Brego's diet has been slowly evolving. I dropped the Rice Bran and added a nutrient-dense light feed. Last time I updated the diet was June 1. So here is the most recent makeup of his diet:
2 parts Triple Crown Senior
(14% Protein, 10% Fat, 11.7% NSC) = $16/bag
2 parts Kent Feeds Omegatin
(15% Protein, 20% Fat, 22% NSC) = $29/bag
1 part Triple Crown 30% protein supplement
(30% Protein, 3% Fat, 9.8% NSC) = $29/bag
1 part Triple Crown Light
(12% Protein, 3% Fat, 9.3% NSC) = $16/bag
[I've posted the rest of this content before, but it is nice to repeat for new readers. I've been wrestling with diet for awhile.]
He gets good quality timothy blend hay, but not free choice (which is a very good thing). I also occasionally give him a few pounds of Triple Crown Safe Starch (11% Protein, 6% Fat, 8.8% NSC) as additional forage. I don't think he needs it, but it's conveniently packaged for trailer rides and shows.
NSC stands for Non-Structural Carbs which is, in general, the main component you are trying to lower in an EPSM-related diet. Conventional horse feeds contain 30% or more. Brego has never shown any symptoms of EPSM, so we are less strict about NSC. Some owners target for 10% or less which is really hard to do with packaged food. There's a lot of discussion about the EPSM diet, and I don't think we have the final answer yet. I believe a healthy diet has more going on than just the NSC count, such as fats availability and exercise level. I basically listen to what Brego tells me and am not afraid to adjust ingredients up and down.
I should note that when I switched to giving Brego monthly Adequan shots, I dropped his SmartPak entirely (Dare I mention that his "blackening" supplement failed to deliver as promised?). So he is no longer getting any other supplements. Besides apples, that is.
Posts
