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Renew Gold - better alternatives?

Horse Care
#1

Hello all!
I currently feed Renew Gold plus Nutrena’s topline balancer (30% protein) (MTA: In addition to Ultium Gastric Care and Purina Omelene 400- see posts below) to a hard keeping horse that I am trying to put weight on, but am wondering about alternatives. I am super interested in Purina’s Amplify. I have used Tribute’s K Finish in the past but have heard the formula has changed and horses are no longer very interested in it…

What does everyone feed as a top dressing to grain for weight gain?

Not looking for powdered products

#2

Buckeye Ultimate Finish, Progressive Nutritions Envision Classic , Purina Outlast Ulcer Supplement ,

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#3

Amplify is a good one, and if you like liquids nothing puts on weight better in my opinion than Coca Soya. I see a difference in one jug.

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#4

I do oil if I’m looking for something to top dress for weight. It’s the most concentrated source of calories you can get.

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#5

I’ve used the Purina Amplify. Its fine - though pricey (but less expensive than CoolCalories). In a boarding situation, its certainly easier to feed than oil. But due to budget issues, I switched from Amplify to Canola oil for my hard keeping senior, and add that in late winter when he needs the additional calories. Makes the bucket I make his mash in super easy to clean, since the oil coats the sides of the bucket. :winkgrin:

I have also used rice bran (Manna Pro Max-E-Glo) for weight gain. But that is not real cheap either, @ $40 a bag.

The Renew Gold is 15% fat, Amplify is 30% fat, Max-E-Glo is 18% fat - just for comparison. Cool Calories is 99% fat and oil is of course 100% fat.

Just remember with oil or Cool Calories to add them gradually to prevent digestive issues.

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#6

For weight gain, I usually feed more of what I am already feeding, starting with roughage. Once they are on free choice roughage 24/7, I look to increase the concentrate. Once they are eating the max of concentrate, I consider whether or not the concentrate is the right one for the horse in question.

How much hay/grass does your horse eat every day? What concentrate are you feeding, and how much?

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#7

Why not just use a regular feed? It gets pricey trying to add significant calories when a ration balancer is the base. Purina Ultium is a high fat feed with high calories, so a lower feeding rate than most. But there are other alternatives. If you can get Triple Crown, then the Senior or, if there aren’t metabolic concerns, the Complete would be great choices.

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#8

Thanks everyone!

He gets 2lbs of Ultium Gastric Care and 2lbs of Purina Omelene 400 twice daily (both have Outlast in there). He also gets free choice grass hay when in a stall, and a limited amount of alfalfa. Our turnouts are pretty bare right now but I’m about to move to a barn where the turnouts still have grass so that should help.

I am treating him for GI ulcers. His owner fox hunts and was trying to do that with him, but it wasn’t for him and he dropped a lot of weight. She had him on ulcergard and 4lbs of Kalm Ultra twice daily plus free choice grass hay, but the stress and miles of galloping weren’t ideal for holding weight. I do dressage and he super enjoys it, but it’s just a matter of putting on the weight that he lost.

@4LeafCloverFarm thank you for that breakdown!

I’ve put weight on a lot of horses in my horse ownership, but I haven’t really used Purina or Nutrena products until now - I’ve used Triple Crown/Tribute products including rice bran and also Cool Calories and oil. Oil is not ideal since I am in a boarding situation.

#9

I’m confused :confused:

Our turnouts are pretty bare right now but I’m about to move to a barn where the turnouts still have grass so that should help.

It also sounds like he needs more forage for starters, which is likely contributing to his (suspected) ulcer issues. How soon are you moving? Where are you located (roughly), as in, how much viable grass is there really?

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#10

The horse gets:
AM- 2lbs Ultium Gastric care, 2lbs Omelene 400, 1/2 lb 30% protein
PM- 2lbs Ultium Gastric care, 2lbs Omelene 400, 1lb Renew Gold

Hay free choice while in stall (at night currently).

I live in central Virginia and am moving barns in 2 weeks. Coming into winter, there is going to be less and less viable grass no matter which barn I’m at. The new barn throws more hay in the fields, though.

I apologize for the confusion. I meant I feed 30% protein and Renew Gold as current top dressings. I’ll update OP so it is more clear

#11

I would simplify this and just give the horse 5-6 lbs of Ultium twice a day. See how that goes for a while, I would be willing to bet you’ll get better results.

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#12

Now we’re getting somewhere :wink:

Any reason you’re mixing the UGC and the O400? Any particular reason you’re adding 1/1lb of the Empower Balance? 4lb Ultium GC is a recommended amount for an average horse in light-ish work, and then you’re adding in another 4lb of a fortified feed.

To start, I’d just replace the O400 with more Ultium GC. That right there is a bump in calories.

Grass in Va should be considered busy work now (unless it’s a pasture that was stockpiled for a while and actually has good grass), so hopefully there is enough hay put out.

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#13

The barn has seen huge results in hard keepers adding O400 to their diets- I have watched the transformations and been very impressed. That is why we switched up two of the lbs of the Ultium GC to O400. I can definitely switch back to just straight UGC.

I’ve been adding the Empower as he needs help building muscle as well as fat. I’ve used a 30% topline balancer in my other OTTB with really positive results for years.

He is about 17.1h and in light-moderate work; the work will only get heavier as he puts on weight and muscle.

#14

Also- new barn doesn’t feed these grains, ugh. They feed Sentinel LS and Fibergized.

Thoughts on those grains?

#15

Both the LS and the Fibergized are very good feeds

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#16

In your shoes, I would try the Sentinel LS first. I have a friend who has been feeding some TBs the Fibregized Omega and is looking to switch. The horses she is feeding it to just haven’t really flourished. The Omega is probably the most appropriate of the Pennfield line for these particular horses so I think she will move to a different brand. Sentinel is one she was looking at. The Sentinel LS looks really nice and it is extruded so it will be more bioavailable to the horse. One thing to look out for is feeding limits imposed by the barn. If he turns out to be a consistently hard keeper, especially when the grass really disappears, it’s quite likely he could be eating 10+ lbs per day and you might have to supply some of that.

I agree with the others that simplifying the feed with just the Ultium and upping forage, if possible, are the best places to start. I wonder if supplementing the ration balancer with something like Tri-Amino would be cheaper. I understand the desire for more protein but the RB has other stuff in it, too. You could do Ultium (or Sentinel), Tri-Amino, and CocoSoya pellets or rice bran and that could streamline a lot.

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#17

Just increase the Ultium, its a great higher fat low sugar product.

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#18

You’re over-complicating it. It’s good that he has grass hay all the time, I’d give more alfalfa but I live in California so we do that here (lol). Pick a feed and actually feed the recommended amount. The sheet for Ultium Gastric Care that I find when I search online shows a 1200lb horse should get 4lbs Maintenance, 6lbs in Light Work, 8lbs in Moderate Work. Companies formulate their feeds to be fed at a certain rate, and they’ll theoretically work best if you feed that amount.

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#19

My super hard keeping OTTB is on the LS and She is finally thriving. I have finally been able to cut back the amount of feed she is eating! So sine where you are moving to feeds it I would try it.

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#20

In my experience, the Senior version of Renew Gold is excellent while the regular version is just okay.

You mentioned Nutrena’s ration balancer (Empower Balance, I think it’s called?) Have you tried their Empower Boost? It’s a mostly rice bran fat supplement. I used it often on my old fellas when they were still living and it always gave them a great bloom and kept them in good flesh.

I also believe in the power of alfalfa.

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