I received my analysis back of the Omolene 400 and it was just as I had suspected.... high in iron. This seems to be true for the majority of the Purina feeds. Since I am not that excited about mixing my own beet pulp concoction, I purchased some Triple Crown Complete. I believe it is one of the few feeds that has moderate levels of iron. I plan to send in an analysis of it as well to get a true reading of the mineral content.
Lisa

Where are you from? TX

How did you locate this forum? online

Hi Lisa,

You are wise to be concerned about too much iron. I discuss this mineral at length in my recent book, Feed Your Horse Like A Horse. Iron is plentiful in forage and the vast majority of horses do not need added amounts. Too much iron can result in insulin resistance, laminitis, and a depressed immune response.

Triple Crown Complete is relatively high in starch, but since you're only using it as a carrier, that may be ok. I say, "may" because you indicated that your horse is prone toward developing ulcers. Starch increases acid production and should not be fed to a horse that has or is likely to have an ulcer.

Beet pulp is a wonderful feed source and there is only a very small amount of molasses added to the shredded variety -- about 2%. However, the molasses-free version is available, though harder to find.

If you want to go simple --- go with Purina's Wellsolve L/S (stands for low starch). It has an %NSC under 12% and also contains extra magnesium, a mineral that most horses do not get enough of and has a dramatic impact on muscle contraction and relaxation, as well as behavior, and insulin levels.

Keep me posted.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Triple Crown Complete is only 20% NSC. Is this still considered high for ulcer prone horses? I am only feeding 1.5-2 lbs/twice per day. Triple Crown Senior is 11.7% NSC which is an option. Triple Crown Low Starch is 13.5% NSC, but I would prefer to stay with textured rather than pellet as it mixes better with my mineral supplement.

Purina WellSolve L/S has 975 ppm iron!! Not an option.

Per Equi Analytical, looks like beet pulp, if you don't rinse it, has quite high iron content. If rinsed first you can get the iron down to around 250 ppm. Not that much lower than Triple Crown Complete so for the hassle I will probably go with Complete or the Senior.

Finding something low carb and low iron is frustrating! Appreciate your feedback.

Where are you from? TX

How did you locate this forum? online

Lisa, have you considered the Triple Crown Lite? I use it (with the exception of my 29 yr. appy who get's TC senior) and just love it.

Thanks for the suggestion Vicky. But the Triple Crown Lite has a minimum of 515 ppm of iron. Still way too high for my situation, even though the feeding rate is only 2 lbs/day. And I don't think my barrel racing horses would maintain weight on this either.

Where are you from? TX

How did you locate this forum? online

Hi Lisa,

I suggest going with the Senior since 20%NSC, while not overly high, will still promote more acid production than a feed with a lower NSC.

Dr. Getty

Lisa

Thanks for the suggestion Vicky. But the Triple Crown Lite has a minimum of 515 ppm of iron. Still way too high for my situation, even though the feeding rate is only 2 lbs/day. And I don't think my barrel racing horses would maintain weight on this either.

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO