I have always wondered about those heavy protein tubs and recently a good friend started using the TSC ones for her pastured horses. She swears by them now. Her guys are on 100 acres of grass, get free choice hay and now these protein tubs. I also read about these mineral tubs too…
http://www.sweetpro.com/products-equilix.html
What is everyone’s opinion on them that have used them?
Are these protein or mineral licks? I can’t imagine a horse taking in enough protein to make a difference from one of these. If the horses are on a huge good pasture with hay as needed, they probably are doing fine with or without the blocks.
What situation is the horse in? What age? What use? Pleasure or heavy work? Protein requirement is so different depending on age, sex and use.
Looking atb them, they are more mineral blocks than a source of protein. Protein is 12%, which is not terrible high, considering its a lick.
Your average, mature gelding in medium work needs about 10% protein in his diet… Again, what is the horse doing and what is it fed? This is not bad but if you already feeding a balanced diet or the horse is doing nothing its probably a waste of money.
Sounds like a mineral block that has a tub attached. I’m a fan of loose mineral offered free choice in a shelter, or mixed into beetpulp or grain so they eat it. I have been told a horse that needs a lot of mineral will burn their tongue licking the block before getting enough. These would be the same I think.
12 % protein is about the same as moderately good grass hay. It isn’t going to give any protein boost more than just feeding another flake of hay.
I feed a vitamin/mineral supplement and salt in my mash, and have a salt block in the stall. I feed the recommended amount of the supplement so I know horse is getting what she needs.
The only problem is that they can go somewhat crazy at first. I have fed the 50 pound blocks on occasion and it always worried me at how much they would consume when I first put them out as they are soft enough they can bite chunks off.
I prefer adding minerals to their daily feed to keep things more stable.
I am thinking the one in the tubs is somewhat soft too…
not a fan - I tried one and the horses ate it in 2 days (drafts, smashed it with their hooves and ate the chunks), also had a client’s horse wear his hoof done to nothing pawing at one.
I used mineral/ protein tubs for my cattle. It’s not a terribly high amount of protein in the big cattle ones either only 14% but my show heifers looks nice on them. Better hair quality than on loose minerals. The real benefit is they hold up to the rain better.
some do get carried away at first but they stop sitting on it. Side note someone had my horse turned out with some heifers and a Purina wind and rain mineral tub. Called Purina as I’m sure she licked the tub that is meant for cattle. They said horses wouldn’t be harmed by them but they aren’t formulated for them.
dodged a bullet there!
The ones I have seen ay TSC are mostly molasses… they keep licking because it’s sweet!
Someone put one in a pasture I was sharing at the time, I did not like it because my horse wasn’t supposed to get that much sugar.
OP i use the tubs in link you posted they work great for my horses. They went through the first one pretty fast, but after that they slowed way down on it. Sure beats trying to add powdered supplements to feed, that just get left at bottom of feed pan. Pelleted supplements really are any better. They just sort them out of feed and leave it at bottom of pan.
Got one horse add anything supplement wise to feed and it’s a huge no go. So the tubs work great no uneaten feed because it’s tainted with supplement that aren’t liked.
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