Triple Crown Nutrition eNews - Feb. 25, 2009

We know a lot more about feeding horses today than we did 20 years ago. Some of the improvements are technically advanced micro nutrients designed to enhance digestion and improve overall health. As we alter the natural diet of horses by feeding meals, higher levels of carbohydrates and perhaps not enough turnout and forage, we need to help the delicate digestive system perform better. For a full list of these ingredients and what they do, go to http://www.triplecrownfeed.com/equimixtech.php

Primary among these ingredients are yeast cultures specific to the equine digestive system, organic minerals, probiotics, and digestive enzymes. These digestive enhancements are designed to either maintain a healthier pH and digestive activity in the hind gut or to improve digestibility of protein and starch in the small intestine. There are also products designed to help neutralize damage that may occur from pathogenic bacteria and mycotoxins. Relatively new is an organic form of selenium that is safer and more effective than inorganic forms, such as sodium selenite or selenate. Some feed companies use some of this newer technology but do not make guarantees, so it is suspect if there is enough to provide any benefit. Other major companies do not use any of these nutritional advances, primarily due to the added cost to the feed.

At Triple Crown, we call the combination of enhancements we use Equimix®. These nutrients are supplied to Triple Crown by Alltech, the title sponsor of the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games. For a number of research papers on the benefits of these nutrients, go to http://www.triplecrownfeed.com/news.php