We have all been there. You are at a show or race and your colleagues are talking about their latest miracle find for their horse's ration. It prevents ulcers, heals them even. or prevents joint arthritis and the need for expensive injections. There are literally thousands of products out there.
How do you decide what to feed?
Your feed store will suggest hay and a complete feed. Your vet will mention structural carbohydrates. Your local hay provider will tell you their crop is 80% alfalfa.
Start with an analysis of your main forage source. There are several labs that will take your hay sample and return you a complete analysis for a small fee. Local hay might be 18% protein or it might be 7% and it may not be obvious from appearances. You definitely can't see how much of the important minerals are in the hay without an analysis. Is it deficient in selenium? How is the calcium to phosphorus ratio?
Without taking a detailed equine nutrition course, I suggest you look at MadBarn's Feed Analysis Tool online. They provide a feed calculator that will help you determine what you are feeding and what, if anything, your horse might be missing.
Next, what about grain, energy or fiber additions? Horses love oats or barley. What does beet pulp do? Is it just filler? Is corn ok? soy meal? MadBarn's Feed Comparison Tool will show you the products you currently use and what they provide. You can compare to alternatives to find the best price.
What about supplements?
Supplements are commonly used to provide a competitive edge. They may not be proven to be required for healthy nutrition. Is your horse prone to ulcers? soft hooves? thin mane and tail? There may be a supplement to help.
Just like people, every horse is different and every pasture is different. Maybe your horse just needs a little boost of a specific ingredient. What about macro and micro minerals? omega 3 fatty acids (DHA, EPA, ALA, LA)? oils (soy, canola, corn, linseed)? There are so many details, it feels impossible to understand it all.
Try playing around in Google and see what you find. Once you think you may have the supplement you need, check it against other options. Always check what the 'active ingredients' are and how much is in a serving. Sometimes the supplement has the correct ingredient but not enough to make a difference. Remember, human products are tested for health safety, so you can also consider them.
Who can you trust for good solid answers?
Your vet is always a good start for questions about what to feed but they are pretty busy with life and death most days. They may not have the time to check out the new supplement you are considering. See if MadBarn has the product in their database. If not, send them a note and ask if they could provide it for you. Ask their opinion on what might solve your problem. I've had excellent success with their recommendations. Sometimes they are MadBarn products, which is easy. But other times they have recommended products from quality manufacturers and at a fair price.
Why pay big money for Platinum Performance or Gut X if you can provide the active ingredients at a fraction of the cost by shopping around and asking questions?
Try it and save. Here's my coupon for 5% off your MadBarn purchase.
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Here's my latest wisdom after days of google and Mad Barn researching.
We feed a high alfalfa hay - especially right before exercise. It provides protection in the stomach agains acid sloshing.
Then we add a commercial grain product made for Performance Horses. Look for additives like Outlast that may provide stomach protection. Always buy quality, name brand feed concentrate - Purina, ProForm, Nutrena or similar products. Adjust the amount of grain based on work level. Broodmares just need a taste to carry their minerals.
For hard keepers and older horses, we add soaked beet pulp to provide hind gut fiber and energy.
Now the supplements -
Horses need a LOT of plain salt
We use Mad Barn Omneity Premix minerals
We add psyllium husks (if we are in sandy conditions).
For the show horses & those in heavy work, we include
MSM for a good sulfur source (joint health)
Hyaluronic Acid (joint protection as found in Gut X)
Omega 3's, EPA and DHA primarily
Biotin for those with poor mane/tails, as found in BioMane
When travelling or attending competitions, we add
Mad Barn Visceral (gut protector, includes pre and probiotics)
1/4 cup canola oil (another stomach protector).
Ulcers are extremely common in performance horses and are difficult and expensive to treat. Prevention is pretty cheap. After doctoring my mare last summer, I'm all about prevention. Scoping isn't prohibitively expensive but the Omeprazole (GastroGuard) to treat the ulcer is very expensive and the routine of twice a day treatment, 12 hours apart, without feed for the previous hour is not fun. We were both ready for a clear scan afterwards! I was meticulous in my treatment as I could not imagine having to repeat the process for another six weeks!
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