Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Help me feed my horse

Levon, asked almost the same question, and I will pass on what Susan wrote back:


> 1)  Some literature says not to feed corn oil in conjunction with the rice
> bran, does anyone know why?  I'm feeding about 1 cup oil per day now.

I've heard the same thing, and ran it past the best independent nutritionist
I know, and no one can think of a really legitimate reason.  The best
stretch we could think of is that there's still an urban legend out there
that feeding fats blocks the absorption of the fat soluble vitamins.
However, Kathy Crandell at KER looked at this and found the small intestine
gets better at absorbing, not worse.  Personally, I'd be perfectly happy
feeding both rice bran and corn oil if the horse needed it.  How much
credence given to the recommendations not to feed the two depends a lot on
who made the recommendation, as well (jaded voice of skepticism here).

>
> 2)  The Moorman's Natural Glo (which is readily available and a good
price)
> says it should be fed in conjunction with their minerals.  Is this
necessary
> or just a sales ploy?

Both, IMO.  The rice bran by itself is sky high in phosphorus (any rice bran
is, not just Moorman's), so unless you're feeding a lot of alfalfa (which
you're not), you've potentially got some ca:p issues.  Other companies solve
that problem by just adding some calcium carbonate (very cheap mineral) to
the rice bran to balance the ratios.  Moorman's wants you to buy another
product to do the same thing.  Although, granted, the GroStrong contains
more than just calcium, though that doesn't make the ration a better one if
those additional minerals are already being provided from another source,
ie, commercial formulations like Omolene or LMF or whatever.

> 3)  Would you feed a rice bran supplement or go with one of the new
> formulated foods containing rice bran with the diet I'm feeding listed
below?
>
>
> This mare is on 1lb. dry weight beet pulp, 1/2 cup corn oil, biotin,
brewers
> yeast, and top dressing of Strategy, twice a day.  She gets free feed
Bermuda
> grass hay. Don't want to add more Strategy until she starts working
harder,
> don't want to work her harder until she puts some weight on.

Why the brewers yeast?

Which rice bran product you settle on depends on how much Strategy you're
feeding, as it has an added vit-min pack.  If the horse is getting more than
maybe 3 pounds or so a day, you could feed a few pounds of a straight
stabilized rice bran, my personal strong preference would be one that's
already calcium balanced, so you don't have to mess around with that.  If
the Strategy is literally a cup or two of top dressing, then you might
consider one of the formulations that uses rice bran, which then itself will
also have a vit-min pack added in.  However, keep in mind that just because
rice bran is on the ingredients list doesn't mean that rice bran is a
*significant* ingredient---if it's listed more than third or fourth on the
ingredients list, it's kind of an also-ran in there, not a primary
ingredient.

You might also up the beet pulp gradually to at least a couple of pounds a
day pre-soaking weight.  If she has issues with being fed grain, then
soluble fibers are a terrific alternative.

If she were my horse, I'd be feeding free choice bermuda, about five pounds
of beet pulp soaked with the biotin and a couple pounds (as in 2-3, not 8 or
10) of a stabilized calcium-balanced rice bran (I like the Nutrena Empower
Truman mentioned) , 3-4 pounds of Strategy, plus a goodly dollop of
*cold-pressed* corn or extra virgin olive oil, all soaked together and split
into two feedings a day.

I'm not wild about the Gro-Strong additive.  I've only talked to a few
people about it, but been told it's pretty bitter, and I'd personally prefer
a supplement that didn't run the chance of putting the horse off his feed.
I'm sure it's balanced and all that, but I don't like being strong-armed
into buying one supplement over another just because I added some rice bran
to the ration.  I've had minimal dealings directly with Moorman's and
haven't been overwhelmed.

Susan G