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Posted by Sue Tx
on 3/21/2009, 1:13 pm
69.151.97.205
Let's start a new thresd about feed. It's an important topic and we all have opinions.
For horse feed I have come to use the Purina Horse Chow products because I have had old horses with bad teeth and others with delicate digestion and they all do well on it. It is a pelleted complete horse feed. You can feed it entirely without hay. This is great for horses with bad teeth. It comes in two protein strengths- 10% and 14%. The Merck Manuel says that the minimum protein that adult horses must get is 7 %, so 10% for adults that are not heavily worked is fine. I was concerned about too much protein in the past because older horses don't need the stress on their kidneys. For hay, we have coastal burmuda in our area which is a grass hay. Alfafa isn't grown locally and must be trucked in. If it comes from New Mexico, you have to worry about the blister bettle and if it comes from California, you have to be concerned about enterolith formation. Many people do still use it and swear by it. I don't use it much.
When Zanze came to us at 3 mo. of age I was very careful about his recipe. I could not duplicate exactly what Nancy was using because the products weren't sold here. He was on Foal lac pellet for milk plus an alfafa pellet and a mare/foal feed. It all added up to 21% protein! I product searched and found a combination I could get that made about the same level. I was also using the Fastrack product which was probiotics and digestive enzymes because of his near fatal foal diarhhea that he had at 4 weeks. He was on this until almost a year of age when I phased out the milk pellets. Slowly, I reduced the level of protein and now (he will be 3 in may) he eats the same as the horses. He gets some 10% pellet and some coastal hay. He gets a little sweet feed as a treat if he has had workout that day. He is built like a bulldozer so I guess the regimen has worked.
Loren, I have seen the pot bellied look you have mentioned and I think it is not just a hay belly. But rather poor overall nutrition and they are eating a lot of hay to compensate. They also have poor coats and don't shed out well, etc.
So let's hear other feeding plans. I know there is a lot to share in this arena.
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