|
Choosing The Right Feed
|
| |
| |
KEY QUESTIONS:
- Age of horse?
- Type of forage fed?
- Category of use?
Maintenance: Mature animal, limited or no riding.
Performance: Actively ridden or trained
Breeding Stallion: During breeding season.
Pregnant Mare: Conception through foaling.
Lactating Mare: Foal nursing mare.
Juvenile: 3 to 36 months of age, growing.
Senior: Aged horse, special needs.
- Estimated body weight
|
 |
| |
| ^back to top |
| |
KEY CONSIDERATION FEEDING YOUR HORSE
“Meet energy and protein needs without sacrificing mineral and
vitamin requirements.”
HOW DOES LMF DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE?
Varying feed formulations based on intake level,
with mineral/vitamin concentrations to match.
EXAMPLE: |
| MCAL Energy |
GRAMS Protein |
GRAMS CAL |
GRAMS Phosph |
MG Copper |
MG Zinc |
MG SEL |
IU E |
VIT SEL |
| 1# Super Supplement G |
| 1.3 |
109 |
13 |
11 |
100 |
323 |
1.5 |
500 |
1.5 |
| 3# Development G |
| 4.5 |
218 |
14 |
12 |
102 |
300 |
1.2 |
300 |
1.2 |
| 5# Performance G |
| 7.0 |
272 |
16 |
14 |
113 |
364 |
1.6 |
550 |
1.6 |
|
Moving from 1# to 3# to 5# only significantly increased amount of
energy (calories) and protein, with little change in mineral vitamin intake.
Because a horse has lower caloric needs, does not mean that horse has lower
mineral / vitamin needs. You can vary energy and protein intake without
adversely affecting supplementation intake. |
| |
| ^back to top |
| |
BREEDING HORSES
The challenge for pregnant mares is to provide
sufficient primary minerals, trace minerals and
vitamins for the in-utero developing foal, without
allowing the mare to become fat. The primary
emphasis for the lactating mare is to provide sufficient
caloric intake to maintain body weight,
achieve adequate milk production, and keep the mare and lactating foal in good
health. For actively breeding stallions, providing sufficient caloric intake to maintain
body weight and health is the goal. |
GESTATING MARES
Pregnant mares require very little added
caloric intake as compared to a similar nonbred
mare. The pregnant mare does however
require considerably higher levels of primary
and trace mineral intake for the bone, cartilage,
and system development of the fetus and
to prepare the mare for upcoming lactation.
EASY KEEPING PREGNANT MARES Feed 1 lb. LMF Super Supplement per
day (based on a 1000 lb. horse) along
with hay or pasture.
NORMAL GESTATION Feed 3-5 lbs. LMF Development per
day (based on a 1000 lb. horse) along
with hay or pasture.
\
HARD KEEPING PREGNANT MARES Feed 6-8 lbs. LMF Performance per day
(based on a 1000 lb. horse) along with
hay or pasture.
NOTE: Caloric intake must normally
increase during late gestatiototion ready the
mare for milk production. |
LACTATING MARES
EARLY LACTATION
Where relatively low supplemental
intake is sufficient to
maintain body weight, feed
5-8 lbs. LMF Development per day (based on a 1000 lb.
horse) along with hay or pasture.
Where higher added
calories are required to maintain
body condition, feed 8-
12 lbs. LMF Performance per
day (based on a 1000 lb. horse)
along with hay or pasture.LATE LACTATION Feed 3-8 lbs. LMF
Development per day (based
on a 1000 lb. horse), along
with hay or pasture. BREEDING STALLIONS Feed 5-12 lbs. LMF Performance per day (based on a 1000 lb.
horse) along with hay or pasture. |
| |
| ^back to top |
| |
| YOUNG,GROWING HORSES |
 The challenge in feeding weanlings and yearlings is to
allow steady growth, without obesity while simultaneously
supplying primary minerals & trace minerals in both
amounts and ratios that are very essential for proper
bone and joint development. |
NURSING FOAL
Allow nursing foal
to share the grain
portion of the mare’s
diet to three months
of age. After three
(3) months of age,
as mare’s milk
decreases, feed one
(1) pound LMF
Development per
100 lbs. body weight
to the foal. If milk
production is less
than adequate before
the foal is three
months of age, feed
the foal one (1)
pound of LMF
Development per
100 lbs. body weight. |
WEANING TO 12 MONTHS AGE
(Healthy weanlings without orthopedic developmental diseases)
Feed one (1) pound LMF Development per 100 lbs. body
weight along with good quality hay or pasture. Avoid overfeeding
which can lead to obesity. Do not feed more than
60% of expected mature body weight. Example: a weanling
that is expected to mature at a 1,000 lb. body weight would
receive no more than 6.0 lbs. per day of LMF Development divided into at least two feedings. |
YEARLING IN TRAINING
Feed .8 to 1.2 lbs. LMF Performance per 100 lbs. body
weight depending on body condition. Example: 700 lb.
yearling would be fed 5.6 to 8.4 lbs. of LMF Performance
divided into at least two feedings per day.
YEARLING NOT IN TRAINING
Feed .5 to .8 lbs. LMF Development per 100 lbs. body
weight depending on body condition. Example; 700 lb.
yearling would be fed 3.5 to 5.6 lbs. of LMF Development
divided into at least two feedings per day. |
THERAPUTIC DIET IF OCD, PHYSITIS OR OTHER
DEVELOPMENTAL ORTHOPEDIC DISEASES PRESENT
Feed .3 lbs. of LMF Super Supplement per 100 lbs. body weight up to a maximum
1.5 lbs. per day along with hay or pasture to reduce caloric intake while simultaneously
providing required minerals and vitamins.
Match your LMF feed to your forage. Feed formula “A” with 50% or more alfalfa
forage and feed formula “G” with more than 50% grass forage. |
| |
| ^back to top |
| |
PLEASURE HORSES
Adult (mature) horses performing
light to moderate levels of exercise. |
EASY KEEPING PLEASURE HORSES
 Since these horses can maintain body condition with
little or no grain being fed, the perfect dietary choice
is LMF Super Supplement (A or G). This product will provide essential vitamins and minerals without a glut of
extra calories. LMF Super Supplement (A or G) should be
fed to mature, easy keeping pleasure horses at a rate of
1 lb. of LMF Super Supplement (A or G) per day (based on
a 1,000 lb. horse) along with good quality hay or pasture. |
NORMAL PLEASURE HORSES
These individuals require some additional feed to maintain body condition. LMF Gentle Balance is a product
designed specifically for pleasure horses. Gentle Balance provides the additional calories needed to maintain good
condition WITHOUT THE USE OF GRAIN. This makes Gentle Balance the perfect feed for owners who worry
about the effects that grain may have on the disposition
of their riding companion. It is also a low sugar means of
feeding a pleasure horse. Gentle Balance is a high fiber,
fat supplemented, pellet that provides essential vitamins
and minerals to satisfy the nutrient needs of the pleasure
horse without making them high or nervous. LMF Gentle
Balance should be fed at a rate of 3 to 8 lbs. per day
(based on a 1,000 lb. horse) along with good quality hay
or pasture. |
| |
| ^back to top |
| |
| PERFORMANCE HORSES |
AEROBIC
PERFORMANCE HORSES
Endurance, 3 day eventing, western
pleasure, dressage, hunter-jumper, barrel
racing, cutting horses, English pleasure,
National show horses, roping horses,
park horses and other aerobic performance
horses. LMF Showtime provides “Maximum
condition & maximum calm” for excellent
body condition, coat condition and
attitude. Feed LMF Showtime at a rate of 3-8
lbs. per day (based on 1000 lb. body
weight) depending on work level and
desired body condition. Feed along with
hay or pasture. For aerobic performance
horses at intense work levels when more
than 8 lbs. of supplemental feed is
required to maintain body condition, feed LMF Performance at a rate of 8-12 lbs.
per day (based on a 1000 lb. horse) along
with hay or pasture.
Feed formula “A” when using 50% or
greater alfalfa forage, and formula “G”
when using greater than 50% grass forage, or feed LMF Gold at the rate of 5 – 12 lbs. per day (based on a 1000 lb. horse).LMF Gold is a high fat feed specifically formulated for performance horses in intense training. |
BREEDING STALLIONS
 Feed 5-12 lbs. LMF Performance per day (based on a 1000 lb.
horse) along with hay or pasture, or feed LMF Gold at the rate of 5 – 12 lbs. per day (based on a 1000 lb. horse) . LMF Gold is a high fat feed specifically formulated for performance horses in intense training. |
ANAEROBIC
PERFORMANCE HORSES
LMF Race is a beet pulp based racing
feed that not only provides the proper
type of energy, but also includes an
optimal formulation of primary
minerals & trace minerals along with
significant inclusion rates of relevant
vitamins, especially vitamin E and B
vitamins.
Feed LMF Race at a rate of 8-15 lbs.
per day (based on a 1000 lb. horse)
along with good quality grass hay.
Alternative Feed: Feed 8-12 lbs. of
LMF Performance, “A” or “G”
formula depending on type of hay fed, or feed LMF Gold at the rate of 5 – 12 lbs. per day (based on a 1000 lb. horse) . LMF Gold is a high fat feed specifically formulated for performance horses in intense training. |
BACK COUNTRY/PACKING HORSES
 LMF California Complete and LMF TACO are “complete”,
nearly perfectly nutritionally balanced feeds that are easy to pack
in. With it’s “weed-seed-free” status, both are excellent choices
when packing into national forests. Feed 15-20 lbs. per day
(based on a 1000 lb. horse). *California Complete available in AZ,
CA, NV, and southern OR. TACO available in WA, OR, MT, ID, WY and UT. |
| |
| ^back to top |
| |
| MAINTENANCE HORSES (with limited exercise) |
 The challenge in feeding the maintenance
horse is to maintain horse health, coat and
general appearance, without becoming
overweight. While there are horses with
limited exercise that have difficulty
maintaining weight, generally, the
more common problem is obesity.
DEFINITION OF A
MAINTENANCE HORSE: A horse that is more than two years old
and exercised one hour or less per day,
excluding pregnant mares and breeding
stallions. |
EASY KEEPER
Feed 1 lb. of LMF Super Supplement based on a 1000 lb. horse) per day along
with hay or pasture. One pound of Super Supplement helps maintain horse
health with minimal added calories.
AVERAGE KEEPER Feed 3 lbs. LMF Development or 3 lbs. of LMF Showtime per day (based on a
1000 lb. horse) along with hay or pasture. Three pounds provides good levels
of primary minerals, trace minerals and vitamins while adding a moderate
increase in protein & caloric intake.
HARD KEEPER Feed 5-8 lbs. LMF Development or LMF Performance per day (based on a
1000 lb. horse) along with hay or pasture. Again, primary minerals, trace
mineral & vitamin needs are fully met, accompanied by a substantial increase
in caloric intake. Few maintenance horses fit into the “hard keeper” category.
Feed Formula “A” with 50% or more alfalfa hay, and Formula “G” if you feed
more than 50% grass hay or pasture. |
| |
| ^back to top |
| |
SENIOR HORSES
Senior horses have unique requirements compared
to younger horses. A senior horse does not
become “senior” based solely on age. A horse can
properly be considered “senior” when bodily functions
began to perform at a level less than desired
and/or when dental health is such that proper
chewing is not possible. The challenge in feeding
the true senior horse is to maintain adequate body
weight, and to provide readily available minerals and vitamins that are required in
higher concentrations compared to younger horses.
|
| LMF PROVIDES SEVERAL OPTIONS
IN FEEDING THE SENIOR HORSE: |
LMF SENIOR
 Senior is a “complete” feed that can be fed to older horses as the primary source of nutrition. Senior now includesglucosamine HCl which has
been recognized as an anti-inflammatory,
making horses more comfortable.
Glucosamine is also a building block
to joint cartilage. Feed 13-18 lbs. LMF
Senior per day (based on a 1000 lb.
horse). Small amounts of long stem
hay can be fed. For horses that cannot
chew, feed in the upper feed range, recognizing
that little or no long stem hay
can be consumed.
LMF PRIME TIME
Prime Time is formulated specifically
for the unique nutrition needs of older
horses on hay-based diets. Mineral &
vitamin concentrations are elevated to
allow for lower daily intake while still
meeting nutrient needs. Feed 5-10 lbs.
of LMF Prime Time per day (based on
a 1000 lb. horse) along with good
quality hay or pasture.
(Use Prime Time “A” when feeding
50% or more alfalfa hay and Prime
Time “G” when feeding more than
50% grass hay or pasture)
OTHER LMF COMPLETE FEEDS
LMF TACO and LMF California Complete are “complete” feeds with a nearly perfectly
balanced nutritional profile. Feed LMF TACO or LMF California Complete at a rate of 13-18 lbs. per day (assuming a 1000 lb. horse).
*LMF TACO available in WA, OR, ID, MT, WY and UT.
*California Complete available in AZ, CA, NV, and southern OR. |
|
| ^back to top |
|
LOW NON STRUCTURAL CARBOHYDRATE
Occasionally, horses require a diet that is low in carbohydrates. Medical conditions
that may benefit from a diet low in carbohydrates include tying-up, laminitis,
Cushing’s Disease, obesity and insulin resistance. Each of these conditions potentially
can be made worse by feeding excess carbohydrates. However, this does not
mean that all carbohydrates should be removed from a horse’s diet. Carbohydrates
can roughly be divided into two types, structural and non-structural.
- STRUCTURAL CARBOHYDRATE is fiber that is absolutely essential in a
horse diet.
- NON-STRUCTURAL CARBOHYDRATE consists of sugar and starch
and can be minimized in the diet.
- LMF LOW NON STRUCTURAL CARBOHYDRATE feed contain minimal amounts of sugar and starch. They contain no grain, molasses or grain products for horses that may require a low carbohydrate diet.
- LMF LOW NON STRUCTURAL CARBOHYDRATE IS CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY.
|
LMF HAS TWO NEW “LOW NS CARBOHYDRATE” PRODUCTS: |
LMF LOW NS CARBOHYDRATE COMPLETE
can be the total diet for a horse, providing essential
fiber, minerals and vitamins.
LMF LOW NSC
COMPLETE can be fed at a rate
of 12-20 lbs. (per 1,000 lbs. of
body weight) per day.
LMF LOW NS CARBOHYDRATE STAGE 1 is a
low sugar and starch product designed
to minimize carbohydrates for horses at
risk of carbohydrate problems. LMF
LOW NSC STAGE 1 should be fed
at a rate of 5-10 lbs. (per 1,000 lbs. of
body weight) per day along with grass
hay or pasture.
|
| |
| ^back to top |
| |
| REBUILDING
A NEGLECTED
HORSE |
| There is considerable interest
in taking a horse that has been
greatly underfed, or that has
lost significant weight due to
serious illness, or that has simply
been neglected for an
extended period of time, and
returning that horse to a productive
life. Horses that were
at one time thought to be “too
far gone” are now seen as having
potential, if only body
weight and condition can be
restored. The nutritional challenge
for such a horse is to
select a diet that will restore
digestive function and increase
caloric intake without causing
other digestive upset. LMF
feed products have been used
on many such horses, and no
product does the job better
than LMF Prime Time.
Prime Time features increased
caloric density by using elevated
levels of vegetable fat,
increased concentrations of primary
and trace minerals, along
with live yeast culture to aid in
digestive function. Numerous
testimonies attest to the fact
that horses considered to be a
“rack of bones” ended up, not
only with excellent body condition,
but in many cases became
successful athletes. |
FEEDING
RECOMMENDATIONS
The key is to go slow and easy with the
feeding program of a severly underweight
horse. Increasing caloric intake too rapidly
can result in significant digestive upset.
The following instructions are for an<
assumed 1000 lb. horse:
FIRST WEEK – Feed one (1) lb. of LMF
Prime Time in the morning and again in the
evening, along with good quality hay not to
exceed 13 lbs. per day.
NEXT TWO WEEKS – Assuming everything
went smoothly during the first week,
gradually increase Prime Time so that at the
end of the two weeks, you are feeding 2.5 lbs.
per feeding, two times per day (5 lbs. per day
total). Also slowly increase hay intake to
approximately 15-16 pounds per day.
WEEK FOUR UNTIL BODY WEIGHT
IS IDEAL – If the horse is making steady
body weight gain, leave the intake of Prime
Time at 5 lbs. per day and hay intake at
15-16 lbs. per day. If a slightly more rapid
weight gain is desired, increase Prime Time
intake to 6-8 lbs. per day total intake,
always splitting the intake into at least two
feedings per day.
AFTER DESIRED BODY WEIGHT
IS REACHED – Put the horse on the
feeding regimen that best fits the now
“rebuilt” horse, as covered in other pages
of this feeding manual. |
| |
| ^back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
