and on top of that, I am a run sucker, lol.
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | Good post. I don't like what happens to my horses on grain. My main guy gets alfalfa pellets with a multivitamin and a few supplements he needs. Per some research I've been doing, I'm starting him on coconut flakes and REALLY want to try Renew Gold (just working on how to get it here...) My other horse is on Ultium and I swear it's made him more nuts than he already was. He's a hard keeper though so I'm hoping to switch him to renew gold soon as well. If it is impossible to get it up here in the end (which I hope isn't the case, I'm working w/ the company) I'll probably go with Nutrena's rice bran/flax feed, alfalfa pellets, and coconut oil. |
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Made in the USA
Posts: 1234
Location: Cecil, Pa | I am very happy with the results of what I started doing, Timothy Pellets, Speedi Beet NON GMO beet pulp, Nutraflax, ABC Fortified... My horse was always a hard keeper and he looks fab on this diet! Free Choice grass hay 24/7 he is on a dry lot so only hay! I add Vit E from Elevate also He is prob 1250# 1.5# tim pellets, 1/2# of beet pulp 4 oz of flax 2 x day |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 628
Location: Missouri | My horses get pasture 12 hours a day, 1 flake of brome hay, and half a red solo cup of Calf Manna. Both are fat, shiney, and every time I ride they buck and kick and try to play (both are 10+ years old) The mare is a solid 1-D mare at big races and the gelding is finally clocking 1-D times, my fault not his. I have heard nothing but good things about renew gold, just don't know how to get it where I live. |
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | mine are on a grass hay round bale for 8-10 hours a day(depending on when I get my lazy butt out of bed.) Then alfalfa cubes and on a 50/50 blend of timothy and orchard grass during the evening usually 4-5 flakes as long as they are still cleaning it up. I adjust that on a daily basis, a little less if they aren't cleaning it up, a little more if it's cold out. They also get 1.5 lbs of triple crown complete a day, simply because all the other horses in the barn get grain and they get upset if they aren't getting grain and I personally don't think having that small of an amount of a quality grain will derail their diet.
One horse that I was having trouble with getting kind of hot before, I was using so much grain and not even CLOSE to the amount of hay I'm feeding now. He has totally mellowed out and is really starting to bloom, I just added the alfalfa this winter and he looks like a dang peter built out in the pasture! I was initially worried about him getting kind of silly but it's really the opposite now!
Edited by Crowned Image 2015-01-11 2:34 PM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 639
Location: God's country...aka TEXAS | I feed Renew Gold, alfalfa pellets and alfalfa cubes. Also, give some coastal hay/pasture turn out. It works great and my horses have had ZERO digestive problems. |
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Queen Bean of Ponyland
Posts: 24952
Location: WYOMING | JLBerry - 2015-01-11 4:08 PM
I feed Renew Gold, alfalfa pellets and alfalfa cubes. Also, give some coastal hay/pasture turn out. It works great and my horses have had ZERO digestive problems.
How much renew gold and how much alfalfa pellets are you feeding? Trying to get the ration worked out on my mare feeding the same thing. I lnow they are all different but wondering anyway.
Edited by geronabean 2015-01-11 5:20 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 614
Location: Usually on my horse | My horses are on pasture in summer......no grain. They get round bales in the winter. Grass alfalfa mix then supplemented with alfalfa (2 flakes in the morning, 2 flakes at night). Again no grain. They are thriving and come out if the winter healthy and hearty. I do not ever feed grain. They have salt/ mineral blocks at all times. |
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Expert
Posts: 1409
Location: Oklahoma | I am thinking very seriously of trying this but afraid! right now he is turned out 24/7 unless cold under 20 degrees. He gets prairie hay has some Bermuda in it. I feed him bluebonnet intensify 12/8 I have cut him back to bout 4 pounds a day still stays fat. I do have to treat for ulcers. I just started with muscle mass. (used to use animal element I like it , but muscle mass you can formulate it so trying it to see if better) I have tried to add alfafa but it did make him high super high and I didn't add but a handful morning and night (pellets) so I go grainless I know it needs to be done gradual so I guess I need to put up with him being high a couple weeks, how long on average does it take for every thing to even out. another thing that I am worried about is the feed companies have done so much research. I wouldn't even now how to start to ration! trying to research but not much out there and I don't know anyone personally that is doing this for guidance wouldn't the top girls be going grainless too? In their interviews I have seen they mention grain. I believe in natural because I know the difference in me when I don't eat process foods. ugggg where to start! lol |
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Expert
Posts: 1409
Location: Oklahoma | another question is if you feed alfafa how do you know you wont get the beetles that can kill a horse? if you don't feed the pellet version. |
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 Swiffer PIcker Upper
Posts: 4015
Location: Four Corners Colorado | Top Quality hay 80/20 grass alfalfa hay 16% protein 25-30lbs a day (pretty much all they can possibly eat). Free choice in slow feeders is preferable. I test it and choose a free choice mineral that balances it. I also like to keep equilix tubs out but they aren't nessasary. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Mines getting 1 lb renew gold, and 2 flakes of alfalfa per day, and 4 flakes for Bermuda grass per day. I need to weigh the flakes but he's keeping weight on so I don't sweat it too much. |
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  Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | For those that feed a lot more grass hay what are you using as a vit/min source to make sure they're getting all they need, especially for their feet?
I've got 2 non-riding mares that are out on pasture and a fescue/dallas grass round bale. They get a 1/2 scoop beet pulp, 3-4 Alf cubes, cup rice bran, kelp, and remission. They have a salt block.
My riding horses are on 3.8 pounds of Total Equine or Strategy - 1 scoop per day. They were on 2 scoops but I replaced it with alfalfa cubes. They also get rice bran, kelp. I've got one horse that when you pull him off TE his feet go to heck even if you're feeding him flax.
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