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Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
Welcome to my forum. Feel free to post a comment or question. I will be happy to address your concerns regarding your horses' health. It may take as long as a week to get back to you, but I will respond to your question. Thank you for your patience.
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Mrs. Krista Shumake
 IP: 69.221.248.202 Jun 6, 08 - 7:24 AM |
How do I switch over to a low NSC diet?
I would like to switch to as low an NSC diet as I can. This is what I'm feeding currently: 6-8 flakes of grass/alfalfa mix hay, spread into three feedings per day "grain" fed only once a day- 6 cups oats (I think they're crimped) 1 cup black oil sunflower seeds 1 cup Omega Horseshine 2 oz. kelp one of the horses also gets 1 tbsp. paprika because she's black I want to switch the oats to something else that is low NSC. It would be nice if it was something that I could get away with feeding only 2-3 pounds and still be able to eliminate some of the supplements I'm feeding. All the formulas out there seem to require a minimum of 5 pounds a day. I could do Triple Crowns Lite, and only have to add a fat supplement, but I can't get it in my area. Any suggestions? I thought of maybe replacing the oats with alfalfa pellets? If I eliminated the Horseshine, I would need something else with flax and yeast. One of my horses gets diarhea when not receiving yeast. One of them cribs when not given the kelp. I can't afford to feed 5 pounds a day, and I don't want to lower the fat content, as they all do well with it. 
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Dr. Getty
IP: 66.118.192.138 Jun 14th, 2008 - 9:31 AM |
Re: How do I switch over to a low NSC diet?
Hello Krista, Yes, you can replace oats with a combination of alfalfa pellets and beet pulp. Beet pulp has almost as many calories as oats, but does not get digested in the foregut, like oats, making them safe to feed to a horse that needs to avoid sugar and starch. Avoid Omega Horseshine, since it contains oats. Instead, you can consider Nutra Flax. However, since you are not giving a vitamin/mineral supplement, consider Reitsport, since this will provide the flaxseed meal, plus vitamins, minerals, hoof support, joint support, and the probiotics, including yeast, that your horse requires. Or, if your horse does not need joint support, go with Glanzen, which contains yeast culture (but not other live microbes). If your horse is experiencing any joint or muscle stress, it is best to avoid sunflower seeds. They are high in Omega 6 fatty acids, which increase inflammation. All the best, Dr. Getty 
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