RB: TC30%, Purina Enrich, Tribute Essential K

[Sansena]

I’m considering switching my easy keeper over to a ration balancer. Low NSC rating is important to me, and of course there’s the ambiguous statement on each saying “Low NSC”. From my research, Purina is around 13.3, Tribute was, what… um… 15? And TC was 9.8%. So TC is my choice there. He’s currently getting TC Sr.

Also of concern is the added selenium. I’m in CT/ US where Se levels are generally low and it’s not uncommon for many barns to supplement without testing firs. I’m not so secure in that fact but I’m not hot to spend $80 on a test that really becomes a moot point… when selenium is already added to a ration balancer.

Given these trains of thought, which of the above would you steer toward? Why? Are you a brand loyalist or have you had better experience with one vs. the other?

Horse is essentially a retired, healthy 17 y.o. QH G. He eats about 4lb TC Sr daily and about 15 - 18 lbs of hay. Currently in a dry lot t/o situation. He’ll get a few hours of pasture a few times a week come spring/ summer…
He’s ever so slightly more chunky than I’d like him to be, but not a panic and not affecting his health.

Appreciate any opinions. Thanks.

[AKB]

My picky prince won’t eat most ration balancers. He likes McCauley’s M10 cubes. They are made in an equine feed only plant and are low in sugar.

[fordtraktor]

Essential K is 11.7%. The Kalm N Ez is 14% but isn’t a RB.

I have used TC30 for years, then switched to Essential K when I had a hard time getting TC products. I am very happy with it. I have switched most of my horses to just Essential K or EK and oats. They look really nice. TC30 is also a terrific product and I would use it again. Either of those is a good choice. I don’t care for Purina products when I have used them on my horses but I haven’t tried that particular one.

[soloudinhere]

My horse eats TC30 and I am happy with it. Tribute is hard to get here. When I want to put a shine on or add a little weight I throw in a handful of Empower Boost for some extra fat.

I also wasn’t impressed when a lawsuit was filed and an FDA warning issued for contamination of feed from Tribute.

[gypsymare]

I switched everyone over to TC 30 last year and I’ve been thrilled with the difference. I was feeding TC Sr at 6-12 lbs a day depending on activity level and my hay was decent and free choice, but 1st cutting. I switched to second cutting rounds and 1.5 lbs of TC 30 and I’ve had no skin issues, not even the tiniest spot of rain rot on the liver chestnut TB princess and no scratches on the piggy gelding. I was able to drop the additional magnesium supplement and hooves look great.

As as far as NSC… consider volume as well as %. 1.5lbs is so small compared to the overall diet that even a high NSC feed will make little difference.

[Sansena]

@soloudinhere

…<snip>…I also wasn’t impressed when a lawsuit was filed and an FDA warning issued for contamination of feed from Tribute.

Holycrap! Good to know. There was a Purina recall, like, decades ago and I’m still leery.

and… “As as far as NSC… consider volume as well as %. 1.5lbs is so small compared to the overall diet that even a high NSC feed will make little difference.”

Excellent point. Thanks for calming me down. I’ve used the 30% with client’s horses for years so it’s likely I’ll put my guy on that now too. But any other input is still appreciated.

[JB]

4lb TC Sr is .90mg Se.
1lb TC 30 is 1.54mg Se/lb
Tribute Essential K is .68mg/lb

If Se is really your only deciding factor, use the one which comes closest to what you’re using now. The TC30 is unlikely to cause a problem, especially since you’re not in an area that’s known to be pretty high. EK is a bit lower in nutrients than most RBs so you could feed 1.5lb, coming nearly right to the Se in the Sr.

Switching to any RB from 4lb of the Sr is a fairly significant calorie reduction, so if she’s in good weight now, she may lose.

[drawstraws]

All four of my geldings are on Essential K, ranging from an 8 year old who shows to a 21 year old who has been a lawn ornament since he was five. Very happy with the product and everyone looks great. No problems with any of them eating it, they all hoover it up. I remember when the lawsuit was brought up but there was enough information that I saw online to make me question whether it was even legit. I don’t have any worries about feeding my horses any of the Tribute products (I’ve used Kalm & EZ pelleted and Kalm Ultra as well).

[Palm_Beach]

@Sansena

I’m considering switching my easy keeper over to a ration balancer. Low NSC rating is important to me, and of course there’s the ambiguous statement on each saying “Low NSC”. From my research, Purina is around 13.3, Tribute was, what… um… 15? And TC was 9.8%. So TC is my choice there. He’s currently getting TC Sr.

Also of concern is the added selenium. I’m in CT/ US where Se levels are generally low and it’s not uncommon for many barns to supplement without testing firs. I’m not so secure in that fact but I’m not hot to spend $80 on a test that really becomes a moot point… when selenium is already added to a ration balancer.

Given these trains of thought, which of the above would you steer toward? Why? Are you a brand loyalist or have you had better experience with one vs. the other?

Horse is essentially a retired, healthy 17 y.o. QH G. He eats about 4lb TC Sr daily and about 15 - 18 lbs of hay. Currently in a dry lot t/o situation. He’ll get a few hours of pasture a few times a week come spring/ summer…
He’s ever so slightly more chunky than I’d like him to be, but not a panic and not affecting his health.

Appreciate any opinions. Thanks.

I really like TC products and fed TC 30 for years. TC Sr is my go-to feed for skinnies. But my easy keepers got “beefy” looking after hitting maturity on TC 30. I switched them over to TC Lite about 16 months ago and could not be happier. They lost that cresty beefy look and are maintaining good weight (still a bit overweight) and fantastic coat and hoof quality. My farrier, who has been shoeing for me for 10 years, commented on how good the quality of their hooves was a couple months ago. I don’t know if your older horse will be OK with less protein, but you may be able to let him have more pasture/hay if he is on the TC Lite.

I still use TC 30 for putting topline on the TBs, it just was not the product for my mature easy keepers. No experience with Tribute or Essential K.

[MissAriel]

I put my coming 3yo gelding on TC30 last summer as we were starting him in work and under saddle. He has definitely put on muscle and looks overall more mature, but he is also a year older. His hooves are better too. He is a pretty easy keeper, so as he matures I may take him off the TC30 or switch to TCLite like Palm Beach.