http://mrdata.usgs.gov/geochem/county.php?place=f27077&el=se&rf=north-central Here’s link to averages in our county from DNR.
Why aren’t they being treated if they have it? 
I’ll take a look at link here. That is reasonably priced maybe could feed that with the Empower boost??
Already know big volumes of feed just won’t work,so the more calories i can get in them with less feed is best.
Yes, low volume higher calories. But IMHO it’s more costly, and less bang for the buck, to add a v/m and a fat supplement on top of 6lb of alfalfa pellets. Alf pellets are 900-1000 cal/lb. A higher fat feed is in the range of 1500 cal/lb, so right off, if you’re feeding 6lb of a good feed, you’re adding 50% more calories, not to mention a great deal more nutrients that are needed for weight and muscle gain. THEN you start looking at a fat supplement if that’s not enough
Test the horses first. That’s the easiest. It doesn’t matter too much what the soil is around you - they could still be fine, or deficient.
So need to go with fortified feed.?? Proforce fiber is 13 percent fat & proforce senior is 10 percent. Both have higher feed rates…fiber one is 7.50 lb senior is 8.25 lb that’s minimum feeding rates.
So feeding below minimum is that going to still put on weight? ?
Not treating for lyme because vet said numbers were low positive…so vet thought treatment wasn’t needed.
If you find that you are able to feed below the minimum suggested and you are still able to gain weight, then you can top dress the feed with a ration balancer. So if you are able to feed 1/2 the recommended amount, you could top dress with 1/2 the recommended amount of ration balancer.
You may also find that your horses with find the commercial feeds more palatable and interesting to eat and will gladly eat more than 3 lbs a serving.
You need to start with the minimum feeding rate. That’s based on nutrition, not calories. So you’d give that a month or so to see where things settle. If they are gaining weight, then you keep at that amount until they stop gaining weight.
If they gain the weight they need and still gain to the point of becoming overweight, then you drop the feeding weight down a little. Feeding a little below the recommendation isn’t a problem. Starting to get less than about 75% of that minimum feeding rate and you’d start to consider doing what jawa said - add in a partial serving of a ration balancer. OR, switch to a lower calories feed.
Not treating for lyme because vet said numbers were low positive…so vet thought treatment wasn’t needed.
You have a positive test, and body sore horses. I don’t understand the vet’s recommendation
I get the proforce fiber it’s higher fat and feeding rate is 7.50 lbs doubt they eat that much feed in a day’s time. That’s 3.75lbs a feeding so more volume then they’ll eat. 6lbs will have to do,because that’s all they’ll eat.
I have vet coming the 4 year old is so stiff he can hardly walk,this morning.
You’re looking for excuses as to why something’s not going to work 
jawa made a good point:
You may also find that your horses with find the commercial feeds more palatable and interesting to eat and will gladly eat more than 3 lbs a serving.
Many horses don’t like alfalfa pellets either at all, or much. Don’t assume what they will do with product X, just because they behave a certain way with Product Y.
You’re not going to swap cold turkey anyway, so just keep swapping alf pellets for the ProForce until you’re at 3lb each feeding, then add another 1/2lb each feeding, then another 1/4lb each feeding, and let them tell you what they will do.
I hope you find resolution on the 4yo - that’s not good 
[QUOTE=JB;8820264]
You’re looking for excuses as to why something’s not going to work
jawa made a good point:
Many horses don’t like alfalfa pellets either at all, or much. Don’t assume what they will do with product X, just because they behave a certain way with Product Y.
You’re not going to swap cold turkey anyway, so just keep swapping alf pellets for the ProForce until you’re at 3lb each feeding, then add another 1/2lb each feeding, then another 1/4lb each feeding, and let them tell you what they will do.
I hope you find resolution on the 4yo - that’s not good :([/COLOR][/QUOTE]
No not looking for excuses for why something won’t work,horses won’t eat more then 3lbs per feeding. Whether it commercial feed or alfalfa pellets,won’t even eat more then 3lbs of sweet feed that’s sticky molasses coated.
I fed them proforce fuel,they quit eating it after a month,that was a while ago don’t remember time frame on it.
Maybe it’s the ulcers causing it, maybe they just aren’t big on feed,don’t know. Vet will be here in 30 minutes,so got to go get 4 year old in the barn here. Gonna take at least 30 minutes to walk him up to barn,he’s really slow moving. Knew something was up when he was at, run in shed & other 2 gone out of sight.
Will update on whats found later on.
4 year old is on antibiotics for lyme dease,for 3 weeks,vet figured it’s the lyme dease causing stiffness.
[QUOTE=tazycat;8822174]
4 year old is on antibiotics for lyme dease,for 3 weeks,vet figured it’s the lyme dease causing stiffness.[/QUOTE]
What about the other horses who are low positive? Lyme isn’t something to mess with - you don’t want it turning into chronic Lyme which is a lot more difficult to treat effectively. Body sore horses, low positive Lyme, now one was so stiff he could hardly walk. I’d be treating the others now, not waiting until they can barely walk too.
Only the 3 year old & 4 year-old have positive Lyme test, 7 year old is fine. Tazy the 3 year old isn’t body sore. Only tango the 4 year old was body sore. …and could hardly walk. I asked vet about treating tazy, he said doesn’t need to be treated…not showing signs.
Then getting meds in them, is less then easy…when they dont eat feed good.
Are you soaking the alfalfa pellets? It might be easier to get meds, supplements etc in them if you do.
Most horses also find the soaked feeds very palatable. You can soak the flax and the alfalfa pellets together.
I tried soaking alfalfa pellets this morning,with 1/2 pound of proforce fiber they ate some of it. Maybe ate a 1/2 lb…so meds weren’t all eaten. Proforce fiber has beet pulp and horses say yuck to it… They did a lot of yuck, yuck and pushing feed pans around.
So will leave out the proforce fiber tonight,and do just the soaked alfa pellets. Their real PITA about feed. Maybe once snow flies and grass is gone they’ll take to hard feed better.
Found feed horses like & eat omolene 200…don’t know what the NSC is. Their eating it with no issues. Don’t know if omolene 200 is a good choice?? But no other feed I tryed they wouldn’t eat.
Omolene 200 is super high NSC - can’t quite remember what, but I believe over 50%. When I was moving barns recently there was a miscommunication between me and the BO, and I thought that’s what they fed - I was frantically trying to figure out how to feed something different until it was cleared up.
Really sugary feed. Not something I’d choose.
Omolene 200 is 40% NSC, so of course horses will like it 
If you’re using it to get meds in, small amounts, that’s fine. That’s just easier than having to syringe meds in for days.
But no, it is not a suitable feed for the majority horses, and definitely not suitable for horses with ulcers. So I would not feed it in larger amounts.
That is only feed they will eat so far, the feeds with beet pulp they won’t touch now. They’ll eat feed mills brand of pellets it’s a 12.5% protein 2.5% fat but its 30% NSC.
My only other option is to just put feed they don’t like out when their hungry enough they’ll eat it…give no other options. That means no alfalfa pellets nothing but feed they don’t like. Mixing it with alfa pellets doesn’t work they just eat alfa pellets and leave the other feed in pan.
They’ll eat med out of alfalfa pellets, i just throw pill in pan with pellets and they eat it. That’s doxy and ranitidine so go figure, they eat nasty tasting pills but wont eat feed with beet pulp.
Got them eating 7 1/2 pound of alfalfa pellets as of yesterday been upping that because they won’t eat proforce senior or proforce fiber. TJ the 7 year old has lost more weight. Add a half pound of omolene 200 and they scarf it up.
Adding 1/2lb of O 200 is fine.
Would 3lbs of omolene 200 be to much NSC ?? TJ needs weight as do other 2 here’s how TJ looks. http://postimg.org/image/hg3t0w6r2/ http://postimg.org/image/dj0ru905n/
NSC levels don’t bother these horses…pasture grass is high sugar grass so their getting sugar that way. First link doesn’t work for some reason.
IMVHO yes, 3lb is too much.
There’s a big difference between 3lb of a high sugar feed at once, and the sugars in grass which also come with very beneficial probiotics and other helpful nutrients when it comes to ulcers.
