Questions about feed

[LaurenS428]

Hi all! First post

I have an 8yo off track Quarter Horse. I’ve had him a little over 3 months. His previous owner rescued him from neglect, underweight, bad feet/teeth, etc. She had him on Purina Strategy, and he gained significant weight back in her care. I kept him on that feed, and over the last 3 months, he’s gained even more weight, and is looking well-muscled and solid. However, with the weight gain and spring grass, he’s gotten a little nutty. He’s very excitable and unfocused under saddle, and spooky.

In doing research, a lot of other owners have said that Strategy seems to make their horses act silly too. My farrier suggested a lower carb/sugar feed and the descriptions of those feeds do say that they help calm horses.

I should also add that he is ridden 2-3 times/week and does light to moderate work, we are not out there galloping and jumping oxers!

Any help/suggestions would be appreciated!
Thanks so much!

[LauraKY]

I swear by Triple Crown Senior, but a lot depends on how much feed he needs. How much are you feeding him of the Strategy?

[Real_Rush]

While I also absolutely love the TC Senior, it is a bit high in fat, at 10%. Since your guy doesn’t need to keep gaining weight, this might not be such a good option for you. Strategy only has 6% fat but the Purina website does not list the starch levels. Typically, the higher the fiber %, the lower the starch. TC Sr. has 18% fiber and ~11% starch. Strategy only has 12.5% fiber, so one could expect that the starch level is pretty high.

If you have access to a feed store that sells Southern States and Triple Crown feed, there are several feeds that would be very good alternatives:

–Legends Carbcare Show & Pleasure pellet: 6% fat, 18% fiber and 15% starch.
–Triple Crown Lite pellet: 3% fat, 20% fiber, ~9% starch
–TC Low Starch pellet: 6% fat, 18% fiber, 13.5% starch

Good luck, and hope this helps!

[LaurenS428]

He’s getting a quart in the morning, and a quart in the evening (recently cut back from 1.5 and 1.5). A friend had mentioned TC Total Lifetime or Legends CarbControl Performance. The Legends is also 10% fat - like TC Senior. Legends had one of the lowest NSC content of everything we compared.

Side note: I am new to the “feed world”, and he is my first horse. I grew up a barn rat, feeding the “barn feed” like I was told, and not really paying attention to what was in it.

I appreciate the feedback!

[Marla_100]

Lauren, I’d suggest you get a cheap weight scale so you can weigh your feed and know exactly how much you’re feeding. A scoop is not an accurate measurement and not all feeds weigh the same. It’ll also come in handy when you want to weigh your hay amounts.

You can get an inexpensive fisherman’s scale at Walmart for not much money.
I’d second the TC Senior, it’s great feed and my horses love it.

[Frizzle]

2 quarts of a fortified feed is not going to give him the RDI of vitamins, minerals, etc. I would switch him to a ration balancer or just give him some hay pellets and a good vit/min pellet.

[Sansena]

Agree if horse is on FT pasture, then only a ration balancer is necessary. If he’s still too excitable, try an oral mag supplement like Mag3000 through Smart Pack or Thia Cal from Finish Line.

[Flash44]

What Frizzle said and Sansena said. Ride more, feed less. Have fun, he sounds like a cool horse!

[JB]

If you have access to Triple Crown, try the TC Lite. It’s fed at 1-2lb per 500lb, so you have some good leeway in how much you feed.

You are right about Strategy - it just does not sit well with some horses, while others do very well on it. There seems to be no middle ground.

You also have Spring grass in the mix. That’s high in sugar.

How is his current weight now?

You could also do the TC 30% or any ration balancer really. If that’s not enough calories, do the Lite, or add 1-2lb alfalfa pellets and see.

If he’s also fairly newly in his healthy weight, you may be seeing more of the real him

[LaurenS428]

Thank you for all of the advice! My farrier actually suggested hay pellets with a vitamin/mineral supplement, as that’s what she feeds her level-headed horses…maybe that is the way to go with this crazy boy (<-- said with a LOT of love haha).

He was 974lbs when I got him, and I don’t have a weight tape (yet), but I’d guesstimate he’s gained about 75-100 pounds. He’s 15.2h and svelt, not a typical chunky QH. Reminds me more of his great-granddaddy, who was a TB.

Who would have thought there were SO MANY options?

[JB]

That’s certainly a way to feed, but it’s an expensive way if he needs significant calories to maintain his weight.

The TC 30% or Lite would be a lot less sugar than what you’re feeding now, which might be the simple way to go for starters.

[LaurenS428]

Yes I just started price comparing :eek:
The other horses get TC Senior (drafts, ages 16 and 24), so I’m wondering, if just to make life easier, I just put him on that and see how he does. It looks like the feeding recommendations are about 5lbs/day. Is switching horse feed like switching a dog’s food? I know it has to be gradual, but what are the guidelines?
But TC Lite might also be a good option so he’s not eating quite so much, but still getting all the vitamins/minerals he needs…hmmm…
Have I mentioned how appreciative I am for all the help??

[JB]

Generally speaking, the changes should be made more slowly the more different the feedstuff is. Switching from low quality feed to high quality feed should take longer than switching between 2 high quality feeds.

Switching from Strategy to TC Sr or TC Lite doesn’t have to take long. Unless he’s getting huge amounts of Strategy (and I didn’t get the impression he is) then you could swap out 1/4 of the old and replace with either 1/4 of the new (if it’s a regular feed) or 1/4 of the end result of the new (if it’s Lite), and do that every 2-3 days.

[Frizzle]

TC Senior is a great feed, but it sounds like the minimum amount to get the required vits/mins/etc. (5 lbs) would be too much for your boy, since he’s currently only eating 2 quarts of grain/day. I would go with the 30% or the Lite. Any of the TC options will be an upgrade from Strategy. :yes:

[yourcolorfuladdictio]

My vote is for the lite on this one. If you start putting him in heavier work later on you can always move him over to the senior if he needs it!

ETA: I don’t know if anyone has told you but feeding large amounts of grain isn’t an obligation of horse ownership. If the horse doesn’t need it, there is no rule that says they have to get it anyway. Many performance horses eat for energy (byproduct of the excess caloric intake) and there are plenty of horses out there that live off of forage alone without supplementation. Most modern horse-keeping isn’t suited for forage-only feeding but it is another option and I’m sure you can find information on it.

Good luck in your horse ownership, it sounds like you are a very caring owner.