Need feed advice! :)

[CavalryHorse]

I am moving from Europe to the states this year and trying to organize what I will feed my horses since what I currently give them is not available in the US.

I was interested in the new Triple Crown Naturals pelleted feed… but I saw it had a NSC of 20+% which seems high to me. None of my horses have metabolic problems but I’ve always followed the rule of thumb of <15% in regards to NSC.

Previously in the states I have fed Legends Performance Pellet, which has a NSC of 10.2%.

I don’t feel grains are necessary, I’m not crazy about feeding molasses and I’d like to feed something a bit higher quality, like TC.

TC Lite is without grains, without molasses and has a low NSC (9.3), which I like. This is the perfect solution for my easy keeper/maintenance horses but is it possible to feed this to my horses in work if I just add a fat supplement? Lite has a protein of 12% and a fat of 3%. I thought to add some rice bran, but I know the pellets very often also have a high protein content and I don’t need that. Can’t seem to find any protein info with regards to the oils like TC Rice Bran oil plus.

Is there a better solution than trying to fat-boost TC Lite if I want to avoid molasses and grains?

I’ve also heard that a high NSC isn’t such a big deal if there is enough fat in the diet… as I think Rice Bran pellets can also run high in NSC too?

Thanks!

[specifiedcupcake]

Rice bran is a great feed additive, and much cheaper in the US (I did the reverse move). You can get it “plain” (unpelleted, but still vitamin E fortified) in sacks and it’s got a consistency like a heavy powder. Usually you feed so little (like 300-400g) that the NSC content is not that big of a deal unless a horse is really hyper sensitive to it. I think with the high fat and fiber the overall glycemic index (how much it contributes to blood sugar levels rise/fall) is very low as well.

[specifiedcupcake]

One thing I’m not a huge fan of in US feed is the high soy content- my horse is a lot happier off the soy but it seems like it was in EVERYTHING in the US pellet-feed market.

[JB]

How much in the way of concentrates are you feeding now?

Legends Performance Pellet is not bad at all.

TC Lite is, as it sounds, a light feed, fed at 1-2lb/500lb. So a 1000lb horse would get between 2 and 4lb, depending on the need. 2lb may be too many calories for a very easy keeper, and 4lb may not be enough for a horse who simply needs more.

Why are you looking to add fat, especially to an easier keeping horse? Are you looking to avoid molasses due to an allergy issue?

Rice bran is indeed higher NSC, but you’re limiting how much is fed, typically 1-2lb, so unless the horse is metabolic, it’s not that big a deal. Pelleted or not, the protein content is also limited due to the amount fed. If you’re feeding 2lb of TC Lite, that’s 108gm protein. Max-E-Glo rice bran is 13% protein, so not high at all. That’s 59gm per pound.

Oils are 100% fat. No protein. If any oil product has added ingredients that add some protein, it’s negligible.

[CavalryHorse]

JB
Three of my horses (TB and two modern type WB’s) are not easy keepers, but they all do much better off grains for the ‘hotness’ factor.

So I’d prefer to keep them grain free but I want them to have enough fat to support their work. (performance Dressage) And I just think molasses is gross honestly!

Thanks for the info. So it sounds like TC Lite + TC Rice Bran Oil Plus should be fine for those guys.

specifiedcupcake
I agree about the soy, and I will miss sainfoin!!

[Mango20]

You could also use Legends Omega Plus as a fat supplement. I just bought a bag to try for my one horse in work, to add to the Triple Crown 30 and little bit of Legends Carbcare pellets they all get.

[JB]

Unless it’s an allergy issue, any “hotness” from a grain product is from the NSC content, and unlikely to be due to the existence of any cereal grains. Before the reformulation of TC Growth, for example, there were oats in it, but the NSC was only 13.7%. Oats are still there, just more of them, so it’s closer to 19% NSC now. It’s not necessary to stay away from grains for the sake of it, as long as the NSC of the whole product is low enough. However, I do understand wanting to be free of cereal grains on just principle

Molasses has many benefits. It can be part of a low NSC feed and used solely as a binding agent, or dust reducer, or taste enhancer. TC Sr for example is only 11.7% NSC and has molasses. The old Growth also had molasses. Many pelleted feeds use it, or a combination of it and vegetable oil, as a binder.

Whether TC Lite + rice bran will work for your working horses is just something you’ll have to try. CAN it work? Absolutely.

[CavalryHorse]

Thanks, I also just realized that I was completely forgetting about TC Low Starch, which might be better for the less easy working ones as it has more calories via higher fat (I guess the stabilized rice bran?) than Lite. Should keep me from having to feed more oil.

I’m thinking maybe I’ll try the Low Starch + oil for the less easy keeper working ones and Lite for the easy ones and see how it all goes.

[stb]

Why not TC Senior for your harder keeping horses? It actually has lower NSC than the low starch, and it has a decent amount of fat in it, so you might not have to add any additional.

[gypsymare]

For simply adding more calories for a hard working horse, I get the most bang for my buck with baled alfalfa. It’s pretty cheap, around $5-7 for a 40 lb bale.

For higher protein check out TC 30% and for fat… it’s not the cheapest but nothing beats the smell of cocosoya oil. Mmmmm. But since it’s more than half soybean oil you can buy that a lot cheaper at the grocer.