I am used to raising goats so I have an idea that minerals separate from their feed is important. My question is what should I be getting for minerals and what does a horse need for daily mineral intake. I bought my mare a big mineral block that lasted a week so before I go buying another one id like to know if she could use something else.
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Feed a ration balancer at the prescribed rate of generally 1 or 2 lbs a day. Or feed a good vitamin mineral supplement (generally dosed by ounces) in a small mash of hay or beet pulp.
Horses know they need salt. That’s it. Loose minerals get consumed, or not, based on taste, not need, and most taste awful.
What you feed depends on the forage situation and her weight. If she’s in good weight, not thin, not fat, then yes, a ration balancer is a good start. Triple Crown 30, Seminole Equalizer, Tribute Essential K, Purina Enrich, Nutrena Empower Balancer, most brands have one. Which one you should use first depends on what you can get, and second depends on any hay analysis if that’s possible.
If she’s already borderline heavy, then a forage balancer - California Trace, Arizona Copper Complete, High Point Grass (or Alfalfa), KIS Trace, Lonestar Trace, U-balance Foundation, Sporthorse Grass, etc. Which one - see above
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I have her on Poulin balancer right now and she gets half a cup of that and half a cup of alfalfa pellets. I am a little worried she is a little thin. We had to switch to first cut timothy hay and it is very straw like. We are looking for another hay source but for now this is what we are stuck with.
She got dewormed two months ago and recently her manure has been loose. I assumed this may have to be due to switching hay?
How much does she weigh? Most balancers are 3c/lb and fed at 1-1.5lb per 1000lb
If she’s thin on the hay you’re stuck with then you need either:
- a regular feed so you can feed 5-6lb
- feed the 1-1.5lb balancer and increase alf pellets to 2-4lb
- feed 1/2-1lb balancer and a half serving of a regular feed
for the regular feed, if sticking to Poulin, I’d choose one of the E-Tech feeds. I’d might choose the Carb Safe because it’s so high fiber and you’re feeding “straw”.
What did you deworm with in Oct, and what prior to that?
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she weighs 900lbs. I can try increasing the balancer and alfalfa pellets.
She was given ivermectin paste.
She needs a solid 1lb of the balancer. That’s still not a lot of calories so you’re looking at several pounds of alf pellets
Plain ivermectin? What before that? Does she eat grass at all?
I’m also a huge fan of Poulin grains. Their feeds are of good, high quality, and are geared to the nutritional requirements of horses in the North East (the most notable element being selenium).
If you want to add calories without adding grain, you might try Poulin Fibre-Max for all or part of your mare’s ration. The Poulin range is so vast that you can, with a little planning, customize a meal plan for pretty much any horse.
Excellent stuff! And here’s the full range:
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I bought her in october and brought her home in november. I only know what the auction house told me and the lady who boarded her during quarantine told me. Dont get me wrong shes not at a bad weight is pretty healthy she just could use a couple extra pounds and is showing outline of ribs. She is off work until February and possibly later depending on the weather. She pretty hardy currently but she is showing signs of previously being mineral deficient which is why I am trying to make sure shes getting what she needs.
We have been covered in snow for the last couple weeks so no access to grass. We are moving to a boarding barn in Feb that will have better hay so we just need to get by until then.
Would this be a better feed? https://www.poulingrain.com/products/168/decade-stable-sweet-tradition-
JB is far more expert than I am, but I myself would be wary of NSC (non-structural carbohydrates) over 26%. If you feed this as the only ration, at the rate recommended for moderate work, you’d be feeding up to 7 pounds a day for a horse who needs a bit of weight.
That’s an awful lot of sugar - as you’ll probably find in any feed with the word “sweet” in it’s name.
My barn-owner feeds Poulin E-Tec One, and that seems like a very good feed.
Since you don’t know the horse’s de-worming history, it might be worthwhile thinking about tapeworms. Ivermectin (by itself) won’t hurt tapeworms; you’d need to use a paste that has praziquantel in it. (Just beware of Zimectrin Gold, which has a history of reactions to it; you can search for some threads on this site).
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what signs are those?
I would get a fecal done if you can, but at least I’d deworm with Equimax, as you didn’t kill tapeworms last time.
Not at all. Oats, corn, and a whopping 26.6% NSC. Poulin is a decent brand, but they have a lot of feeds I would not use. Stick with the E-Tec line
Her mane and tail is discolored. Should be dark black but is a redish with yellowy tint.
I am looking for a better grain but everything that is offered is for performance horses . I only need something for the winter.
I can get a fecel hopefully soon
Ok yes the excessive bleaching does indicate nutrient deficiencies, usually along the lines of copper and zinc, but overall you’re still not feeding her well enough given the poor quality hay, and too-little balancer.
Ignore the marketing descriptions of the E-Tec feeds. But also, they aren’t all labeled for performance horses. Pick one you can easily get, and go with that one. You can’t go wrong in starting with any of that line. I gave my recommendation and why, but any one will do for starters.
Should I continue with alfalfa along with E-Tec? I should be able to switch to better hay in another week hopefully.
alfalfa pellets are a nice way to add calories, so yes, you could continue.
And if you want to wait to make feed changes until you’re a couple weeks into the better hay, that’s very reasonable. Just increase the balancer to 1lb so you’re feeding it properly.
Okay, I increased her balancer for tonight to 1lb and 1/2 a cup of alfalfa. The north east is going through a hay shortage so finding a consistent hay supply is going to be a struggle. I picked up Poulin E-tec one. When I start feeding that can I switch it completely over to Etec and stop with the balancer?
I also dewormed her tonight. She took it like a pro
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