Purina now has sugars and starches for some of their feeds listed in the guaranteed analyses available on the website. Strategy Healthy Edge is 19%. The NSC for Ultium and the “Equine” line feeds are also listed.
Purina Strategy Healthy Edge looks to be 19% NSC. You could go something like Triple Crown Senior, which is 14% protein, 10% fat, and NSC is 11.7%. Nutrena Pro Force Fuel is a 12% protein, 13% fat, and NSC is 20%- about the NSC of what you are currently feeding but you would up your level of fat by 5%.
I know you said previously that your horses have unlimited access to the hay bar, which in my opinion is excellent, but have you ever had your hay tested? As a veteran of the feed wars, one of the biggest lessons I learned early on is hay quality is of upmost importance. You can feed the best grain in the world, but if your hay is garbage, you might as well be feeding junk grain.
My 17 year old Paint gelding (16.1hh, 1200lbs) is on 2 pounds a day Triple Crown Lite split between two feedings, along with free choice grass hay and grass (24/7 turn out). He is ridden lightly 3 days a week, mostly walk-trot.
My 4 year old OTTB gelding (15.3hh, 1000lbs) is on 11lbs a day of Triple Crown Senior split between three feedings, with free choice grass hay and grass (24/7 turn out). He is ridden moderately 4 days a week, about an hour each time.
I think as well that a lot of us still use the phrase “grain” to refer to a bagged forage based concentrate, which is basically what TC Sr and several others are.
In my case I have an elder ASB that just will not eat the volume of hay or grasses, nor can he eat grasses high in sugars, so stressed grass, spring grass and fall grasses are not a good addition to his diet. I feed 10 pounds of the TC Sr and if I need to bump up his calories I try additional poundage or additional calories per pound of feed in the form of oil.
OP, it’s late now but there may be another Coursera online class on equine nutrition by next January. It’s a tough class but comprehensive and explains about the morphology of the equine gut and how it was designed to be fed little but often and mostly poor quality grasses, not high powered seedheads in big loads with long periods in between, which is how we tend to do it with our concepts of grain fed “meals”. Free choice hay is the way to go, really, but we change their lifestyles so concentrated rations are a compromise.
3 horses on grass and our own made hay,which at the moment is grassy hay. They also get a mineral lick.
They are ridden daily. Translation as often as I can: As it is now 12.55pm and the team leader for my 11.00 am shift has not turned up yet. I can’t see my 2 being ridden today. I did have my hour lesson this morning on a schoolie.
She just messaged and she should be here in 45 minutes.
What my horses get depends on the time of year, what is available to them in the pasture (75 acres of grass), and how well they maintain their weight. The draft got a heck of a lot more Triple crown Sr. than the Appaloosa/TB got. Once fall comes in, they got weigh taped at least once a week, sometimes more if I have to correct a feed level due to a weight problem.
The App/TB, when on full graze outside in the summer, gets 75 acres of grass split over 40+ horses, with 1/2 to 1 cup of TC Sr to mix his hoof and joint supplements in with so he will actually eat them. He also gets 5 or more pounds of hay if he is going to be in for any length of time. In the winter, he can go up to 8 pounds of TC SR/Blue Seal Haystretcher (50:50) mix per day, 1/2 cup canola oil, and consumes half of a 45 pound bale of hay. He holds his weight well on this diet, and is comfortable on it. He regularly scores a 6 or 6.5 on the Henneke Scale by the vet. Winters are severe, so the vet abides by a 6 for this horse.
The draft (17 h. Percheron) in the summer also had full access to the pasture, and consumed 2-4 pounds of TC Sr/BS Haystretcher mix daily. He burned off the weight faster, so had to be watched more carefully, and given additional hay each day (5 to 10 pounds per day). In the winter, he consumed one 45 pound bale of hay per day, and 10 to 11 pounds of the mix along with his hoof and joint supplement, with 1 cup of canola oil. He regularly scored a 5.5 to 6 on the Henneke Scale by the vet. He was considered to be in good weight. The draft was euthanized in April due to an inoperable bone issue.
Both were on a daily pre/probiotic to help them more fully process their food.
Every horse is different. You start with the guidelines for your horse’s size and weight, and then adjust accordingly. I have had horses who needed 4 feedings a day to maintain their weight, and others who became too fat on anything over a couple of cups of grain. TC Sr. has worked very well for us.
Here’s another vote for the Coursera course! It was excellent!
[QUOTE=cutter99;8316175]
Purina Strategy Healthy Edge looks to be 19% NSC. You could go something like Triple Crown Senior, which is 14% protein, 10% fat, and NSC is 11.7%. Nutrena Pro Force Fuel is a 12% protein, 13% fat, and NSC is 20%- about the NSC of what you are currently feeding but you would up your level of fat by 5%.
I know you said previously that your horses have unlimited access to the hay bar, which in my opinion is excellent, but have you ever had your hay tested? As a veteran of the feed wars, one of the biggest lessons I learned early on is hay quality is of upmost importance. You can feed the best grain in the world, but if your hay is garbage, you might as well be feeding junk grain.[/QUOTE]
Good idea re: hay. Where do you send hay to be tested??
[QUOTE=cutter99;8316175]
Purina Strategy Healthy Edge looks to be 19% NSC. You could go something like Triple Crown Senior, which is 14% protein, 10% fat, and NSC is 11.7%. Nutrena Pro Force Fuel is a 12% protein, 13% fat, and NSC is 20%- about the NSC of what you are currently feeding but you would up your level of fat by 5%.
I know you said previously that your horses have unlimited access to the hay bar, which in my opinion is excellent, but have you ever had your hay tested? As a veteran of the feed wars, one of the biggest lessons I learned early on is hay quality is of upmost importance. You can feed the best grain in the world, but if your hay is garbage, you might as well be feeding junk grain.[/QUOTE]
I had some grass hay tested last year that came out at 24 % NSC.
[QUOTE=ReSomething;8316366]
I think as well that a lot of us still use the phrase “grain” to refer to a bagged forage based concentrate, which is basically what TC Sr and several others are.
In my case I have an elder ASB that just will not eat the volume of hay or grasses, nor can he eat grasses high in sugars, so stressed grass, spring grass and fall grasses are not a good addition to his diet. I feed 10 pounds of the TC Sr and if I need to bump up his calories I try additional poundage or additional calories per pound of feed in the form of oil.
OP, it’s late now but there may be another Coursera online class on equine nutrition by next January. It’s a tough class but comprehensive and explains about the morphology of the equine gut and how it was designed to be fed little but often and mostly poor quality grasses, not high powered seedheads in big loads with long periods in between, which is how we tend to do it with our concepts of grain fed “meals”. Free choice hay is the way to go, really, but we change their lifestyles so concentrated rations are a compromise.[/QUOTE]
Totally recommend the Coursera on nutrition. Also Julia Getty’s book, Feed Your Horse Like a Horse, which was the recommended reference book and you can buy on-line.
I have an easy keeper that is IR and is prone to ulcers. She’s such an easy keeper that even hay has to be restricted, and what she does get is soaked. She’s on a dry lot, hand grazed for just a short time for a treat.
She gets 1 cup TCSenior and 2 cups alfalfa pellets with a digestive supplement and a vit/mineral supplement in the morning.
For pm she gets 1 cup TCSenior and 1cup alfalfa pellets plus a digestive supplement, a vit/min supplement and a joint supplement.
It’s hard feeding some of these animals. Some are so sensitive to even normal amts of food and other animals eat a lot and are hard to keep weight on. Both sides of the pendulum.
I have two TB mares, one is 21 and the other is 8. They are in moderate work being ridden about 5 days per week each. Their feed is 12% protein. The younger mare gets 2.5lbs per day and the older mare just this year has been needing a little more. I increased her in June to 3.5lbs per day. They both live out 24/7 on good grass pasture. I usually give them a bucket of alfalfa forage about 3x per week after they are ridden. My older mare still has plenty of get up and go, but not in a stupid way. Younger mare tends to be a little lazier than the old girl, but has plenty of energy without being stupid. They are both in the 15.2h range.
To the OP’s initial question:
I feed as much grain as I HAVE to, and as little as I can get away with.
I happily fill my barn with the best HAY money can buy, and feed it freely.
I feed what the back of the bag recommends to feed, then adjust up or down depending on the horse. But always start with the recommended amount. If you know your horse and he is an easy keeper and gets along on half the usual horse’s amount, then adjust accordingly. For me, my horse takes pretty much exactly what the bag recommends for medicum to heavy work.
