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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 331
 
Location: Loma Linda, CA | What do you give?
Why?
Do they really work?
Right now I am just feeding hay and rice bran. Nothing special at all.
In the past I have fed Triple Crown Complete, given electrolytes (I do see the importance of these in the summer), given pastes and such...
I've looked into Platinum Performance and one day I'll feed it when I'm not spending my paycheck on horses in training lol.
But there's just so many things out there it is completely overwhelming - so I want to hear from my co-racers on what you guys give, why and does it REALLY make a difference and not a placebo effect on our minds? Lol. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2041
Location: home for the winter...what a dumb idea | 8 oz of rolled oats 8 oz of barely flaked 4 oz of roasted soybeans 2 oz of For-A-Flexs vita pro 2 oz of CoMage supreme . |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
 
Location: Phoenix | I know how you feel. I recently started my horse on Platinum Performance because he had some dermatologic issues this summer on different parts of his body. Vet suggested PP (plus it's got great reviews/feedback). I'll probably keep him on it and year and see how it goes. Otherwise I was already pleased with his health, shiny coat and muscle tone while on 1/2 lb Renew Gold and alfalfa (plus grass hay as filler). |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 331
Location: Loma Linda, CA | hammer_time - 2016-01-08 11:14 PM
I know how you feel. I recently started my horse on Platinum Performance because he had some dermatologic issues this summer on different parts of his body. Vet suggested PP (plus it's got great reviews/feedback). I'll probably keep him on it and year and see how it goes. Otherwise I was already pleased with his health, shiny coat and muscle tone while on 1/2 lb Renew Gold and alfalfa (plus grass hay as filler).
I feel like a lot of stuff is just in our own minds.
Not saying that extra feed doesn't give them a good looking coat, muscle tone etc, but like calming supplements or focus etc... Idk about all that lol.
I like PP since it allegedly gets on a cellular level... I'd really have to track my horse while using it and see if it really did make a difference.
Before/After pics, track our times that month or something. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2013
Location: Piedmont, OK | I am a firm believer in Animal Element supplements. I have seen horses on the skinny side fill out on the detox, I have seen arthritic horses feel better and run better on Product X . I have seen horses with bad allergies take the Immune and do much better, and In the Zone paste is a god send for nervous horses. |
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Expert
Posts: 1207
| THE Muscle Mass and Equipride. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | I don't not believe in supplements as a long term feeding program, personally.
Edited by Tdove 2016-01-09 7:13 AM
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12708
| Tdove - 2016-01-09 6:46 AM I don't not believe in supplements as a long term feeding program.
The only 'supplement' I use long term is fat additive and vitamin/mineral. Even the fat is an 'as needed' only.
I have used many supplements for particular issues along the years. I've used U-7 for tummy issues, Air Power for clearing before runs, Cal-Mag supplements for general calmness, Mare Magic, and a plethora of joint supplements until I gave up on any feed-through joint supplements actually working. The Finish Line products have always shown clear results. Mare Magic I definitely saw results. It's very expensive to try out multiple supplements for the minimum required time period and most do not produce good results. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| I give Cur Ost total to 2 horses, it's expensive but very effective. Some of the benefits I have seen are: scar on geldings eye thinning, doesn't lose his mind when I haul him, relaxed when I ride, his soles have thickened and now I can ride him barefoot, overall body soreness is gone, he needs less adjustments, holds them longer and according to his chiropractor he is much easier to adjust and he is his calm, loving, curious self again. The older mare can go barefoot again, she hasn't set back at the trailer, she stands quietly at the trailer and she moves more fluidly and is much more supple when riding her. She has been on it for only a month.
I feed free choice grass hay and Danco alfalfa cubes - both the Omni and the Mustang Sally. When I start riding them harder I will probably feed the Omni cubes only. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| If I may make a suggestion .....
Go educate yourself. Don't rely on a board of anonymous ( or slightly so) people to give advice on a true feeding regime or supplements. Local extension and state extension offices have great resources for this type of thing. Your state Ag university has an extension agent for this type of stuff.
If you can, see if you can take a course through a local to you ag university or community college to verse yourself in Equine Nutrition. Equines absorb, ferment, and utilize nutrition differently than any other animal. Knowing and understanding what kind of body you are feeding is half the battle, the other half is understanding what feed stuff will take care of that animal for you.
Supplements are just that, supplements. I agree with TDove, they are not a long term useful thing for the average rider. They are great for those who are hauling all the time, competing all the time, and really riding and using their horses as athletes year round.
Be careful going to feed companies directly for your information, they can be biased, and rightfully so as they're trying to sell their own products - look for published, peer reviewed data that utilizes feed stuffs that you can get your hands on. CSU equine extension has a TON of useful information on how to feed properly.
With all that said, there is also a huge gap in the Equine industry in quality product. I firmly believe, you pay for what you get.
Good Luck! |
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Expert
Posts: 2457
| If I may make a suggestion .....
Go educate yourself. Don't rely on a board of anonymous ( or slightly so) people to give advice on a true feeding regime or supplements. Local extension and state extension offices have great resources for this type of thing. Your state Ag university has an extension agent for this type of stuff.
If you can, see if you can take a course through a local to you ag university or community college to verse yourself in Equine Nutrition. Equines absorb, ferment, and utilize nutrition differently than any other animal. Knowing and understanding what kind of body you are feeding is half the battle, the other half is understanding what feed stuff will take care of that animal for you.
Supplements are just that, supplements. I agree with TDove, they are not a long term useful thing for the average rider. They are great for those who are hauling all the time, competing all the time, and really riding and using their horses as athletes year round.
Be careful going to feed companies directly for your information, they can be biased, and rightfully so as they're trying to sell their own products - look for published, peer reviewed data that utilizes feed stuffs that you can get your hands on. CSU equine extension has a TON of useful information on how to feed properly.
With all that said, there is also a huge gap in the Equine industry in quality product. I firmly believe, you pay for what you get.
Good Luck! |
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  Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | Definitely research & keep an open mind. One thing about mixing supplements with premix feeds is that you may be doubling up on some nutrients like calcium or iron that are in both supplement and feed, and then maybe only the feed has another nutrient that the supplement doesn't have and that can cause imbalances really quick. The problem is that an imbalance takes months to see lot of times. The only honest to goodness supplements that I feed right now are Super Sport (Amino Acid) and Remission (metabolism), and Optizyme(digestion). The OTTB gets plain oats, rolled barley and those 3 and he's flourished on that. My mare gets the Remission and Chaffhaye. I do feed DMG during the summer months to working horses.The rest are either on Total Equine Feed, or a ration balancer and they get rice bran and I keep loose trace mineral salt out for them. That's it. In the past I have fed Source, or Accel (Electrolytes, Amino acids). I have had a couple of cases of Thumps /hiccups from feeding a premix feed and an electrolyte. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 396
| I've been away for Christmas, feels good to be back.
I think I've been in the same situation, with all the pro girls advertising products thinking I was missing out on something. I have done research, but I did take the advice on this board seriously. I'm at a very simple point right now, LESS is MORE. I ran a few weeks ago and I haven't ran in a couple months, I ran my personal best, it was awesome. I've tried quite a few things over the years, and honestly, I have never noticed a difference.
Think simple, here's mine
Grass and alfalfa hay
1 lb oats, 1 cup whole flax seed
Salt block.
Oh, and I let a camp borrow one of my horses last summer for trail rides. They only fed alfalfa. When he came back he looked better than all my horses here. That really confirmed my thoughts and suggestions here on the board for less is best.
Edited by oranges 2016-01-09 2:00 PM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 695
Location: Missouri | I agree! Educate yourself on different supplements and each ingredient! And don't feed just because one of the Pro's is sponsored or endorses one over another! What might work for one may not work for the other? With that being said I love the animal element products because they are all Natural there are no fillers added, so I know when I feed it they are getting what I think they getting! Lol. I also love the fact that they help,a wide variety of horses and conditions PLUS it does not break the bank to feed it and all our horses are healthy and happy now! |
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 Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | Hands down the Cur-OST products from Nouvelle Research. I encourage you to research every ingredient in these products and how they benefit overall health at the cellular level. From a maintenance and preventative perspective there is nothing better! Do they work, absolutely! They saved my horse's life when we had exceeded all medical options. I know of countless others who have restored not only their horse's health bit their own as well. There is a ton of information on the website under the articles tab, wwww.nouvelleresearch.com. This is a link to just one of the products they offer.
https://nouvelleresearch.com/index.php/products/equine-formulas/cur-ost-eq-total-support
They continue to research and continue to better educate and share that as well. Check out the forum at www.secondvet.com where many of us have asked questions and discussed issues directly with Dr Schell. Can't beat the service this company offers, the quality of the product, or the results you will see! Hands down the best investment I've ever made in my horse's and my own health! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 396
| If money was not an issue I think I would choose Curost or Platinum. So far no extra supplement right now is working
*Since I'm still the last post I'm editing*
I forgot this until I just did a little feeding. (Loosing my mind) I did start feeding my one horse DMG, the one I ran and did well on. Many makers make it but I'm currently on Formula 707 DMG. 
Edited by oranges 2016-01-09 4:36 PM
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| Instead of using a cheaper supplement and adding other supplements for joints, digestion, etc, I found it was way cheaper to use Platinum Performance. |
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 Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Please know your horse and your level of performing.. alot of horses dont need extra anything. Owners pour stuff into their horse and mix and match and add and then feed a grain that has it in there and down the road the horses system cant utilize and you end up with a toxic horse with all sorts of issues and the owner is posting "whats wrong with my horse" ... well simple is best.. unless you are in heavy training.. do your research!!! dont just give diffeant things to " look in the know" |
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | oranges - 2016-01-09 11:58 AM I've been away for Christmas, feels good to be back. I think I've been in the same situation, with all the pro girls advertising products thinking I was missing out on something. I have done research, but I did take the advice on this board seriously. I'm at a very simple point right now, LESS is MORE. I ran a few weeks ago and I haven't ran in a couple months, I ran my personal best, it was awesome. I've tried quite a few things over the years, and honestly, I have never noticed a difference. Think simple, here's mine Grass and alfalfa hay 1 lb oats, 1 cup whole flax seed Salt block. Oh, and I let a camp borrow one of my horses last summer for trail rides. They only fed alfalfa. When he came back he looked better than all my horses here. That really confirmed my thoughts and suggestions here on the board for less is best.
I agree with simpler=better and the effect of alfalfa! My horse has always looked good, but he's never been as bulky as he is now and with such a soft coat since I started him on alfalfa and RG. He's only been on the platinum performance for two weeks so I wouldn't say I've seen any changes but the true test will be this summer when it heats up!! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | I have used a few supplements over the years. Many supplements are merely overpriced concoctions that could be better and more efficiently served in a good feeding program. The others are more medicinal or use specific. I do feel that these kind have their place for treating specific conditions. Most healthy horses do not have this requirement and the effectiveness is hard to measure.
There was a statement above concerning contacting equine nutritionist. That is a fine idea, but understand that most equine nutritionist don't agree with one another and are a product of s systematic feed company controlled system. There is a lot of professional opinion and information that is either flat wrong, biased, or that I simply don't agree with. Educate yourself, is excellent advice, but make sure that you come up with your own opinions based on the many viewpoints that you research.
Another point made is that supplements are necessary for horses at high levels and competing. I don't think this is nevcesarily true. If you feel your horse needs or benefits from some type of supplementation, I am not saying you are wrong. Do what you feel is best for you and your horse. I have done the same in the past, depending on what condition needed addressing. But, blanket supplementation, I do not follow that practice. If you have a healthy horse and a good feed program, most horses need nothing else.
Many of the supplement compamies are providing way overpriced mythical solutions to a non existing problem. Many people disagree with the effectiveness of various supplements as well. I am not running down quality products. I am bringing attention to their marketing practices and overuse by many horse owners. These are my opinions and there are a few that I have been helpful to me, over the years. I have one now that I am thinking about using one of the supplements mentioned above, so I am not just against them by any means. |
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