Alternative to Allen and Page Muscle & Focus?

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AppyLover1996

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Hi Guys,

I'm looking to help Baggs keep his condition and gain a little more topline and muscle. Whilst I know he needs to be worked correctly in order to encourage this to happen naturally, I've also been advised to try Muscle and Focus from Allen and Page. I've been told it will be good for Rabbit as well for when he comes into work next year after being backed.

I've had a look at the ingredients and can't see anything particularly nasty (got to be careful as Baggs prone to ulcers, is stressy, can hot up easily and is quite fussy!) but I don't think the bag will last me long between the pair of them being on it, and I have limited space in my feed room so can't have endless bins!

Currently both boys get ad lib hay, 100g of micronised linseed, half a stubbs scoop of Dengie Alfa A with Oil, 150g Equiglo 10 minute beet (dry weight and this swells up to be just under half a stubbs scoop when soaked) , 15g turmeric, 10g MSM, 15g biotin and 20g of NAF Gastri Aid each, split over 2 meals.

Have any of you guys got any feed that you swear by that would be worth giving a go? As I've said I know that topline and muscle will only come through correct work, but with Baggs being 20 and Rabbit being a youngster, I just want to make sure that I have my bases all covered :)
 
dont feed turmeric to anything prone to ulcers! More linseed is the obvious go to for condition and a balancer that covers all bases for amino acids like lysine. If you dont want to bulk up feeds then rice bran can replace linseed in smaller quantities. But realistically your not feeding a lot and its not calorie dense, so you could lower the amounts of filler like beet and up the linseed.
 
I'm Dun said:
dont feed turmeric to anything prone to ulcers! More linseed is the obvious go to for condition and a balancer that covers all bases for amino acids like lysine. If you dont want to bulk up feeds then rice bran can replace linseed in smaller quantities. But realistically your not feeding a lot and its not calorie dense, so you could lower the amounts of filler like beet and up the linseed.
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Hi thanks for your reply :)

I spoke to my vets before adding turmeric into the diet as with Baggs being prone to ulcers, I didn't want anything to exacerbate the problem. They said that it was fine to feed in the quantity that I was feeding. I've also spoken to a few independent equine nutritionists and they've said that the turmeric is fine to feed, as not all horses who have had ulcers/ are prone to ulcers will have a problem with it x But thank you for letting me know :)

Good to know that I'm not feeding a lot in terms of bulk as I do worry about over feeding the boys! I'll look at lessening the beet (which I mainly feed as a source of fibre to keep their tummies happy) and adjusting the other quantities :) x
 
The amount of turmeric you are feeding will have zero benefits, but is a huge risk for anything with ulcers. Anecdotally when I tried it, it caused huge issues with my stomach and inflamed all the lining. So I'm doubly wary of it.

But yes definitely not feeding too much, beet and alfa a oil are digested like forage. The alfa also has good levels of protein in it so good for horses that are ok eating it. I used to feed a skinny tb a big bucket of beet and grass nuts which he could pick at. Its not like shovelling pony nuts or high starch feed down them, so you are fine. Just up the linseed to add condition, and if they arent eating all their feeds drop down the amount of beet or alfa. If that doesnt work for some reason then you can revist it, but it would work for almost every leisure horse I've met so you should be fine.
 
The main ingredients of the feed you mentioned are, 1) Straw pellets, 2) Unmollassed beet pulp and 3) Wheatfeed , can't see what you would gain from adding it to what you're feeding currently
 
tda said:
The main ingredients of the feed you mentioned are, 1) Straw pellets, 2) Unmollassed beet pulp and 3) Wheatfeed , can't see what you would gain from adding it to what you're feeding currently
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Thank you for pointing that out to me - I'd had a quick look at it but now shall certainly avoid it! x
 
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I've had great results with omega rice. I used to use micronised linseed but this did a much better job and the horses have needed less of it.
 
I feed M & F to my mare over the winter, I find it works well for her and supposed to be ideal for horses prone to ulcers. I add linseed and if I feel she needs a few more calories I switch from a grass chaff (currently using Meadow Light) to Mollichaff Veteran (I'm not a fan of alfalfa chaffs). Agree with I'm Dun, I'd ditch the turmeric.
 
Marshpiper said:
Have you spoken to them, it’s strange that their feed has changed for you….
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I have indeed my lovely - they were extremely helpful and went through the ingredient list extensively with me to try and identify what was the cause and after 2 hours we still couldn't pin anything down.

They even gave me a small bag of mash as an apology that we couldn't figure out the exact cause, which I thought was lovely of them
 
I am having huge success to an extremely tough to manage TB with 1.2kg cushcare, Stubbs scoop of unmolassed beet pulp, 400ml flaxseed oil (omega equine sometimes runs deals) + at least 10 kg hay and haylage (50/50 split. His is also soaked) + Equimins AC vits/mins top up, vit E (neuro horse), oily herbs

Mine can't have alfalfa or molasses

Eta: my stomach also doesnt tolerate tumeric well. It will in small doses but otherwise...
 
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Sanversera said:
This. There products are excellent 👍
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Hiya,

As mentioned a few posts up, sadly Baggs my elderly lad can't tolerate any of their feeds and I've spent quite a while on the phone to them trying to figure out what the issue was but we sadly never could x Usually they are my go to for feed however :) x
 
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