Protein.. balancers

[Hormonal Filly]

How protein does your horse get?

After having a previous horse with PSSM I get so hung up on my current horse (does not have PSSM) having enough protein, vitamins and XYZ. ?

I always fed Suregrow balancer to my 4yo.. then added Progressive earths balancer (as it was suppose to help her being barefoot) and wondering if she needs both. She’s a good doer.

Progressive Earth bal:
Suregrow:



Would you stop one? Which one?

She’s fed a handful of TB healthy herbal chaff and was having oats (but have stopped the oats and added grass nuts) plus these balancers. ?

 

[TheMule]

The amount of protein in any balancer is absolutely tiny in comparison to the total protein a horse will consume in its forage. It's really not worth considering IMO!

 

[Hormonal Filly]

The amount of protein in any balancer is absolutely tiny in comparison to the total protein a horse will consume in its forage. It's really not worth considering IMO!

Ok thanks @TheMule, I will stop being so pedantic. I guess a small feed doesn’t really add up to much compared to how much forage they eat.

 

[paddy555]

Ok thanks @TheMule, I will stop being so pedantic. I guess a small feed doesn’t really add up to much compared to how much forage they eat.

ah but then the question is does your forage supply sufficient protein? This article is a starting point. If you search protein or follow the links on FP there are several articles re protein.

https://forageplustalk.co.uk/understanding-quality-protein-for-horses/

 

[woodyjessie11]

I would definitely get rid of the Suregrow! Main ingredient Soya, and contains molasses.. no go for me.

If you need extra protein try pea protein, or just supplement micronised linseed etc.

Edited to add * as above poster, can get hay/grass analysed for nutritional / mineral levels so that you can work out if certain things are unbalanced, or low in protein etc. FP offers the tests.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

I would definitely get rid of the Suregrow! Main ingredient Soya, and contains molasses.. no go for me.

If you need extra protein try pea protein, or just supplement micronised linseed etc.

Is soya bad for all horses? I thought only some reacted to it.

 

[MummyEms]

Is soya bad for all horses? I thought only some reacted to it.

Been searching for info on sure grow as my tb mare has gone extra loopy on it!!! This may be why.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Been searching for info on sure grow as my tb mare has gone extra loopy on it!!! This may be why.

Oh no. It never sent my mare loopy. She’s now on Equimins powdered balancer though

 

[MummyEms]

Yes we love equimins it just didn't arrive on time so grabbed suregrow as a balancer in the mean time

 

[Nari]

Are you feeding both balancers together, or did I misunderstand? If you're feeding both then that's a potential problem because not all vits and mins are safe if fed to excess, and there are some the body can't excrete excesses of.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Are you feeding both balancers together, or did I misunderstand? If you're feeding both then that's a potential problem because not all vits and mins are safe if fed to excess, and there are some the body can't excrete excesses of.

I was at the time, but she was getting barely any Suregrow. I’ve totally changed now to Equimins powdered balancer and just a chaff ?

 

[Elno]

Is soya bad for all horses? I thought only some reacted to it.

No, it's not. Soya is one of the few things you can feed to a horse that apart from having a high protein amount has a complete amino acid profile (meaning it has ALL the needed essential amino acids that the horse cannot synthesize themselves), and also high digestibility (around 80-90 %) and palatability.

The dangers with soy have been, in my opinion greatly overexaggerated. I also was extremely reluctant to feeding it before I actually sat down and read about it. It is bad for the environment though!

Good article with references to actual studies:

Is Soy Good or Bad for Horses? [Review of Soybean Meal in Feeds] | Mad Barn

Soy is a common ingredient in many equine feeds. Different parts of the soybean can be used to provide protein, energy, and fiber in your horse's diet. Soybeans are popular because of their versatility and affordability. Soy oil is a palatable fat source for horses who require additional...

madbarn.com

An American vet that has a blog where he in depth explains some of the dangers of feeding grain and grain byproducts to horses. It's alot of biochemistry and science, which is fun (). Here he adresses soy:

A Question About Soybeans

simple question came to me recently that needs to be discussed. A horse owner asked, “The above link is an article circulating on FB; I was curious if you’ve read this? Thoughts? Thank you so…

theequinepractice.com

I recently switched my WB from commercial feeds and a min/vit supplement to 1 kg unmollassed alfalfa pellets and 200 g soymeal. That "vet dude" suggested 1 pound soy (~ 450 g) but I'm still new to feeding soy so a bit hesitant to add that amount yet honestly

The reason for changing is that she's been in previous home hugely lacking in protein which not only shows on her general condition, but also her hooves.They are honesty the crappiest hooves I've seen by far and the hay in her new home is also a bit protein deficient which meant that I had to feed her extra protein somehow. The commercial feeds (I tried several, all of them supposedly low starch/low suger btw ) all made her wound up and it just got worse and worse for every week and she was becoming a bit of a handful honestly (the horse is 17hh so alot of horse to deal with). I was VERY hesitant and frankly a bit scared to switch to two ingredients that have been known to make horses go coco loco (and having myself had horses that went insane on alfalfa) but the change in my horse's temperament has been nothing but short of amazing. It took a couple of days on the new diet and she just...mellowed somehow. Stopped snorting and spooking at everything everytime, and feeling like a bomb that will go off any second. The yard owner is also amazed at the change since she's the one feeding her and taking her out in the morning - she is so calm!

Ok, so my point with this novel is: don't diss soy (or alfalfa) until you try it if it fits with your hay analysis and the horse tolerates it.