What feed do you use for your broodmares and foals?

Blue feather · Postby **Blue feather** » Sat May 14, 2011 9:13 am

I am looking for the best quality feed for my Thoroughbred broodmares. With all the experience on this board, I would love some suggestions on brands used by some of you.

TrueColours · Postby **TrueColours** » Sat May 14, 2011 5:57 pm

Where are you located? What I would recommend might not be available at all in your area ...

For the record - I love the Buckeye products and have my mares and foals on Growth / Alfa Grow N Win and Trifecta if they need it

clh · Postby **clh** » Mon May 16, 2011 5:09 pm

We ordered our feed from Southern States and used the Legends Mare and Foal 16%. My mares always were in good health and weight and had great coats (just ask me

)

griff · Postby **griff** » Tue May 17, 2011 6:17 am

I think 16% feed is too hot for any equine, brood or preformance.

horses evolved eating grass and schrubs not soybeans.

griff

Mood Swings · Postby **Mood Swings** » Tue May 17, 2011 10:19 am

Protein doesn't make a horse "hot". Horses that evolved from grass and shrubs were also not the high performance equines that we have today.
Many years ago no one had even heard of internet... but humans have evolved too, its not all bad.

griff · Postby **griff** » Tue May 17, 2011 10:59 am

look again.. I did not say 16% feed made the horse hot; I said 16% feed was too hot for horses..

Actually I belive Sweet 16 has messed up many more horses than not enough grain and soybeans

And you are correct look how well humans have adapted to corn sugar.

griff

Laurierace · Postby **Laurierace** » Tue May 17, 2011 7:16 pm

It's not the 16 part that makes it sweet. It is the sugar that makes it sweet. I personally feed all my horses an appropriate amount of ration balancer for their activity level and add a low carb pellet as needed for extra calories. Free choice hay as well.

jagger · Postby **jagger** » Tue May 17, 2011 7:21 pm

Progressive Feed. The BEST available....IMHO

griff · Postby **griff** » Wed May 18, 2011 5:13 am

check out THE HORSE article # 15970 "Horse Protien Needs & Sources" dated March 11, 2010.

Article does say brood mares need more protein in last trimester but does not define "more'

Article recommends a protein level of 7% to 10% for maintenance and recommends an increase of 1% to 2% for preformance horses..

Lastly too much protein causes a young horse to grow too fast which results in joint problems. I'm pretty sure I did this to the 1st TB filly I raised and raced.

Again, people have not evolved to handle fast food and horses have not evolved to handle soybeans.

griff

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Wed May 18, 2011 5:57 am

I've been getting Mare and Foal 12% from Southern States. I also give a flake or two of pure alfalfa daily for the calcium.

Mood Swings · Postby **Mood Swings** » Fri May 20, 2011 10:02 am

griff wrote:I think 16% feed is too hot for any equine, brood or preformance. griff

The 16% on a feed tag refers to protein, thus my comment that protein doesn't make a horse "hot". Instead as Laurierace said its the sugars, such as highly digestible carbohydrates.

There is SO much conflicting information with regards to proper equine nutrition. A feed rep (who will be biased depending on the company they work for) will argue with a vets reasoning and visa versa. Feeding is a combination of common sense, what has worked in the past and taking bits of everyone elses advice IMO.

griff · Postby **griff** » Fri May 20, 2011 5:43 pm

allow me to try it another way:

I did not say that 16% [protien] feed made a horse hot; I said that 16% [protein] feed was too hot for a horse..

comprende??

griff

Mood Swings · Postby **Mood Swings** » Sat May 21, 2011 8:28 am

Hello dearest griff, what are you implying by too hot (16% protein)to feed exactly? Please enlighten me to your thinking.

Muchas gracias!

griff · Postby **griff** » Sun May 22, 2011 7:45 am

too rich; more protein that a horse's digestive system can handle or is good for a horses digestive system, etc..

Why is it I get this feeling you knoe exactly what I mean by too hot??

griff

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Mon May 23, 2011 5:22 am

Here is a table that has the protein requirements for horses:
http://www.admani.com/AllianceEquine/im ... eDiets.gif

What griff is saying, quite correctly, is that 16% protein is too much. Excess protein will have to be excreted. This is handled by the kidneys and the horse receiving too much protein will urinate excessively. I have also noticed a strong smell in the urine when a horse is getting too much protein. The excessive urination will also deplete minerals and the horse will drink a LOT of water. And require a mineral supplement. It's really something to avoid.