Feed Story: From Whole Foods to Seminole Dynasport

[piedmontfields]

For the last few years, I have fed my mare a “whole foods diet” according the the understanding of my old barn owner, which is similar to this: https://www.biostarus.com/pages/whole-food-diet-for-equines

My mare did okay on this diet (hay + alfalfa pellets, flax or chia, rice bran, cool stance, camelina oil + supplements *no soy) but she is a hard keeper with mild PSSM. I also had to do a lot of supplementation, which was costly. And she never looked like she should.

I moved and am now feeing Seminole Dynasport, which is a higher fat, lower sugar extruded feed (NSC of 14%, fat around 15%) with soy. I no longer feed camelina oil or a vit/min supplement. She does get ALCAR + some other supplements still. She looks awesome, and actually gained weight over winter for the first time ever and is now being cut back a bit.

FYI, YMMV.

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[jawa]

I can’t say enough great things about Seminole feeds. I’m so glad that there is a store that sells it not to far from me.

The photo of me walking prior to a fox hunt was about 18 months ago. His coat was dull and his hooves went to crap, lost 4 different shoes in 4 weeks. The second photo, of me doing some cantering warm up, is from the end of Oct 2016. He had been clipped a couple of weeks prior to this photo, but you’d never know it.

I second that this is the only feed I have been able to use in which he gained weight through winter and/or heavy work.

[jawa]

Just an FYI, he is a typical TB.

[stb]

Jawa, which Seminole feed are you using? Your horse looks fabulous!

[Palm_Beach]

Any horse who is being fed primarily forage (grass or hay) is already on a “whole foods” diet.

OP, I’m not surprised your horse did better with the addition of the concentrate. There are some pretty smart people who live and breathe equine nutrition and they put together some good products. Your horse looks fabulous.

[Scribbler]

I feed whole foods because my mare thrives on it and it is the least expensive option in my region. But I would see no reason to continue feeding it if the horse wasn’t thriving, or I would tweak the whole food diet for more calories. Not familiar with Seminole but glad it’s working for you.

[piedmontfields]

Jawa, I remembered your post and great photos when I moved barns, and I was hopeful that this feed would work on my mare! I also talked with Seminole reps about the best choices for her, given her condition and needs. BTW this mare is in very regular 5x week, schooling 3rd. Not as hard as fox hunting, but still work.

Scribbler, I know that whole foods diets can work very well. I’ve seen horses really thrive on it. I think it is an especially helpful approach when you need to avoid soy or other ingredients due to allergies/sensitivities.

Seminole is produced weekly in Florida. We are lucky to have it shipped to our barn in TN. I don’t think it is available outside the southeast.

[lorilu]

I have been feeding Seminole for years, very happy with it. Bravo (showing 3rd ) gets Dynasport because it is nutrient dense and he’s an easy keeper (with Seminole Equalizer to provide the missing vit/min/amino acids because he gets so little feed); trail/ working equitation horse gets half and half Herbal Mix and Ultradynamix - he needed weight and he likes this so he eats it!. Aged mare gets UltraDynamix because she would not eat and does not need a senior feed. They are all shiny even with shedding coats.