I have a pssm1 2 year old gelding. Got him October 31st. I put him on Vermont blend November along with added vit e and I’m just about out. I feed free choice grass hay, not tested we get round here and round there. I add alfalfa pellets to the Vermont blend. I am considering trying triple crown30 in place of Vermont blend. Triple crown is very convenient for me to get. Is one better then other? I know Vermont blend doesn’t have soy and triple crown30 does. Thanks.
Here is a Vitamin Mineral Supplement chart someone made, not sure who. VB and VB Pro are columns B and C respectively. Triple Crown 30 is column P so you can compare it to VB.
@JB is pretty knowledgeable about this sort of thing too
Thank you!
triple crown 30 has a lot more nutrients/minerals in it than vermont blend as it’s a true ration balancer rather than a vit/min supplement. But it also comes with more calories. Not a ton, but it’s something to consider. Do you want some calories? Or are you trying to avoid them? It’s also going to have some NSC–again, not a lot, but some whereas VB doesn’t really have any.
My horse has been on VB (plus vit E) for some time now–he’s grain intolerant. I don’t know exactly what ingredient but every type of pelleted feed or balancer makes him gassy. But I recently ordered a sample from Horse Tech to see if their high point works for him. it has more in it than VB in terms of vits/minerals but is not a true ration balancer so calories and NSC isn’t an issue.
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I was just trying to simplify diet or if triple crown30 offers more nutrition. Being he is pssm1 positive (I don’t see anything yet from him but he is young). But I know fat, vit e selenium low nsc is important. I know tc30 has fat in it. I also know I can add fat in to Vermont blend. Being I add in vit e already. Just basically I’d could simplify feeding by need feeding hay pellets or flax. He is doing good on Vermont blend tho.
If you get the gold version I believe that doesn’t have added soy.
Neither is better/worse from a general nutrition perspective, since you don’t have a forage analysis.
I take that back - nutritionally speaking, TC 30 would be “better” since it has calcium that your grass hay may be a bit low in (but may not).
For a PSSM1 horse, the NSC is still under 10%. And even if the starch is technically too high, the feeding amount is low enough that you’re not dumping a load of starch into his stomach.
Going to just TC 30 will be a reduction in the total copper and zinc, if that’s a concern. For me, I either add cu/zn to TC 30, or I use VB Pro (over VB for the additional amino acids), and either way, I add Vit E during the hay months. The additional cost of VB Pro is insignificant for me (with the cost of TC 30 here) because I’m not also adding extras - cu/zn and especially Nutramino.
Make sure you’re testing his blood Se before supplementing much.
TC Balancer Gold is indeed soy-free, but also comes with a bit higher NSC. Still probably not enough to matter, though it does matter to a lot of IR horses.
Either way, you’d be adding fat, there’s not enough in a serving of TC 30.
My inclination is to treat him more like he’s IR from the soy and NSC perspective, and keep VB (or maybe switch to VB Pro)
Mean pssm1 horse? He’s pssm1 not pssm2 (least I never did the testing for him on that one)
Yes, sorry! I went back to fix that. I DID read that he’s type 1 
You mentioned you feed feed Vermont blend pro bc it has little higher amino acids. Would adding a scoop of tri amino to regular Vermont blend do anything or benefit? I already have tri amino her so just curious. The price of the pro does make me hesitant to go to that from regular. I did the 110$ And it last me almost 5 months (I started like so small for 3 weeks and built up to right amount so I’m sure that stretched it farther then what it would normally last me.
I meant to add more context to my comment, sorry!
2 of mine are very easy keepers - muzzled all grass season. They get TC Balancer over the Winter, but I switch to VB Pro for muzzle season. Because they are muzzled, their grass intake is lower. When I was using High Point Grass, I was adding Nutramino to ensure they were getting all their AAs. If I was using regular VB, I’d do the same. Pro allows me to not have to add Nutramino
Run the numbers based on your costs of things, VB + Tri-Amino, vs VB Pro. A significant difference will make scooping out of 2 containers worth it, a few pennies may make using VB Pro worth it.
Also, unless you’re buying enough to get free shipping, Tri-Amino is (or was) more $ than Nutramino, and even with free shipping Nutramino might still be a little cheaper - it’s been a while since I’ve compared the 2
No I just get the 2 lb jar of tri amino thru my vet which cost me 18-20$ I hardly used it since I got it due to horse I had was on it so its a full jar pretty much. Not sure how long 2 lb last with one scoop a day. I’m not very good at breaking everything down to get what it cost. if I went with say tc30 which cost me 38$ Then buying the copper zinc which I always got it from uckele which ran me like 35$ And I think they last like 4-5 months. Or like said I did the Vermont blend regular 110$ for 100 days (1/4 cup am and pm) then if I start adding tri amino that’s 18-20$ Say for idk once a month prolly, Vermont blend pro is 250 for 200 days or if I did 90$ for 60 days then u don’t need tri amono. Either way I have to add to whatever being have add vit e and fat source which i always went with flax but I may do co calories.
So TC 30 is $.76/lb, times however many pounds you feed (so $1.14 for 1.5lb)
cu/zn at $35 for say, 18 weeks, would be $.27/day (was that total or for each? If each, then $.54/day)
So that’s anywhere from $1.03 at the low end of everything, to $1.41-$1.68 at the high end, and that’s before adding Tri-Amino
VB Pro at $250/200 days is $1.25/day
And yes, I still add Vit E for hay months as well.
It says like Copper last 181 zinc last 151 days. But they upped price to 16.16 each.
Do u have to add tri amino to tc30? Sorry for all the questions!
that’s if you’re giving a full scoop, IIRC. Sometimes that’s needed, sometimes 1/2 scoop is good
That entirely depends on the forage and the workload, and how much TC 30 you’re feeding. Generally, no, and especially if you’re feeding some alfalfa (2-3lb, no matter the form).
TC 30 provides 9gm/lb lysine, and an average 1100lb horse needs anywhere from 30gm (light work) to 43gm (heavy work, very few horses, and even fewer of those would be getting only a ration balancer)
K so I looked at Vermont blend and the pro. They have the exact same amino acids numbers. Only difference between the two is Vermont blend has more crude protein then the pro and the pro has a digestive package. The amino acids are the same. Unless I’m missing something.
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You’re right, my apologies!! I must have been thinking my logic for VBP over VB was due to the AAs, but it must have been choosing over High Point Grass which is what I used to use. I must have chosen Pro because of the smaller serving size, and I prefer the addition of Bio-Mos and YeaSacc biotics.
Yes pro is smaller serving size also!
smaller serving size is a definite plus. Feeding large amount of powders, even it’s a palatable powder, can be tricky.
It’s interesting because I’m actually thinking of switching from VB to the High Point Grass (the opposite of what you did @JB) because it seems to have more vitamins and minerals supplied, including the vit E, which I have been adding separately.
