Triple Crown Nutrition Horse Feed Blog

One of the questions Triple Crown representatives are most often asked is, "How do I know if my feed is fresh?" This is particularly true in summer when the heat and humidity can be hard on stored feed. Generally, it would take 6 to 9 months for degradable ingredients like vitamins to diminish below guarantees, but for best quality, feed should be used before that time. For optimum freshness and palatability, we recommend feed be used within 60 to 90 days from the date of manufacture to avoid problems such as drying out, mold or insect infestation. These dates may have some variability based on where you live.

Horse Feed: Understanding Big Picture Cost Distinctions Between Fixed Formulation and Least Cost Formulation Horse Feeds.

Ingredients:
Using inferior ingredients is another method to reduce costs. For example, peanut and rice hulls are prevalent fiber sources in lower cost diets. Peanut hulls are poorly digested and can pose a big problem with a mycotoxin called aflatoxin. Aflatoxin, considered carcinogenic, has been associated with liver disease and death. The FDA established an action level at only 20 parts per billion. Recently, a major feed company had to dispose of hundreds of tons of horse feed because of a FDA recall due to aflatoxin contamination. Much of that feed was a senior diet designed for horses that already have a reduced tolerance to digestive challenges.

Understanding the Fine Details Behind Horse Feed Nutrient Labeling Can Help Minimize Serious Equine Health Risks.

With so many products on the market, choosing a horse feed can be confusing. However, if you take the time to review all the feed tags and literature, there are less than ten basic feeding concepts; the hundreds of available feeds are just variations of those concepts. The variations could be the form of the feed, such as pellets, textured and extruded, or the differences in additives available, such as the inclusion of prebiotics and probiotics. But the basic uses for feed remain the same—for growth, performance, maintenance, etc.

Improving Equine Immunity & Colic Risks Requires a Robust Understanding of Correct Supplementation & Veterinary Care.

by Amy M Gill, PhD

Keeping horses healthy and disease- and disorder-free are hot topics on the Internet and in many popular press journals and magazines. Advice ranges from nutrition to shoeing and veterinary care. Suggestions generally include:

Adding prebiotics and probiotics to a daily equine feeding program is an inexpensive insurance policy that lowers the risk of colic and other metabolic issues. The life cycle of gut microbes is about 15 minutes so it’s easy to change the population very quickly, and that can be a recipe for disaster.

Probiotics
In the life of a domestic horse, something occurs almost daily that can shift the microbial population in the gut, increasing the number of “bad” microbes and reducing the number of “good” ones. The vet comes to vaccinate, the farrier digs out an abscess, a new load of hay arrives that is different from the last, a horse gets the wrong feed or has to travel to a show—all these events can cause digestive stress and disrupt the microbes in the hindgut. By adding the “good” microbes daily through supplementation, it minimizes the odds of the “bad” ones having much effect.

It Takes More Than Insect Repellent To Manage Fly Allergies & Mosquito Control Issues. Learn How To Prepare Yourself For This Season's Pest Control Problems.

Amy M Gill, PhD

With trees and shrubs blooming and fly season approaching, you need to prepare your barn and horses for the upcoming warm weather and all the pollen, insects and mud that can wreak havoc on coats and hooves. Many horses develop allergies to environmental irritants and various flies. Here are a few things that can keep your horses comfortable as they transition from winter to spring:

Knowing Basic Equine & Human First Aid Is Also Critical In Equine Emergencies.

Horse owners can handle many equine emergencies; however, a vet should be called for serious situations. If a rider is also injured, Emergency Medical Services should be contacted as well. Here are some good rules to follow:

Her Love For All Things Horse Has Made Her A Rising Star On The Extreme Mustang Makeover Circuit.

Q. How long have you been riding?

A. My whole life, my momma used to sit me in front of her as we rode my Granddaddy's walking horses at bird dog field trial.

Q. Is your family involved in horses too?

A. When I was growing up I never had horses in my backyard full time. I always day dreamed of them. I could go to my Granddaddy's to ride. After I was grown my Mom married a farrier and they had lots of horses and my sister loves horses and has a horse too.

Q. What disciplines did you start riding and how old were you?

This exciting up and comer touches on George Morris, Lipizzaners, Rice Bran Oil & Much More.

Q. How long have you been riding?
A. I have been riding since before I could walk! My mother used to be a dressage rider when she was younger, so she bought me a pony for my first Christmas when I was not even a year old, and as soon as I was able to toddle around on two feet I started taking 15-minute riding lessons with a local instructor.

It’s a Good Time to do a Pasture Safety Check!

Forage is the major portion of a horse’s diet. While some horses consume forage from baled or chopped hay sources, others are free to roam the pasture most of the day and consume their daily forage needs by eating grass. There are many things responsible horse owners should do to ensure their pasture grass and grazing area are safe for their horses.

 

 

 

Whether Your Adorable Foal is a Horse, Pony, Donkey, Mule or Minature Horse Colt/Filly, it's Time to Show Him/Her Off to the World!

Rules and regulations:
How to Enter

You must submit a picture of your foal or mare and her foal. Each farm/owner is allowed no more than 2 entries per the duration of the contest. Please do not send copyrighted photos. Triple Crown Nutrition, Inc. reserves the right to reject any photo entry due to unacceptable content or noncompliance with contest rules.

Submit your entries now, direct uploader: http://upload.triplecrownfeed.com/upload.php

Longtime Dressage rider & trainer, Sarah discusses the ins and outs of life as a dedicated horse woman.

Q How long have you been riding?  

A I started riding when I was 9 years old, so... 23 years now!

Q Is your family involved in horses too?

A.  No! They joke all the time that they have no idea where I got it from.

Q. What discipline(s) did you start riding and how old were you?

A. I started at a general lesson barn that was close to our house. They taught beginners in Western and English that focused on a hunter type program. When I was 12 I moved to a dressage barn and was immediately hooked.

Q. What made you choose the disciplines you train, and compete in?  

We Also Encourage You To Search Our Extensive Equine Nutrition Archive.

In a recent Facebook post from Triple Crown, we asked our friends what they would like to have us cover in a blog article that pertains to equine nutrition. 

Quite often, the comments referred back to our great website articles archive.  There are nearly 50 articles on feeding situations and feed questions that we have discussed. 

Improved Nervous System & Digestive Systems and Fewer Arthritis Issues Often Observed In Horses Fed Flax Seed Meal.

Flax or Rice Bran: Which is Better for Your Horse?
Amy M Gill, PhD
www.amymgillphd.com

When rice bran first appeared on the feeding scene, it was an excellent alternative to using high starch supplements to provide extra fat in equine diets. Containing about 18% fat, rice bran (meal or pellets) was a safe, healthy alternative for providing extra calories to horses needing to gain weight or in heavy training. 

Shredded Beet Pulp for Your Horse? Of Course! 

What is beet pulp?

Beet pulp is the fiber portion of a sugar beet. Sugar beets, which look like large turnips, are washed, shredded like waffle fries, and then cooked to remove the sugar portion of the plant. What is left is a non-sugary, high fiber, highly digestible byproduct.The beet pulp is then dehydrated, pelleted and used as a source of high fiber for commercial feed.  A relatively small amount gets dehydrated, but not pelleted. This is the shredded beet pulp that is becoming more popular with horse owners.