I have had my horse on Strategy + Equishine. The stable wants to feed Safechoice + Equishine. Any ideas?

Question

Over the past 2 years the barn I board at fed Strategy and Equshine plus a great organic grass hay. I have noticed a difference in my 18 y/o horse who had been hard to keep weight on. He was eating alfalfa mix along with a sweet feed mix. This was actually like feeding him a sugar donut twice a day and doing nothing but harm to his system. Now they want to change him to Safechoice by Nutrena and continue the Equishine. I hate changing when what currently he is being fed works Does anyone have any suggestions?

Answer 1

Most boarding farms will feed whatever you want them to feed as long as u provide the feed.  Talk to your stable manager about u buying the feed and storing it there at the stable for them to feed to your horse when they feed everyone.  Strategy is a really good quality feed and if your horse is doing well on it I wouldn't see chaning it.  I also like Purnia Equine Senior for horses I can't keep weight on.  But your Equishine is prolly doing about the same thing.  We all know how senstive horses can be, especially older horses, i would do all you can to avoid changing, even if it means buying your own feed.  Good Luck and hope that helps.  There is no way they should refuse if u offer to buy your own feed, if they do tell them you'll be looking for a new stable.  That usually goes a long way, if it doesn't and they refuse to feed what you want fed, they aren't a quality stable and some where u want to board to begin with.  Basically they are saying your horses isn't important enough for them to take time to properly care for it.  Not a good mindset for your horse to be living around.  Like I say it really shouldn't come to that, i've never had that much of a problem with this subject.

Answer 2

dont let your horse eat that. when i got my 22 year old Arab she was soo thin. that's what they had been feeding her. its just a maintenance grain that happens to be very cheap. its for horses that keep weight and all that.

your horse will most likely do well on this. i would talk to the farm manager and ask them to accommodate your horse. your horse is 18 and you wouldn't want to mess anything up now. if strategy is working, ask them to keep it at least for your horse.

i really dont like safe choice, actually i hated it so much that when i got my horse they gave me a bag and a half and i just tosted it. its only for horses that keep weight and need no extra help.

Good Luck and stand your ground!

Answer 3

You can either try the Safechoice and see how your horse does on it or see if the stable would mind if you bought Stategy for your horse and brought it in for him to have at meal time instead of the Safechoice.  The reason your stable probably changed to the Safechoice is that Strategy is more expensive and when you feed several horses like they do it gets pretty expensive so they looked for an alternative something cheaper.  Back home where I come from a lot of the boarding stables feed their feed but don't object to you bringing your own feed if you don't like theirs or the horse needs special feed.