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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
    
Location: In the Hills of Texas | Tdove - 2015-07-20 2:55 PM Yes I did. Figured there is no reason to put my two cents in on yet another feed post. I am sure we agree that sponsorship plays a big role. One point that I did think is valid as that just because they are going down the road and are professionals, doesn't necessarily make them more educated or knowledgeable than anyone else. I take what professionals use with a grain of salt. There is so much that goes into what is "best" for equine nutrition.
I sure agree with this.  |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | It's pretty important to me. Especially since my gelding has had so many health problems and I just now got him to where he is off ALL meds.
Think of it this way, People eat crappy food all the time and definitly keep weight on. (.99 cent burgers and shakes and etc). Sure, it's cheaper and it keeps us full and it keeps us round lol but it also makes us feel sluggish and heavy and terrible.
But when people try and eat healthier their grocery bill sky rockets and they feel hungry all the time. ($5.99 for a bag of lettuce to last two days). So they tend to go back to eating foods that make them feel terrible because it's cheaper and keeps them fuller longer. However, when they eat healthy they feel hungry all the time because their bodies are shedding the toxins and their metabolism picks up to where it needs to be to not only lose weight but to gain muscle, emergy, and to have an overall healthier appearance. It's hard getting started but once you get the right portions of grains and veggies you're golden.
Same with horses. Once you get the appropriate forage to grain consistency your horses will bloom. Don't base your feeding program off of grain. A horses diet needs to be forage based with a little added grain/supplements to keep them looking fit and trim.
I would definitly add in alfalfa cubes or flakes of alfalfa hay for your horses. they aren't getting enought forage it sounds like. Lots of great info if you search the forums on nutrition. It's interesting stuff. Good luck to you. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | TurnLane - 2015-07-20 12:13 PM barrelracr131 - 2015-07-20 11:44 AM Try to find a local mill that mixes feed, but does not mix any medicated feed on the premises.
This is what my boarding stable does. Very cost effective and my horse is far from skinny. Lol This is where it gets confusing, even if they do not mix medicated feeds- it does not mean they dont bring in product to add to their mix that is from a medicated facility- nor does it mean they test their corn. So molasses being the number one suspect ingredient brought in to facilities that otherwise would be med free. Premixes and minerals being second.
I didn't think about molasses. (Ours doesn't contain it) |
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 Saint Stacey
| Â Is this a trick question? How important is it? VERY. I literally have a Nutrena mill in my back yard basically. I refuse to feed it anymore because this particular mill also mixes medicated cattle feed. They assured me there is no way for cross contamination due to the HCAPP guidelines they have in place. Yet when you ask what these guidelines are... all you get is a blank stare. After seeing so many friends go through ionophore poisoning with their horses, why would you even want to gamble by not feeding a safe feed? A feed company is only as good as their worst employee. If they date so little about horses that they are willing to possibly poison them by not being ionophore free... then they obviously don't need my hard earned money. |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Roanie didnt you post you worked at a vet or something ? or am I thinking someone else..your vet should know..its important. |
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 Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | I think a lot of folks think "it'll never happen to me" or that "it's not a big deal". People in my area look at me like I have two heads when I bring up ionophere feed. Education and research about this is pretty important. |
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 More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | barrelracr131 - 2015-07-20 3:48 PM TurnLane - 2015-07-20 12:13 PM barrelracr131 - 2015-07-20 11:44 AM Try to find a local mill that mixes feed, but does not mix any medicated feed on the premises.
This is what my boarding stable does. Very cost effective and my horse is far from skinny. Lol This is where it gets confusing, even if they do not mix medicated feeds- it does not mean they dont bring in product to add to their mix that is from a medicated facility- nor does it mean they test their corn. So molasses being the number one suspect ingredient brought in to facilities that otherwise would be med free. Premixes and minerals being second.
Woody's makes their own molasses. |
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 Night Chat Leader
Posts: 13150
Location: Home....Smiling M Farms | It's really important, I have one that I think was a victim of ionophore poisoning (have the vet bills to prove it) but I have no way to prove it was the feed at this point and I didn't even know what an ionophore was when he was having problems.
That said, there are several brands that are i-free. Maybe what you are feeding just isn't going to work for you and your horses, and that's ok. :) The same thing doesn't work for everyone, variety is the spice of life. There are several other brands that can be tried; Buckeye, Tribute, Renew Gold, Purina, just to name a few. Make some phone calls, investigate options that are local to you. Trial and error, see what works best. Good luck. :) |
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| What are some of the better feeds on the purina side? Reason I ask is because I'm getting ready to move... again... and the blue bonnet isn't going to be easy for me to get where I'm going.. I need to keep at least 3 of mine on a grain because they get used the most and pretty hard. |
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Night Chat Leader
Posts: 13150
Location: Home....Smiling M Farms | want2chase3 - 2015-07-21 9:03 AM
What are some of the better feeds on the purina side? Reason I ask is because I'm getting ready to move... again... and the blue bonnet isn't going to be easy for me to get where I'm going.. I need to keep at least 3 of mine on a grain because they get used the most and pretty hard.
IMO, the best by Purina is Ultium. I fed it for a while earlier this year and really liked it but the price kept going up ay my local mill and I couldn't justify it anymore.
Edited to add, Purina's website is VERY helpful. Lots of good info on there.
Edited by Leo 2015-07-21 9:08 AM
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More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | Leo - 2015-07-21 9:07 AM want2chase3 - 2015-07-21 9:03 AM What are some of the better feeds on the purina side? Reason I ask is because I'm getting ready to move... again... and the blue bonnet isn't going to be easy for me to get where I'm going.. I need to keep at least 3 of mine on a grain because they get used the most and pretty hard. IMO, the best by Purina is Ultium. I fed it for a while earlier this year and really liked it but the price kept going up ay my local mill and I couldn't justify it anymore. Edited to add, Purina's website is VERY helpful. Lots of good info on there.
Ultium is good |
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Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| Leo - 2015-07-21 9:07 AM
want2chase3 - 2015-07-21 9:03 AM
What are some of the better feeds on the purina side? Reason I ask is because I'm getting ready to move... again... and the blue bonnet isn't going to be easy for me to get where I'm going.. I need to keep at least 3 of mine on a grain because they get used the most and pretty hard.
IMO, the best by Purina is Ultium. I fed it for a while earlier this year and really liked it but the price kept going up ay my local mill and I couldn't justify it anymore.
Edited to add, Purina's website is VERY helpful. Lots of good info on there.
Agree on the ultium.. I actually have 2 on it but yes the price on it is actually more than I'm paying for the omega force. I'm going to check out the purina website .. kinda looking for an alternative |
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 Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | Nevertooold - 2015-07-20 3:03 PM Tdove - 2015-07-20 2:55 PM Yes I did. Figured there is no reason to put my two cents in on yet another feed post. I am sure we agree that sponsorship plays a big role. One point that I did think is valid as that just because they are going down the road and are professionals, doesn't necessarily make them more educated or knowledgeable than anyone else. I take what professionals use with a grain of salt. There is so much that goes into what is "best" for equine nutrition. I sure agree with this.
I would absolutely third this. Just because someone is a winner or has a horse that is a winner doesn't automatically make them more knowledgeable than any of the rest of us. When on the road, it is absolutely necesary to feed something that is available across the Nation, and that in and of itself is limiting as far as what you can feed, and then the marketing comes in as well. Big companies in our industry spend ALOT of money on advertising/endorsements each year, some as much as $10 MILLION, and yes, I know that figure to be correct. |
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 Sorry I don't have any advice
Posts: 1975
Location: Sunnyland Florida |
I feed Seminole - it's a good one and ionophore-free. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | Herbie - 2015-07-20 10:27 AM
rachellyn80 - 2015-07-20 10:10 AM rodeomom3 - 2015-07-20 8:52 AM Bibliafarm - 2015-07-20 8:49 AM add soaked alfalfa cubes.. it will put weight on them. Ditto, I just bought 20 bags of the Danco Omnis cubes- LOVE them and so do the horses.  Increase your forage, not your grain.  I am a Renew Gold lover, horses look great.  I have not fed a grain in years.  I have one on stall rest for the next few months and he gets the Omnis cubes with RG, even if stalled they do not have to have grain.
My horses have never looked better. Â We get compliments all the time from people who don't have any idea how bad they looked before...and that means a lot! Â This is my daughter's little rocket mare. Â She has had a pony belly for as long as we have owned her no matter how fit she was....Since she has been on Omnis Cubes she has trimmed up and looks like a little race horse. Â
YES! I want one in Bismarck! |
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 IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| Every horse is different and you ask ten different people what their feed program is you will get 10 different answers. And normally every one of those individuals thinks theirs is the best. So....my advice to you would be to talk to your vet. They know you and your horses in person. Therefore, they should be able to help you the best with their insight.Good luck. Again if you are worried about quantity then feed less over more feedings. I have had to do that to put weight on one. It really made a difference.
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 Expert
Posts: 5293
| magic gunsmoke - 2015-07-21 10:29 AM
Every horse is different and you ask ten different people what their feed program is you will get 10 different answers. And normally every one of those individuals thinks theirs is the best. So....my advice to you would be to talk to your vet. They know you and your horses in person. Therefore, they should be able to help you the best with their insight.Good luck. Again if you are worried about quantity then feed less over more feedings. I have had to do that to put weight on one. It really made a difference.
SOmetimes vets are not the best on nutrition. LOL I had one tell me there was no way a horse can digest whole oats. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1118
Location: The South | want2chase3 - 2015-07-21 9:03 AM What are some of the better feeds on the purina side? Reason I ask is because I'm getting ready to move... again... and the blue bonnet isn't going to be easy for me to get where I'm going.. I need to keep at least 3 of mine on a grain because they get used the most and pretty hard.
Several people didn't like it on a feed thread on here one time, but I really like Strategy. We bought a horse last year that was on it, and she looked great and had good feet (white Paint feet mind you lol) so I saw no reason to switch. I was feeding ADM Senior Glo to my gelding so I switched him to Strategy when the ionophore news came out and he looks great too. Sorry to ramble...good luck with your move! |
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IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| FLITASTIC - 2015-07-21 2:12 PM
magic gunsmoke - 2015-07-21 10:29 AM
Every horse is different and you ask ten different people what their feed program is you will get 10 different answers. And normally every one of those individuals thinks theirs is the best. So....my advice to you would be to talk to your vet. They know you and your horses in person. Therefore, they should be able to help you the best with their insight.Good luck. Again if you are worried about quantity then feed less over more feedings. I have had to do that to put weight on one. It really made a difference.
SOmetimes vets are not the best on nutrition. LOL I had one tell me there was no way a horse can digest whole oats.
I would still ask for an opinion. Never hurts to see what they have to say. |
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | I went from triple crown and ADM to Purina equine sr.. its always been my go to feed when desperate. and my horses have always done well on it all ages all disciplines all activity level.. I add soaked alfalfa cubes and soaked beet pulp..is it the best? no.. but its easy to digest, they look great and its beet pulp based. |
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