Comparables to Buckeye EQ8 and Grow-n-Win?

[vxf111]

My new boarder is coming. He’s eating Buckeye EQ8 and Grow-n-Win. Unfortunately there are no Buckeye dealers in my area that are practical for me. Owner is amenable to the horse switching feeds but horse is doing well on his current regimen.

From the labels the EQ8 seems to be a 12% protein 8% fat feed with probiotics added. I don’t mind adding probiotics separately if that’s the only solution.

Grow-n-Win seems to be a high fat rational balancer.

I have a Tractor Supply (Purina, Nutrena, Dumor, Blue Seal, and some other brands) VERY near my house plus an independent feed store that stocks Purina and Tribute.

So basically I have a lot of choices OTHER than Buckeye

Any suggestions? I am currently feeding my horses Strategy but that’s 14% protein and 6% fat. The boarding horse used to also be on Purina (we both came from the same barn that fed Purina in the past) but I believe back then he was on Ultium. That’s close to the 12% protein but a little higher fat. IIRC he did fine on the Ultium. I think the whole barn switched to Buckeye when management changed and that was the reason he switched.

Retired horse, large thoroughbred, not a picky eater IIRC. I prefer a pelleted feed only because it doesn’t freeze in the winter, but that’s not a dealbreaker. Looking for suggestions for comparable products that will be easier for me to get.

[Scaramouch]

How much EQ8 and how much Gro-N-Win?

Nutrena SafeChoice Senior is 14% protein, 8% fat and actually a bit lower in starch than EQ8, so that might be a good starting point. I think Nutrena and Tribute are the only companies you mention that add probiotics to their feeds.

Ar far as the Gro-N-Win, all ration balancers are very similar. You should be able to get the Nutrena Empower Balance at TSC. Purina Enrich 32 and Tribute Essential K are also good.

[vxf111]

Scaramouch, thank you. That’s a helpful start.

I am getting the information through the owner so I’m a little confused on the actual amounts (and reasoning) but she’s told me each of the two daily meals is “one scoop” of the EQ8 and “4 cups” of the GNM. I believe the scoop is a standard 2 quart scoop and I have to assume by cups she means normal cup measure?!

IIRC in the pre-Buckeye days this horse got roughly 2lbs of Ultium 2x/day. But it’s been YEARS so my memory could be wrong and/or the horse’s feed could have been adjusted since then.

I plan on getting some of the Buckeye products to transition and I can weigh at that point-- but I do need a starting point to look for comparables. Purina would be a win-win because then I could get it at the feed store or TC. But something I could get at just 1 would be fine too. I like to support the feed store when I can, they are great people.

[vxf111]

The two Nutrena products seem quite comparable. Thank you. That’s really a good start.

[Texarkana]

Tribute has very comparable products as well. The rumor years ago was that the company was started by former Buckeye employees, although I’ve heard that same story applied to other brands 'round the feed store.

Their Essential K ration balancer would be a very close replacement to Gro N Win- I’ve used them interchangeably. Also, they have a high fat/low starch food that is similar to EQ8, but I always mix up the name. I think it is Kalm n EZ?

[Scaramouch]

If you prefer to try Purina, the Strategy Healthy Edge is a 12/8. I fed it several yeas ago and my sedentary late-teens QH did well. Ultium is 12% fat, so significantly higher than the Buckeye - but that shouldn’t be an issue since this horse doesn’t sound like a particularly easy keeper.

It’s hard to argue with what’s working for the horse, but perhaps clarify with the owner why he’s getting such a lot of ration balancer? Well over 2 lbs on top of a decent amount of fortified feed sounds like overkill.

[FEIwannabe]

I think the Tribute Essential K is comparable to the EQ8.
I recently did a comparison of the two because I’m moving my guy to a barn that offers the EQ8 as part of the board, and I’m currently feeding Essential K.

I found the mineral, vitamin, protein, fat etc were very similar. But when I read the ingredients, I found the EQ8 has corn pretty high on the list and E-K had none listed. Also the Essential K has some additional digestive enzymes that EQ8 did not.
So I decided to keep him on the E-K, even tho I have to provide it.

[SonnysMom]

[QUOTE=Scaramouch;8316461]

It’s hard to argue with what’s working for the horse, but perhaps clarify with the owner why he’s getting such a lot of ration balancer? Well over 2 lbs on top of a decent amount of fortified feed sounds like overkill.[/QUOTE]

I use Gro N Win for my horse. He gets 2 cups twice a day also but he only gets alfalfa pellets. So I agree that 4 cups a day of Gro N Win on top of a fortified grain seems like a lot especially for a retired horse.

[JB]

Any brand’s ration balancer is comparable to the GNW.

I agree she’s in nutrition overkill with what’s currently fed. I don’t know the density of the GNW. Most RBs are about 3c/lb, but Enrich Plus is 2c. Assuming GNW is about 3c/lb, then 8c/day is close to 3lb, which is too much for all but the most nutrient-needy horses (huge, very hard working, late pregnancy/early lactation, growing horse under about age 2).

Adding in 4qt of the EQ8, which is in the 4-6lb range (unless it’s a sub-1lb/qt feed) is just too much.

If he’s fat, drop him to normal amounts of any ration balancer.

If his weight is good, then I’d take him back to Ultium at about the minimum feeding rate and see how he does, and you have room to increase from there if he needs a bit more.

[vxf111]

That was my first reaction-- why is he getting a complete feed and SO MUCH ration balancer?

Apparently a Buckeye rep came to the barn and came up with nutritional profiles for all the horses and now the barn is stocking every Buckeye product and feeding as recommended. If you look at the PRICE of the ration balancer, I suspect that has SOMETHING to do with the recommendation

[JB]

I went to the EQ8 page and unfortunately saw that it recommends using GNW for “additional calories” if needed in addition to the EQ8 That’s the dumbest reason to use a ration balancer.

IMHO this is why we have to be more educated on this stuff than companies trying to sell products.

[SonnysMom]

Before I started feeding the Gro N Win I weighed it at home. 2 cups equals about 1 pound so he he is getting about 2 pounds a day.

[JB]

Good to know that it’s a more dense RB.

But the 4c is being given TWICE a day :eek: So that’s 4lb of just the ration balancer. That’s insane :no:

[Texarkana]

[QUOTE=JB;8316739]
I went to the EQ8 page and unfortunately saw that it recommends using GNW for “additional calories” if needed in addition to the EQ8 That’s the dumbest reason to use a ration balancer.

IMHO this is why we have to be more educated on this stuff than companies trying to sell products.[/QUOTE]

Just my personal observation, but I’ve been using Buckeye products on and off for 10+ years and have seen a dramatic change in the company for the worse.

I know the company has gone through several transitions and changes in leadership/parent companies, and it shows.

The products are still good. I’ve seen a slight decrease in quality and choice of ingredients, but overall I still find them superior to most of the mass market feeds.

But they clearly have had a shift in their nutritional philosophy. Their representatives used to push a hay-first diet with minimal feed, recommending the best product for the horse’s demands and often utilizing non-Buckeye products like oats or beet pulp. Now when you speak to them, they recommend more Buckeye products on top of Buckeye products in almost every situation. They’ve even increased the recommended feeding rate of Gro N Win on the bag without changing the formulation.

I can’t fault any company for wanting to turn a profit, but I find it unscrupulous when they do so by altering the messages of their “nutritional experts.”

Feed stores around here have been dropping them like crazy. I’d dump them myself if I didn’t have one picky horse who eats Gro N Win but not other ration balancers.

[JB]

That’s terrible Tex, and SO depressing

Just more reason why owners need to be educated enough to call out this sort of BS when they see it

[TrueColours]

My understanding is that the Buckeye and Tribute formulations are virtually identical or were when the ex Buckeye execs left and formed Tribute

I used to be a staunch Buckeye supporter but got more and more disenchanted with them as their prices went through the roof and more and more feed stores in our area dropped them

I switched to Tribute and haven’t ever looked back. I love the support they offer and their product, the results and for a direct comparable feed, their prices are far lower

I’d never switch away from them

[whbar158]

I will say I know one horse that was on a good amount of a fortified feed and a regular serving of a RB, total over kill but the best that horse ever looked. He didn’t have ulcers was in good health, but was a hard keeper and had horrible feet, on this program it was all fixed. No one had a good explanation as to why this worked for this horse.

[Halfling]

My old (27 yrs.) horse gets 3 1/2# of Buckeye Equate Senior and 1# Progressive Adult RB a day divided into 2 feedings and looks better than she has in years. Love the Equate.

[JB]

That’s a much more reasonable amount of both the EQ8 and the RB to be feeding together.

I’m curious what makes you say you love the EQ8, when you’re feeding more nutrition with the 1lb of the Progressive than of the EQ8

[Flash44]

[QUOTE=whbar158;8317525]
I will say I know one horse that was on a good amount of a fortified feed and a regular serving of a RB, total over kill but the best that horse ever looked. He didn’t have ulcers was in good health, but was a hard keeper and had horrible feet, on this program it was all fixed. No one had a good explanation as to why this worked for this horse.[/QUOTE]

Some of then at at the extreme edges of the bell curb wrt their nutritional requirements. Congrats on acquiring one and feeding him according to his needs.