Help with feed program

[ladipus]

What’s the most cost effective way to feed multiple horses ?? Ration Balancer plus added fat and or hay cubes/pellets if needed ?or feeding less than recommended amount of a complete feed and add Rb to that?? I’m once again looking to simplify/modify my feeding program and looking to cut back & save wherever I can…

I’ve got 3 horses on TC Senior Gold - the 35yr old Wb with Cushings is getting 8lbs/day…the 20yr Tb with Cushings is getting 5lbs and 1/2 lb TC Gold Balancer, and the 20yr pony with Cushings is getting 2lbs/day …TC Senior Gold is 50lb bags at $34/bag …minimum is 6lbs/day

1 12yr old Wb mare getting 1lb/day TC Gold Balancer …50lb bags at $45/bag at 1-2lbs/day

Then I have 3 getting Hygain Zero …all 3 are getting 3lbs/day, 1lb Timothy Balance Cubes plus 1/2 cup /day TC Naturals golden Ground Flax and Vermont Blend…44lb bags at $34/bag bare minimum per Hygain rep is 3ishlbs/day

Another gets 1lb/day Timothy Balance Cubes/ 1/2 cup TC Naturals Golden Ground Flax, VB & Vitamin E …VB is about $40/horse/month and Timothy balance cubes are $33 for a 50lb bag

New horse -8yr old Friesian getting 6 lbs/day Tribute Kalm N EZ Pellets , 1 cup Tribute KFinish, Equine Total Gold Oil(soybean& fish oil) and MVP Mag 5000.(this was specific recommended diet that he came with ) …50lb bags at $26/bag minimum amount is about 6lbs/day KFinish $ 44 for 50lb bag ….this horses diet seems pretty simple and easy

I like Hygain Zero due to the ultra low starch /sugar and relatively low feeding rate as well as it being soy free …but at feeding bare minimum of 3ish lbs/day comes to $2.59/horse/day …these are 44lb bags and cost roughly $35/bag …they did just come out with Meta Safe …also ultra low starch/sugar feed rate only 1-2lbs/day …44lb bags at $43.50/ bag …which I’m told is roughly $1/horse /day

[Scribbler]

@ladipus

What’s the most cost effective way to feed multiple horses ?? Ration Balancer plus added fat and or hay cubes/pellets if needed ?or feeding less than recommended amount of a complete feed and add Rb to that?? I’m once again looking to simplify/modify my feeding program and looking to cut back & save wherever I can…

I’ve got 3 horses on TC Senior Gold - the 35yr old Wb with Cushings is getting 8lbs/day…the 20yr Tb with Cushings is getting 5lbs and 1/2 lb TC Gold Balancer, and the 20yr pony with Cushings is getting 2lbs/day …TC Senior Gold is 50lb bags at $34/bag …minimum is 6lbs/day

1 12yr old Wb mare getting 1lb/day TC Gold Balancer …50lb bags at $45/bag at 1-2lbs/day

Then I have 3 getting Hygain Zero …all 3 are getting 3lbs/day, 1lb Timothy Balance Cubes plus 1/2 cup /day TC Naturals golden Ground Flax and Vermont Blend…44lb bags at $34/bag bare minimum per Hygain rep is 3ishlbs/day

Another gets 1lb/day Timothy Balance Cubes/ 1/2 cup TC Naturals Golden Ground Flax, VB & Vitamin E …VB is about $40/horse/month and Timothy balance cubes are $33 for a 50lb bag

New horse -8yr old Friesian getting 6 lbs/day Tribute Kalm N EZ Pellets , 1 cup Tribute KFinish, Equine Total Gold Oil(soybean& fish oil) and MVP Mag 5000.(this was specific recommended diet that he came with ) …50lb bags at $26/bag minimum amount is about 6lbs/day KFinish $ 44 for 50lb bag ….this horses diet seems pretty simple and easy

I like Hygain Zero due to the ultra low starch /sugar and relatively low feeding rate as well as it being soy free …but at feeding bare minimum of 3ish lbs/day comes to $2.59/horse/day …these are 44lb bags and cost roughly $35/bag …they did just come out with Meta Safe …also ultra low starch/sugar feed rate only 1-2lbs/day …44lb bags at $43.50/ bag …which I’m told is roughly $1/horse /day

I can’t even begin to crunch numbers on your feeding program but it sounds expensive.

In my market the most cost effective feeding plan is good hay, and Madbarns Omneity premix VMS in a small mash of beet pulp and alfalfa cubes. As much hay as horses need to keep weight. Add about 1/3 alfalfa hay if horse needs more protein and calories. If the horse needs even more calories I like a local product that is pelleted alfalfa meal and vegetable oil. High calorie very palatable.

In my market there is no comprehensive ration balancer and the cost of manufactured feeds is much higher than straight beet pulp or alfalfa cubes.

You need good hay though.

[MzCarol]

Crazy prices on grain!!

I have an arab (12), a grade large stock pony (17) and an OTTB (7)

None of them receive any grain. The “littles” get half cup beet pulp (2x/day) and SmartPak vits/mins/joint support.

The OTTB gets 4 cups beet pulp (2x/day) and SmartPak vits/mins/joint support.

Beet pulp is under $20/bag and SmartPaks are just over $200/month for all 3.

[Scribbler]

I order the Mad Barn 50 lb bag which is very economical.

[BayBondGirl]

I feel that the most cost-effective program would be starting with the simplest and expanding from there as needed per horse.

• X amount of hay baseline
• X amount of “grain” base: hay pellets of some kind or beetpulp
• Comprehensive vit/mineral supplement
• Add things like oil, flax, etc as needed per horse

Alternatively I would probably go with a base of a quality ration balancer and then add extra calories as needed per horse in the form of hay pellets or BP, oils, etc. I think it depends on how the costs of those break down and what RB options you have available in your area!

[ladipus]

@Scribbler I feed good quality tested second cutting low sugar grass hay

[ladipus]

@MzCarol yes …grain/feed prices as well as hay and bedding seem to have skyrocketed

[ladipus]

@BayBondGirl …yes …this is what I was thinking as well might be the best bet and fairly the easiest…as for Ration Balancers …I have easiest access to Triple Crown, Tribute, Buckeye, Purina …basically any of them …or I can order Hygain from chewy or direct from manufacture

[ladipus]

@Scribbler the Vermont Blend-which I love is about $200 for 50lbs however isn’t all that inexpensive…or about $40/horse …but then you need a carrier , flax , vitamin e and potentially other things to balance your hay

[Scribbler]

@ladipus

@Scribbler the Vermont Blend-which I love is about $200 for 50lbs however isn’t all that inexpensive…or about $40/horse …but then you need a carrier , flax , vitamin e and potentially other things to balance your hay

I’ve crunched the numbers in my market and the Mad Barn is about the same price as you are paying for Vermont Blend. I’m in Canada and a bagged feed is considerably more expensive than beet pulp or alfalfa cubes. My mashes grow when wet to a satisfying meal but are small dry, I’m using a cottage cheese container as scoop so I think about a pound of beet pulp and less than a pound of alfalfa cubes. Flax has gotten crazy expensive. I’m giving it to one horse, though, and at a cup a day a bag does last about 6 months. The VMS has enough vitamin E.

I haven’t tested my hay but it’s good commercial 3 string Timothy. If I needed more protein or calories I’d add in alfalfa hay which is the same price and contributes to chew time, rather than protein powders.

This is with easy keeping healthy horses. If your horses are missing teeth and can’t chew, that’s another scenario. But I feel that for healthy horses in my market I’ve figured out the most cost effective and nutritious plan and I’ve had a variety of horses under my care that this works for.

[FjordBCRF]

Not sure if this helps at all, but I average everything out over a year, then see what the monthly/daily’s costs are. I use VBPro as my forage balancer.

[Scribbler]

Yes I’ve done that in the past. Everything is now more expensive but my plan is still cheaper than feeding pounds of a bagged manufactured feed in this market.

[ladipus]

@FjordBCRF This is quite helpful to look at it and see it like this…are those figures for just one horse ? … I also supplement mine with Tractguard… And vitamin E capsules … then there’s of course my extremely high maintenance mare who has asthma, PSSM2 , MFM and VEM her supplements alone are breaking the bank

[Scribbler]

@ladipus

@FjordBCRF This is quite helpful to look at it and see it like this…are those figures for just one horse ? … I also supplement mine with Tractguard… And vitamin E capsules … then there’s of course my extremely high maintenance mare who has asthma, PSSM2 , MFM and VEM her supplements alone are breaking the bank

Yes those must be for one horse.

[FjordBCRF]

@ladipus Yep just one very easy keeper

The Omega E is from Custom Equine Nutrition, same as the Vermont Blend. It’s flax with vitamin E; that was the best quality/economical combo I came up with for both.