Horse
Companion Creatures
Beauty may be in the eyes of the beholder, but there’s so much to love about horses. Their power, personality, and soothing characteristics are only a few traits worth mentioning. The communication between horse and rider or driver is a true form of art, and horses have been known to influence positive mental health and relaxation because of their direct connection to nature.
The team at Mt. Hope Elevator is here to help you keep your horse happy and healthy. Not all horses are the same, and not all feed is equal. We are committed to finding the right feed and minerals for your need.
How To Read A Horse Feed Label
A guide in navigating feed labels...
Comparing and understanding horse feed tags to figure out which feed to buy is a daunting task. It takes some background knowledge to make the jumble of pieces fall into place to reveal the entire puzzle picture.
What a horse feed tag is telling you.
- Brand
- Product Name
- Guaranteed Analysis
- Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) dictates which nutrient guarantees need to be listed on horse feed tags. Min stands for minimum and Max stands for maximum amount of nutrient content in the feed. Some manufacturers choose to include nutrients beyond what is required while others only list those they need to. So keep in mind that even if a nutrient is not guaranteed on the feed tag, it doesn’t necessarily mean the nutrient isn’t in the feed. All nutrients guaranteed on the tag are potentially subject to testing by regulatory agencies to determine whether they are accurate.
- When reading horse feed guaranteed analysis, remember that more is not always better. Horses have a maximum tolerance for many nutrients. Sometimes more is just more and sometimes more is worse, even toxic.
- The quality of the nutrient is not shown by reading the tag. There are various ways to make a feed with 12% protein, and your horse will respond differently depending on what ingredients were used to supply that protein.
- Ingredients
- The ingredients are listed in descending order of inclusion. Since there is only a small percentage of salt in horse feed, anything listed after salt is of very low content. Generally only 1% or less.
- There is a lot not shown by reading the ingredient label. Where do the ingredients come from, are they quality tested, what are the by-products made of?
- Feeding Directions
- A surprising amount of people do not read the feeding instructions. But this is actually very important. Horse feed manufacturers formulate feed recipes to be fed at a certain rate. When a product is not fed according to directions, the full nutritional benefits may not be recognized, and the feed will not perform as intended.
- Manufacturer Information
- Bag Weight
- Revision Date
- Included for manufacturer's use.
Horse Feed Selector
A feed for every need.
- Foal Starter (Milk based pellet for orphans)
- Growth (High protein for young horses)
- No Corn Avena Feed (No corn = calm energy)
- Eclipse (No corn)
- Gro 'N Win (Ration balancer)
- Growth (High protein for young horses)
- Safe & Easy Performance (High fat for sale prep)
- EQ8 Performance (Enhances gut health)
- Senior Balancer (Ration balancer for seniors)
Minerals for Common Ailments
Maintenance
Feed Hybrix Equine; Young stock /pony 2 oz., Light horse 3 oz., Over 1200 lb. 4 oz.
Mantenance/Breeding
Feed Horse Glo; Young stock/ponies 1/2-1 oz., Adults 1 oz., Over 1200lb. or performance/brood 2 oz
Conception/Stallion
Feed Hybrix Equine Breeder Pak; per day,1 oz. For best results feed 2 Vita-min liq and 2 oz. Knock Out as a total package 2-3 months prior to season.
Fitting/Show
Feed Hybrix Equine Show; Young stock/pony 1/2-1oz., Light horse 1-2 oz.
For best results you feed 2-4 oz. Knock Out and 2 oz. Mineral Balacer. [Optional}Lameness/Muscle/Joints
Feed Hybrix Equine Joint; Young stock/pony 1/2 oz., Adults 1 oz.
For best results you feed 2 oz. Mineral Balancer with this. Injuries add 2-4 oz.VitaminLiqHoof Problems
Feed Hybrix Equine Hoof; Young stock/pony 1/4-1/2 oz., Adults1/2-1 oz.
ALL FEED RATES NEED TO SPLIT IN 1/2,FED EVERY 12 HOURSFree Choice
Feed Mineral Balancer or Hybrix Free Choice yr. round, no additional salt required
Newborn Foals
Give 1 tube Equi-Start immediately and 1 tube 12 hrs later. Weak foals may be given tube every 4-6 hrs until symptoms improve,
Colic/Sick
Adults, Give 1 Tube Knock Out Conc. Every 2-4 hours. Young stock/pony adjust according to weight. For best results give 2-3 oz Vit-Min Liq with every treatment.
Stress
Give 1 tube Knock Out Conc.2 times daily till symptoms improve.
Knock Out may also be used as a substitute at 3-4 oz. every 4 hoursNicks/Bruises
Spray on M and J Healing Wonder ,then rub Absorbine over M and J.
Also feed 3 oz. Mineral Balancer 2x per day. Apply Knock Out directly to wound daily.Ulcers
"Eat but don’t want to eat grain” Banamine 20 cc once a day.3 oz. Knock Out 2x per day.1 oz. Horse Glo 2x per day.
Do all of these for 3 days, then continue with 1 oz. Knock Out 2x per day for 60 days
Founder
If you can catch it before 12 hours, give 2 tubes Knock Out Extreme and 4 oz. Vita Min Liq twice a day for 3 days. If after 24 hours give 1 oz. Vita min Liq per 100lb. body weight twice a day, no more than 10 oz. Give 3-4 oz. then wait 5 minutes and give the rest.Also give 4 oz. Knock Out 2x per day. Continue this for 3 days, then go to 1 oz. Knock Out and 4 oz. Vita Min Liq 2x per day for 10 days.Also give 5 oz. Mineral Balancer and 5 oz. Hybrix Equine daily
Mares That Wont Settle
Give 3 oz. Knock Out 2x per day for 3 days, then go to 1 oz. 2x per day for 30 days.Do this for 3 weeks prior tobreeding. Also feed 1 oz. Hybrix Equine Breeder Pak 2x per day for 1-2 months prior to breeding.
Problem Foaling
3 oz. Knock Out 2x per day for 3 days prior to foaling.
Nervous or High Strung
2 oz. Knock Out 2x per day for 3 days, then 1 oz. Knock Out 2x per day for 30 days.
Shipping Fever
1 tube Knock Out Extreme every 4 hrs for 3 treatments.
Retained Placenta
Flush with ; 1/2 gallon distilled water,10 cc Genocyne,4 oz. baking soda.Also give 2 cc Oxytocin in muscle every 4 hrs for 2 or 3 days.
Strangles
2 oz. Vita Min Liq and 2 oz. Knock Out 2x per day for 3 days. Then continue 1 oz. 2x /day for 30 days
Diarrhea
2 oz. Knock Out and 2 oz. Vit Min Liq 2x per day for 3 days. Also feed 4 oz Mineral Balancer per day.
Heaves/Chronic Cough
Mix 1/3 of each; Mule Team Borax, Wood Ashes, Mineral Balancer. Give 3 oz, 2x per day. Also feed 2 oz. Mineral Balancer 2x per day
Ring Worm/Thrush/Ear Infections
3 oz. Hybrix Equine 2x per day. Also spray Purinize water on scab or wound.
Our horses look so amazing on the Eclipse Horse Feed. We took 16 horses to our First Nationals show. 13 came home national champions and we had 4 national grand champions!!
- Chelsea Holt, C Star Performance Horses
HPW Amazing Grace started her life in an “amazing” way. She was separated from her mother at birth for at least three days, lost in the woods. Finding her alive and well was nothing short of a miracle.
She was eligible to be entered in the superior Morgan sweepstakes, however her age and condition stacked the odds against her. Thanks to Buckeye Mare’s Milk and Buckeye Foal Starter she was doing pretty good, however she was still challenged with the typical issues that can come from being raised as an orphan. Weeks before her training was to start, she started with a bad respiratory problem.
Harry was introduced to Natural Way Minerals Knockout a few days before we had to make the final decision on who to take. And Knock Out definitely showed up in the clutch. After only a few days, our Grace was better than ever and heading to Indiana to the Superior Morgan Sweepstakes. In a field of more than 60 weanlings, HPW Amazing Grace came in as the Reserve Champion! Knock Out is now a staple at our stable. It is definitely an amazing product!
- Harry Weaver & Emma Raber, HP Weaver Stables
Grace when she was found
at three days old.
Reserve Champion at the
Superior Morgan Sweepstakes
Reserve Champion at the
Superior Morgan Sweepstakes
Eli Miller's employment at Mt. Hope Elevator spans over three decades, during which time he has become renowned for his expertise in addressing livestock problems and delivering solutions. Through the years, people have sought out Eli's advice, and rightfully so. As we’ve grown, so has our number of nutrition experts, resulting in an entire team of "Elis." Their knowledge inspires confidence, and consistently delivers positive outcomes for our customers. Therefore when you ask “Eli”, you’re not just asking Eli, but our entire team of experts. Please submit any questions you may have for our team to “Ask Eli”. We are happy to help you find effective solutions and positive outcomes.
Have a question not listed below? Click here to ask Eli.
Question My foal is 4 weeks old and is not gaining like it should. What should I do?
Eli's answer Supplement a free choice creep feed like Buckeye Foal Starter. It needs to be an all-milk product with probios. And consider deworming with Safe Guard.
Question I have lush pasture, and my horses don’t have good body condition. What’s wrong?
Eli's answer Pasture forage is around 70% Moisture. Free choice a good dry hay to slow down your horse’s gut.
Question Is it safe and beneficial to feed soybeans to a horse?
Eli's answer Raw soybeans won’t provide much value for a horse, but roasted soybeans are a good source of protein and fat and will be beneficial for weight gain and hair coat. Roasted soybeans are used in many feeds as the main source of protein.
Question I’m a stable owner with different horses all the time. What is a good grain ration?
Eli's answer Feeds with high fat and protein like Buckeye Safe & Easy Performance or Candance Ultra provide a good choice that most horses will eat.
Question I am a stable owner with several stallions. What is a reputable grain ration to provide energy for a breeding stallion?
Eli's answer Feed an elevated protein and fat feed. Top dress with Buckeye Gro N Win and Ultimate Finish for a ration balancer and free choice mineral.
Question How do I keep my weanling foal from getting a hay belly?
Eli's answer Feed a 16% protein feed such as Buckeye Nutrition Growth. Also feed a soft, lush 3rd cutting hay. Hay belly is caused by undigested fiber build up in the gut.
Question I turned my horse out into a lush, green pasture, and he has diarrhea. What’s wrong?
Eli's answer Due to the fact that grass is 70% or more water, he needs more fiber like dry hay. Also give him an adequate supply of free choice mineral and salt.
Question I have a mare due this spring. How do I prepare her to foal?
Eli's answer Make sure the mare has plenty of high calcium minerals and salts. The body condition should be good but not obese.
Question I have an orphan foal. What should I do?
Eli's answer Don’t panic. Milk the mare’s colostrum if possible, dead or alive. With a bucket, give to the foal. Do not put it in a bottle. Offer Buckeye MARE’S MILK PLUS free choice in a bucket for the first 30 days. Begin feeding Buckeye FOAL STARTER after 3 weeks. Gradually reduce MARE’S MILK PLUS after 60 days. Foals cannot digest whole grains in the first 90 days.
Question My horse is on the pasture and looks good but has no energy. Do you know what is wrong?
Eli's answer Your grass has matured and has very little protein. Feed additional protein- GRO ‘N WIN or roasted beans.
Question I have several weanlings. How do I prepare them for the winter?
Eli's answer Feed Buckeye GRO ‘N WIN (ration balancer) and keep a free choice mineral and salt in front of them all the time.
Question I have bred my mare the last 3 cycles, and she is still open. What should I do now?
Eli's answer Make sure she has free choice minerals and salt. Also feed a higher protein and fat feed- 2% to 4% more.
Question My foal is weaned, and my mare is bred back but has lost weight and is in poor condition. What would help her regain her health?
Eli's answer Top dress extra protein, such as Buckeye GRO ‘N WIN or ULTIMATE FINISH 25. Roasted soybeans are also a good option. Also free choice good quality 2nd or 3rd cutting hay.
Question Should I be concerned about deworming my broodmares this fall?
Eli's answer Yes. After the first hard frost, I would recommend using Ivermectin and Safe Guard two weeks apart.