I feed my Arabian gelding oat hay morning and evening, and Platform Pleasure with Horseshoer's Secret in the morning. He occasionally gets alfalfa hay instead of oat hay. I just recently purchased a DuMor Horse Block 16% protein, and he ate the 33# block in 3 days. I don't know whether he needed the added nutrients and should buy another, or if he liked the molasses and just ate it for the taste.

Please let me know what your opinion is on this matter. I don't want to tax his system by over doing it, but I don't want him to be deficient in anything either.

Thanks so much,

Karen


Below are the ingredients, etc. for the Platform:
Ingredients:

Wheat middlings, wheat flour, ground corn, ground soybean hulls, rice bran, molasses, ground rice hulls, dehydrated alfalfa meal, corn distillers dried grains, calcium carbonate, calcium lignin sulfonate, dried beet pulp, salt, flaxseed, calcium propionate, saccharomyces cerevisiae, L-lysine, choline chloride, DL-alpha tocopheryl aceate, beta carotene, biotin, cyanocobalamin, D-alphatocopheryl acetate, riboflavin, calcium pantothenate, manganous oxide, zinc oxide, nicotinic acid, DL-methionine, vitamin A acetate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, magnesium oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese methionine complex, copper lysine complex, mineral oil, cholecalciferol, cobalt glucoheptonate, zinc methionine complex, brewers dried yeast, selenium yeast, sodium selenite

Guaranteed Analysis from label:

Crude protein (min.) 12.0%
Crude fat (min.) 4.00%
Crude fiber (max.) 13.5%
Calcium (Ca) (min.) 0.75%
Calcium (Ca) (max.) 1.25%
Phosphorus (P) (min.) 0.50%
Salt (NaCl) (min.) 0.40%
Salt (NaCl) (max.) 0.90%
Copper (Cu) (min.) 60 ppm
Selenium (Se)(min.) 0.60 ppm
Zinc (Zn) (min.) 110 ppm
Vitamin A (min.) 3,500 IU/lb.
Vitamin D-3 (min.) 600 IU/lb.
Vitamin E (min.) 50 IU/lb

and Horseshoer's Secret:

BIOTIN
CALCIUM
PROTEIN 20% supplemental complete protein in the form of soybean meal
METHIONINE
FLAX MEAL
LYSINE
YEAST

Where are you from? California

How did you locate this forum? yahoo search engine

Hi Karen,

The Platform supplement is fine for the average healthy horse. It is very low in vitamin E, however. But, be careful about adding a vitamin E supplement that also contains selenium since you are giving him selenium in this product. Extra vitamin E can easily be obtained by adding a pure vitamin E supplement such as E5000.

The block, however, is likely enjoyed because of the molasses added. I assume that this block offers salt and other minerals and I have seen many that are sweetened. I strongly suggest that you stay away from these. The horse will eat them like candy (which they are, actually) and your horse is much better off with a plain white salt lick, especially since he is already getting minerals from the Platform supplement.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO