Feed for EMS horse

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Tinypony

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Advice for a friend of mine who, to be honest, has rather limited means these days (so might struggle to go down soil analysis, Simple Systems, expensive supplements etc route). Her horse has just been diagnosed and the vet is going to test for insulin problems. On Prascend tablets at the moment. The horse isn't overweight and is a veteran.
She's got as far as Fast Fibre, soaked hay, an unmolassed and zero Alpha chaff (sugestions for chaff welcome). Not carrots or apples. Was feeding a "pinch" of garlic, and I was going to suggest knocking that on the head. I'm wondering about maybe some sort of mineral supplement that won't break the bank and would probably be useful without forage analysis being done?
Also - she has been told not to feed Fast Fibre to an EMS horse because it contains wheat. I've never heard that before, has anyone else?
 
Can't help any further but my horse has just been dropped off at the vets for an over night stay for a lameness work up and then to be starved overnight and tested for EMS. If I find out any useful information I will pass it on.
 
As you've asked :D I do have an EMS horse and these are just my views based on what I have read/researched:

A&P FF contains: Nutritionally Improved Straw, Oat Feed, Unmolassed Beet Pulp, Linseed Expeller, Grass Meal, Di-calcium Phosphate, Soya (bean) Oil, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Mint, Fenugreek, Yeast, Fructo-oligosaccharides, Herbs

Nutritionally Improved Straw - this is a no no for me as I personally refuse to pay £££ for a sub standard feed - it is just a filler IMO and not needed!

Oat Feed - this is a waste by product from milling, it is not oats, but he outer hulls, dust and hairs. No nutritional value for my horse and I can only find bad stuff about it, so again a useless filler that I refuse to pay for!

Unmolassed Beet Pulp :D

Linseed Expeller :D

Grass Meal :) Although some argue Alfalfa is better as lower sugar & starch

Di-calcium Phosphate :)

Soya (bean) Oil - Soya Oil is high Omega 6, Low Omega 3. Linseed Oil is high Omega 3, Low Omega 6 so a much better choice for horses

Salt :D

Calcium Carbonate :)

Mint - ok I guess

Fenugreek - ok I guess but evidence of it's aid to Insulin Sensitivity is unproven

Yeast :) Which one though?

Fructo-oligosaccharides - cant see the harm in this but not sure why it is included either

Herbs :confused:

... Soo essentially this is an ok feed for an EMS horse and a good alternative I think for feeding separates!

If your friend were to follow a diet recommended by the ECIR (Equine Cuhings and Insulin Resistance Group) it would be similar to A&P FF or Simple Systems in that it would consist of: Unmollassed Sugar Beet Pulp, Linseed Oil, Salt, Vit E and a vit/min supplement, however, she would have full control over all the ingredients and personally I think it works out cheaper.

I use Speedi Beet, Charnwood Milling's Micronised Linseed, Table Salt (from Tescos) and Equiminns Advanced Concentrate Meta Balance (mineral balanced to the UK and formulated for IR horses). As my boy is in full work he also gets Dengie Alfa Pellets and Aloe Vera... I rarely have to buy feed, it seems to last forever!
 
Pasha said:
If your friend were to follow a diet recommended by the ECIR (Equine Cuhings and Insulin Resistance Group) it would be similar to A&P FF or Simple Systems in that it would consist of: Unmollassed Sugar Beet Pulp, Linseed Oil, Salt, Vit E and a vit/min supplement, however, she would have full control over all the ingredients and personally I think it works out cheaper.

I use Speedi Beet, Charnwood Milling's Micronised Linseed, Table Salt (from Tescos) and Equiminns Advanced Concentrate Meta Balance (mineral balanced to the UK and formulated for IR horses). As my boy is in full work he also gets Dengie Alfa Pellets and Aloe Vera... I rarely have to buy feed, it seems to last forever!
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Agree with this. I have one which I treat as an EMS horse which is on Saracen Shape-Up and unmollassed oat straw chaff, Vit E supplement, micronised linseed and table salt at the mo, works well plus they can also tolerate unmollassed alfalfa and when they are in competition I switch to Releve for the higher energy value; if workload goes down over winter I'll probably use just Kwik Beet, Charnwood micronised linseed, table salt and either the Equiminns or ForagePlus balancer with an oat straw chaff.
 
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