Your favorite way to make powder supplements stick to pelleted feed?

[retrofit]

I’m probably over-thinking this but you never know what great little life hacks you can pick up on COTH …

My easy-keeper horse gets a small amount of pelleted feed (Nutrena Safe Choice). I mostly use pelleted supplements but I have one supplement that is only available in a powder and my picky pony would rather let it fall through. Now I am adding a pelleted ration balancer so that’s 2 bags that the barn manager has to dip into, plus my supplement container. Thus far I’ve been using a small handful of a high-fat feed to help the powder stick, but I think it’s unreasonable to ask them to mix up THREE kinds of feed. I don’t want to use liquid because the feed buckets are made up way in advance and the pellets become a disgusting gluey paste by the time it’s fed. I suppose I could put that handful of high-fat feed in my supplement containers, or I could just bag up my feed, but I’m wondering if there are any sweet little life hacks out there for this scenario?

[MissAriel]

Would a 1/4 cup of flax meal be enough to hold the powder? It might depend on the amount and type of powder.

With two types of feed plus the supplement, I would bag for the BM. It is pretty much expected if you have more than 2 things where I board. (Plus you know that nothing got forgotten)

Another option would be to let them make up the buckets well ahead then add a splash of water right before feeding.

[JB]

I’d drop the SC (you’re feeding too little to be useful), so you’re down to 1 feed (the RB) and the supplements. Is it too much to ask them to just splash a bit of water into the bucket after putting it in the stall? You could hang a measuring cup for them to scoop out from the water bucket and dump into the feed bucket.

[minidriver]

My mare does the same thing with powdered supplements and my solution is exactly what JB suggested. I have a cup that I carry with me to the stall, dump the feed in her feed tub, then scoop up some water from her water bucket with the cup and pour it on top of the grain. It’s just enough that the powdered supplements stick and she always finishes it.

[BeckyS]

I use exactly one coffee cup of water in 5 lbs. of feed.

[Freespool86]

@JB

I’d drop the SC (you’re feeding too little to be useful), so you’re down to 1 feed (the RB) and the supplements. Is it too much to ask them to just splash a bit of water into the bucket after putting it in the stall? You could hang a measuring cup for them to scoop out from the water bucket and dump into the feed bucket.

OP doesn’t state how much is being fed of the SC. I sprinkle enough water on the feed to make the powder stick. Not enough to make it gluey.

[retrofit]

Thanks everyone! First of all, I AM feeding too little of the SC to be useful. I guess I just feel like my horse is in full work and he’s not IR or anything, just a fat little tub, and should probably have a nominal amount of cereal grains in his diet to have the energy to work. Is that silly? Maybe I’m transferring my own misery when I’ve tried low-carb diets?? Also, the barn got the SC just for my horse as everything else they have is a high-fat feed. When the grass dies down a little I will probably want to give him a little more (although probably still in the realm of “too little to be useful”) so I don’t want to give it up completely. (Side note, I used to LOVE Poulin Grain’s Etec before they remodeled the formula. It was exactly what I needed - low starch & low fat but had some cereal grains, highly fortified so you didn’t need a RB even with an easy keeper, and more palatable than the SC. sigh)

And yes, it will be too much to ask to have them scoop a little water just before feeding. There are too many barn workers and it won’t get done consistently and that will drive me nuts, so I’d rather not go there. Ditto for squirting out a small amount of lite maple syrup on top, etc.

So here’s the crazy part - someone’s ears must have been burning because I received an unsolicited package yesterday with a NEW pelleted version of my powder supplement! (It’s the Ultra Cruz natural E, in case you’re wondering.) So once I use up my powder (a month or 2), problem solved!

I guess in the meantime I might just add that handful of sticky feed to my supp containers. I agree that scooping more than 2 feeds is excessive.

[JB]

@Freespool86

OP doesn’t state how much is being fed of the SC.

This is too little

@retrofit

My easy-keeper horse gets a small amount of pelleted feed (Nutrena Safe Choice)

@retrofit

Thanks everyone! First of all, I AM feeding too little of the SC to be useful. I guess I just feel like my horse is in full work and he’s not IR or anything, just a fat little tub, and should probably have a nominal amount of cereal grains in his diet to have the energy to work. Is that silly? Maybe I’m transferring my own misery when I’ve tried low-carb diets??

Depending on exactly how much of the SC you’re feeding, you’d be much better off with a ration balancer. Much more nutrition in just the 1lb you’d want to feed, unless it’s a pony then you could do 1/2-3/4lb. Most RBs don’t have any cereal grains

So here’s the crazy part - someone’s ears must have been burning because I received an unsolicited package yesterday with a NEW pelleted version of my powder supplement! (It’s the Ultra Cruz natural E, in case you’re wondering.) So once I use up my powder (a month or 2), problem solved!

That’s awesome! Both that you got that (like, out of the blue?) and that it’s in a pellet now

I guess in the meantime I might just add that handful of sticky feed to my supp containers. I agree that scooping more than 2 feeds is excessive.

What other supps are you feeding?

[Palm_Beach]

@retrofit

Thanks everyone! First of all, I AM feeding too little of the SC to be useful. I guess I just feel like my horse is in full work and he’s not IR or anything, just a fat little tub, and should probably have a nominal amount of cereal grains in his diet to have the energy to work. Is that silly? YES

So here’s the crazy part - someone’s ears must have been burning because I received an unsolicited package yesterday with a NEW pelleted version of my powder supplement! (It’s the Ultra Cruz natural E, in case you’re wondering.) So once I use up my powder (a month or 2), problem solved!

Horses don’t need to be IR to founder, and it happens quick. He will be much healthier if he was not a “fat little tub.”

FWIW, I was on the rb bandwagon for years, and switched to Triple Crown Lite about 18 or so months ago. My fatties have slimmed down but have wonderful coats and hoof quality.

[beowulf]

I know you said no liquids, but I often will give my guy a handful of food before riding, during tack up - if he is on any supplements (he doesn’t need much, when we are competing I usually put him on Vit E and MSM) I will use that opportunity to mix it in his little “pre-ride” meal. If your BO/BM allow that, it’s a viable option and a good way to make sure you’re staying on top of his supplements and not being a hassle to barn work - two birds with one stone

The best stick, IME, comes from oil - just a little of it - but I also use applesauce on occasion. Applesauce needs to be refrigerated though.

I agree to stop the SC since it is probably, at this point, a little bit of a PITA for whoever sets up your grain and isn’t doing anything but cost you money. I know for my boarders when I was a BM, if they had lots and lots of supplements, we would usually just add a tiny dribble of water from the sink, shake the grain a little, and dump in their grain tub - I would follow by dipping the bucket in the water bucket, swirling the water around to pick up any residue, and dumping the water in their grain bin – then I would place the grain bucket face-down to dry out, but that’s kind of an extra step that a lot of workers don’t want to take. I am a little OCD about buckets though, and hate seeing grain buckets with accumulated supplements/grain riming the edges - one, that’s wasted boarder money, and two, it just doesn’t look good – I always rinsed & cleaned our set-up grain buckets after every use. Honestly, if you do the “water-swirl” trick with every horse that gets supplements, you’ll never have to deep-clean the bucket because you’ll be staying on top of any potential accumulation… but… that was one of my random BM quirks, but my boarders seemed to love it

[Dressagelvr]

I suppose it’s too much trouble to soak a few hay cubes, break them up, and put it in that? If he doesn’t need grain, he shouldn’t get any.

Cocosoya oil is another option.

If you’re looking for a non-liquid way to stick dry products together, I’m at a loss.

[retrofit]

What other supplements is he on (besides the powder - soon to be pelleted - natural Vitamin E):
MSM (pelleted), SmartDigest Ultra (pelleted), and electrolytes (pelleted).

When I say “fat little tub” he’s not obese, but only because I put forth a fair amount of effort to keep him that way. Now that the grass is up, it’s that much harder. Also he’s coming off 2 months of light/intermittent work while we figured out what his general complaints were and I’m still in a building phase, so that doesn’t help. Point being, he’s not currently fat but could easily become so. (Now if I would just put that same diligence into my own diet … sigh)

JB - Maybe I was unclear, but I do give my horse a RB. I just switched from Progressive Ultimate (the top-dress stuff) to Triple Crown 30% RB because the barn will supply it. My concern with feeding the TC 30% RB alone is that it doesn’t contain any cereal grains and I feel like he could use a nominal amount for energy as he is in full work and he’s definitely a push (and push and push) ride. Hence the small amount of SC to go with it. The SC + the TC30%RB end up being about 1 quart total.

Beowulf - I love your water swirling technique. That’s the kind of stuff you get when the people doing the work are real horse people. At a lot of boarding barns, they are simply stall muckers/heavy lifters who have figured out how to handle horses enough to survive their days.

[JB]

@retrofit

JB - Maybe I was unclear, but I do give my horse a RB. I just switched from Progressive Ultimate (the top-dress stuff) to Triple Crown 30% RB because the barn will supply it.

You were very clear - I knew that in my first reply and totally forgot by the time my 2nd one came around :lol:

My concern with feeding the TC 30% RB alone is that it doesn’t contain any cereal grains and I feel like he could use a nominal amount for energy as he is in full work and he’s definitely a push (and push and push) ride. Hence the small amount of SC to go with it. The SC + the TC30%RB end up being about 1 quart total.

I’m not sure which SC you’re feeding (there are 3), and Nutrena doesn’t have ingredients on its site (c’mon Nutrena, get with the program lol), but the small bit you’re feeding, even if there are cereal grains, is a drop in the bucket compared to his total energy needs. 1 quart is 4 cups, and 1lb of TC30 is about 3c, so you’re feeding only about 1c of the SC.

He doesn’t need feed for energy, he needs training and to get fit, and more training to be reactive to your aids

He could need some specific nutrients for energy - maybe more magnesium, maybe selenium - but not necessarily. Usually this is a training issue for the push rides.

[one1horse]

How far in advance are the grain buckets being mixed? I pre-mix all of my horse’s meals (a week at a time) into individually labeled AM & PM ziploc bags. He gets all powdered supplements, so I just add one pump of cocosoya to the bags w/ supps and I don’t have any issues with the grain getting “gluey” or anything. My horse just eats it up no problem.

[Lord_Helpus]

Honey or Aunt Jemima’s pancake syrup or dark corn syrup

[retrofit]

@JB

He doesn’t need feed for energy, he needs training and to get fit, and more training to be reactive to your aids

He could need some specific nutrients for energy - maybe more magnesium, maybe selenium - but not necessarily. Usually this is a training issue for the push rides.

Totally agree. My instructor is helping me with this. And, umm, enhanced rider fitness would help too.

PS It’s the SafeChoice Original, if it matters.

[luvmyhackney]

I don’t know, I feed my pony differently if my daughter wants to take him to a hunter show vs road pony under saddle. I have to basically double his calorie intake otherwise he just doesn’t have the oomph in a road pony class. Calories consumed have a direct impact on energy levels.

[JB]

With the amount fed, it doesn’t really matter which one it is. It IS the highest NSC of the SC feeds at 22%. Sr is 20, and the Special Care is 15 (still too high for almost all metabolic horses, if anyone’s counting).

[lintesia]

We have a feed out here called “All-in-One” – it’s basically chaff with a touch of molasses. It’s very sticky, very tasty, and is perfect for powdered supplements/meds that might otherwise go uneaten. A handful will do the trick.