Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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All the best,
Dr. Getty
Hi Becky,
Why indeed?! Evidently the contents of this product depend on the manufacturing facility so some Safe Choice products contain corn and others do not. I certainly can understand your frustration.
I see that you're in New York. Check out Poulin Feeds. Their website is www.poulingrain.com and they have a product called Equi-Pro Carb Safe Complete that looks promising.
Thanks for writing!
Dr. Getty 
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO
Hi Becky!
Congratulations!!!!! That is wonderful news!
If you can let me know which brands of feeds are available in your area, I can make a recommendation for you.
Or, another way to go is to offer some soaked beet pulp along with a good multiple vitamin/mineral supplement such as Mare/Foal IIP. And, offer alfalfa hay for him to nibble on, which he'll start doing in a week or two.
All the best,
Dr. Getty
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO
Hi Becky,
You can feed the TC Low Starch, but also consider adding some of Blue Seal's Omegatin to meet her additional caloric needs during lactation.
And, the TC Growth does have some grain but it is low in soluble carbohydrates compared to other feeds and it has the additional vitamins and minerals needed for growth. So, it would be better to start with this feed rather than the Low Starch for a creep feeding situation.
I hope this is helpful,
Dr. Getty
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO
Hi, Just wanted to let you know that Blue Seal now makes a product called "Carb Guard", which is very similar to Nutrena SafeChoice (also pelleted).
Although, when comparing the ingredients, analysis etc... I feel that the Blue Seal Carb Guard is actually better:
NO molasses, 12% protein, 8% fat, 25% fiber & has a lower NSC- LESS THAN 11%)! It is manufactured using the same technology as the Kent/Blue Seal Omegatin (which is a high fat/low NSC supplemental feed great for putting weight/bloom on safely).
My horses love the Carb Guard (one is a very picky eater). I had looked for a higher fat/low carb product in a PELLETED form for a long time (instead of textured) and now it is here. If you can only get Nutrena or Blue Seal easily in your area (me too by the way!), then try the Carb Guard. Blue Seal finally caught up with the latest nutrition trends! 
Where are you from? CT
How did you locate this forum? web search
Hi Becky and Jen,
I prefer the Carb Balance also so if it is available, go with that one. I will be looking into the new Nutra product.
All the best,
Dr. Getty
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO
Hi Becky,
Your feeding plan is fine as long as your hay is not high in selenium. The one pound of Sunshine Plus provides 1.4 mg of selenium. And, the 8 lbs of Carb Guard has 1.8 mg of selenium, bringing the total to 3.2 mg. Typically in New York, the selenium in low, so it is a good idea to have your hay and/or pasture tested. You can go to your local county extension agency, or contact Equi-Analytical. Here is their website: www.equi-analytical.com
Since you're also feeding rice bran and flaxseed meal, I'm concerned about an inverted calcium to phosphorus ratio. Make certain that your rice bran is fortified with calcium. And, instead of grinding your own flaxseeds, consider a stabilized product that has added calcium to make the ratio in line with what's healthy. I would go with Nutra Flax since it doesn't have any added grain.
Your baby can surely feed out of the mare's dish, but eventually you'll want to set up a creep feeding situation or a bowl designed for foals, where your mare's head cannot fit into the dish.
I hope this is helpful!
Dr. Getty
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO
Hi Becky,
The best way that I can assist you would be to crunch some numbers and give you an overall analysis. However to do that would take more time than I can allow on this forum, so I would need to set up an appointment with you for a personal consultation.
At that time, I would make a inquiry to the manufacturers about the Mcals/lb in the feeds, so we could use this in the calculations.
You can choose Carb Guard for creep feeding -- that would be fine. But, once your foal starts to eat more than 1 lb per day, you'll want to add a supplement designed for growth, such as Mare/Foal IIP and have your hay analyzed so that you know that your foal is getting adequate lysine. Providing additional lysine is always a good idea, however.
I hope this is helpful.
All the best,
Dr. Getty
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO
Hi Libby,
First, let me explain that the first ingredient on horse feed (or any animal feed) is not necessarily present in the highest concentration. This is only true for human foods and is not a requirement for animal feeds.
So, if beet pulp is first, it means that it contains beet pulp but you have no way of knowing if it contains a lot or a little.
Grain by-products are actually a good thing -- they are the outer hull of the grain (the bran) or could include the germ, but they are not the whole grain. Whole grains are mostly starch, so you actually want to look for feeds that contain middlings or by-products.
I know what you mean about the scarcity of products low in starch in Texas, having recently moved from Texas. Purina Ultium is a good choice, though expensive. Safe Choice is not reliable. But, you can look at the ingredients label and make sure that it doesn't contain oats or corn -- I have seen bags of Safe Choice that actually have whole corn kernals in them!
One route to go is to simply get shredded beet pulp. You'll want to soak it for 30 minutes and if you can only get the sweetened variety, soak it and then drain the water to remove the sugar. Add some alfalfa pellets for palatability. And, then add a good, comprehensive multiple vitamin/mineral supplement such as Accel or Glanzen Complete.
Bermuda hay, fortunately, is typically low in sugar, so that's a good thing for your horses.
I hope this is helpful! Keep up the fine work!
Dr. Getty
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO