Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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Dr. Getty
Hi I was wondering how you feel about this protien verses fat issue in feeds. I feed BS Vintage Victory with Sunshine Plus and whole corn..I have some one telling me that Stratagey with Charger is a better combo. What do you think??? My horses all look great shiney and all but this battle over Protien vs Fat is killing me.. HELP 
Where are you from? Rhode Island
How did you locate this forum? thru equinesite
Hi Brenda,
Horses tolerate additional fat in the diet very well. It can be used as a safe energy source for horses that are working or need to gain weight.
Protein is often difficult to evaluate because the percentage of crude protein tells you nothing about the quality of the protein. Generally speaking, a good protein content is 12 to 14% for mature horses. But, the ingredients will tell the whole picture. If a legume such as alfalfa or soy is added to a grain, the protein quality will be high.
Feeding corn, however, is something I do not recommend. Corn is not well digested and is often the cause of colic and even laminitis.
Strategy is a grain-based feed and it is not top on my list of recommendations. Depending on your horses' life stage, level of health, and workload, it would be better to readjust the diet to one that is mostly forage and contains some additional energy source such as beet pulp, alfalfa, and flaxseed meal. Stabilized rice bran is also an excellent way to add energy and fat to the diet in a safe manner.
Thanks for writing.
Dr. Getty
