Dynamite Products? Should I switch?

[WildLittleWren]

Does anyone feed the Dynamite products? I had a friend talk me into it, and while my horses look GREAT on it, I now have 3 horses instead of 2 and its looking like its going to get even pricier than it already is. I put out 2-1, 1-1, Izmine, and mineral salt free choice, they seem to take what they need. They also each get 1 oz of the Dynamite a day, mixed with clay water, and DynaPro (for digestion).

It’s getting really complicated at this point :lol:. They each get 1/2 scoop of soaked T&A pellets twice a day, and almost all they can eat coastal. They are currently on a dry lot (just my situation, grass is not an option until we get our 2.5 additional acres cleared and fenced, which won’t be until spring, and in Florida grass has very little nutritional value anyways).

All 3 of my horses are easy keepers. I want to ensure they are getting everything they need. I used to feed a ration balancer, and whole oats, but at that point I was boarding and they were on 30 acres of grass. Now they are on the dry lot.

With their inclination to get a little tubby, what would you suggest? A ration balancer, with the hay and T&A pellets? Or a commercial feed? They don’t need ridiculous amounts of calories, and I worry about starches and sugars, which is why I took them off the commercial feeds to begin with. Two are mustangs, one is a Rocky Mountain Horse who was previously on Pro Force Fuel and coastal (why he was on Fuel standing in a 30 X 12 pen with no exercise, I have no idea).But he’s definitely overweight. I am about to put him in training so he will drop a little as I work with him more, which is good, because he has fatty deposits on his shoulders as it is now and his butt jiggles a good bit :lol:.

Ideas welcome! What do you do for your easy keepers on a mostly grass hay diet?

[SonnysMom]

Wow your current program seems complicated. I would go with good hay and a ration balancer. Maybe the T&A pellets. I used alfalfa pellets then alfalfa cubes for one horse for a while. He was inclined towards ulcers so I wanted the alfalfa in his diet. Sourcing then storing alfalfa hay at that barn would have been difficult.

[TWH_Girl]

I have used Dynamite and wasn’t particularly impressed. I liked that it lasted a long time and you did not need to feed much. I have two friends who sell it and swear by Breeders Pac, the Relax and Release sprays, as well as one of the calming ones.

For easy keepers, we feed Tribute EK and a little bit of Kalm and EZ if needed. That seems to work well.

[Ponycatraz]

California Trace Plus for my easy keepers mixed in whatever carrier you choose (hay pellets, flax, etc).

My black RMH actually stays black on it and he faded terribly with other vitamin supplements in the past. After being on it a year and a half we’ve had noticeable improvement with hoof quality and thickness of hoof wall.

They also have a selenium free version if you don’t need additional in the diet.

[WildLittleWren]

@SonnysMom

Wow your current program seems complicated. I would go with good hay and a ration balancer. Maybe the T&A pellets. I used alfalfa pellets then alfalfa cubes for one horse for a while. He was inclined towards ulcers so I wanted the alfalfa in his diet. Sourcing then storing alfalfa hay at that barn would have been difficult.

By good hay do you mean something other than coastal? Or would coastal, with the T&A pellets, and ration balancer be a good combo?

[WildLittleWren]

Yeah I looked into buying a 25lb bag of the Dynamite because with 3 horses I am going through the 5lb quicker, and its $150! I know it would last a long time but that’s a lot to cough up for just a portion of what I am putting out for them (not including all the free choice supplements I am putting out for them). I mean, I have been hesitant to switch because my mustangs look good on it, but it’s getting I think pricier than I would like, and its really hard for my husband or daughter to feed for me when I can’t. It’s a complicated system, I would like something easier!

[WildLittleWren]

And as for a ration balancer, are some better with the mostly grass hay diet than others? I know there’s a difference between those on legume hay and those on grass hay, but am curious which work best with both, and who has had good results with them.

[SonnysMom]

@WildLittleWren

By good hay do you mean something other than coastal? Or would coastal, with the T&A pellets, and ration balancer be a good combo?

We don’t have coastal in my area so I don’t know anything about it. We primarily have grass or timothy hay. There is some alfalfa and alfalfa mixes available but it is getting harder to find. By good quality I just something they willingly eat and has a decent nutritional profile. Not something that is stemmy or weedy. Something that they will actually eat and not just pick at or waste.

I use Buckeye Gro N Win. They have one formula for use with horses on grass hay and one for alfalfa hay. I use the grass hay one even when my horse was getting the alfalfa pellets/cubes since I figured that that amount of alfalfa was such a small portion of his daily rations it wouldn’t make a difference.

I will defer to @J.D. or one of the other posters that know more about nutrition on if that would be a good combo.

Personally I would add electrolytes. I tend to feed them all year round. I feed less in the winter and more when they sweat more in the summer. But that is since my Arab cross would get a little colicy in the spring if I didn’t start him on them soon enough so it is easier to keep him on all year round. A friend was having routine gassy colics with her old retired OTTB and putting him on electrolytes all year round has helped reduce his colics. But that is anecdotal and a personal preference.

[JB]

@WildLittleWren

I put out 2-1, 1-1, Izmine, and mineral salt free choice, they seem to take what they need.

Nothing wrong with any of these, though you can use plain loose salt for loads cheaper. There’s no need for the designer salt

They also each get 1 oz of the Dynamite a day, mixed with clay water, and DynaPro (for digestion).

Is there a need for digestive support?

It’s getting really complicated at this point :lol:. They each get 1/2 scoop of soaked T&A pellets twice a day, and almost all they can eat coastal.

What size scoop?

All 3 of my horses are easy keepers. I want to ensure they are getting everything they need. I used to feed a ration balancer, and whole oats, but at that point I was boarding and they were on 30 acres of grass. Now they are on the dry lot.

With their inclination to get a little tubby, what would you suggest? A ration balancer, with the hay and T&A pellets? Or a commercial feed? They don’t need ridiculous amounts of calories, and I worry about starches and sugars, which is why I took them off the commercial feeds to begin with. Two are mustangs, one is a Rocky Mountain Horse who was previously on Pro Force Fuel and coastal (why he was on Fuel standing in a 30 X 12 pen with no exercise, I have no idea).But he’s definitely overweight. I am about to put him in training so he will drop a little as I work with him more, which is good, because he has fatty deposits on his shoulders as it is now and his butt jiggles a good bit :lol:.

Ideas welcome! What do you do for your easy keepers on a mostly grass hay diet?

With the calories you’re feeding now, a ration balancer would be a cheaper and more nutritious option, and possibly fewer calories, depending on the size of your scoop.

[WildLittleWren]

@JB

Nothing wrong with any of these, though you can use plain loose salt for loads cheaper. There’s no need for the designer salt

Is there a need for digestive support?

What size scoop?

With the calories you’re feeding now, a ration balancer would be a cheaper and more nutritious option, and possibly fewer calories, depending on the size of your scoop.

Half of a 3 quart scoop.

My mustang mare had ulcers which were treated, and my friend suggested the DynaPro for prevention once my vet and I cleared them, so I have just added it to my other guys as well.

So perhaps drop the dynamite stuff, the T&A pellets, and go to a ration balancer and coastal with the loose salts and minerals? Or would you continue with the T&A pellets as well?

[JB]

I like DynaPro, but nothing about it would help with ulcers, so no real need for that. And while I’m not doubting that the Clay could help with existing ulcers, bentonite clay shouldn’t be fed on a regular basis, not in any amounts that could help with anything. It’s got value in feeds as a micotoxin binder, but more than that and it’s typically not a great idea.

From the sound of things - easy keepers, tends to be chubby - I would not keep any significant amount of the T&A pellets. A cup or so for taste, if they don’t find the balancer all that tasty, would be fine.

[WildLittleWren]

@JB

I like DynaPro, but nothing about it would help with ulcers, so no real need for that. And while I’m not doubting that the Clay could help with existing ulcers, bentonite clay shouldn’t be fed on a regular basis, not in any amounts that could help with anything. It’s got value in feeds as a micotoxin binder, but more than that and it’s typically not a great idea.

From the sound of things - easy keepers, tends to be chubby - I would not keep any significant amount of the T&A pellets. A cup or so for taste, if they don’t find the balancer all that tasty, would be fine.

Thank you! You have been most helpful!

[WildLittleWren]

After a lot of research of the ration balancers my local feed stores carry, and spending time comparing them, I decided to go with the Tribute Essentials K. Anyone else used this? It looked like it was more complete than the Enrich Plus (plus I am not a huge fan of Purina).

[JB]

I’ve used it. It’s fine, I prefer several others, as the EK has a bit lower nutritional profile than most others, so I was feeding more to make up for that. But it may be fine for your needs, and it’s definitely a big step up from the Dynamite.