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Post by mags on Jan 16, 2009 21:59:46 GMT 1
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Post by taklishim on Jan 16, 2009 22:23:46 GMT 1
yes I feed them to my LGL horse. They are the only hard feed pellets he can eat without it causing problems. They are not cheap as they only come in 15kg bags.
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juliee
Elementary Poster
Posts: 70
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Post by juliee on Jan 17, 2009 8:56:14 GMT 1
Hi, I've been browsing the forums for a while now but not really got round to posting.
I have fed ERS pellets to a young TB we had who was prone to tying up. Although expensive like someone has already said they worked great for him.
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Post by arabheaven on Jan 17, 2009 10:06:24 GMT 1
Yes I mentioned these with regards to EPSM. These are what I will be feeding Zac when he is in enough work  |
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Post by mags on Jan 17, 2009 12:31:55 GMT 1
I remember you feeding them arabheaven. By any chance have you tried top spec cool condition. Wondering how they compare as low starch feeds
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Post by arabheaven on Jan 17, 2009 14:24:30 GMT 1
Haven't tried TS no, fed the balancer for a while before switching to pink powder.TS C&C is aimed at weight gain, which I dont want, whereas the ERS pellets are aimed and designed for energy for performance. I am not sure of the exact quantities of starch in TS as some advertise low starch and when you read into it, it really isn't  |
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Post by mags on Jan 17, 2009 14:53:13 GMT 1
Thats a shame as I want the weight gain. But I couldnt find the % of starch
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Post by Hannah on Jan 17, 2009 18:16:55 GMT 1
Never heard of ERS pellets but I did look at my TS C&C bag for you, no starch info on the bag I would give them a call or email them. All I know is that they are non-cereal based and calories come from soya and oil |
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Post by june on Jan 17, 2009 19:08:00 GMT 1
From the Top Spec Web Site...
"TopSpec CoolCondition Cubes
TopSpec CoolCondition Cubes are our top-selling blend. They combine the brilliant properties of being seriously cool and seriously conditioning, this is a very rare combination.
They are formulated without the use of any cereal-grains at all, so they are not just ‘oat-free’ or ‘barley-free’ but completely cereal-grain free. At the same time they have a good conditioning index of 12.5MJ/kg, equivalent to most cereal-containing conditioning compound feeds.
The formula is very low in starch and sugar and high in fibre.
The calories in TopSpec CoolCondition Cubes work equally well as a source of non-heating energy for maintenance, for performance or for gaining condition.
These calories are balanced for protein with high-oil soya and linseed, and with available sources of calcium, magnesium and salt added.
When to use TopSpec CoolCondition Cubes
TopSpec Feed Balancers provide the perfect start to feeding a cereal-grain- free, low sugar/starch diet. Chopped alfalfa chaffs and/or unmolassed sugar beet shreds often provide a limited amount of suitable additional calories but when more are required or simple cubes are preferred TopSpec CoolCondition Cubes now provide the answer.
Ideal when extra condition is required and a ‘non-heating’ formula is essential.
Ideal when calm performance is required.
Perfect for any horses or ponies requiring a low-starch/high-fibre diet for other reasons. Please contact our nutritionists for feeding advice relating to any specific nutritionally-related health problems for example advice about feeding a horse recovering from ‘tying-up’
The highly digestible fibre in these cubes helps to promote the beneficial bacteria in the hindgut therefore helping to maintain a healthy digestive system. "
Anything that provides energy will also be a feed with the potential for weight gain simply because energy = calories.
As Hannah says, I'd give Top Spec a ring and ask about starch levels. They are very helpful. We use the Cool and Condition cubes for any of the polo ponies needing a bit more condition and energy and find them a really useful feed. We feed them with Alfa A Lite, alongside the Top Spec balancer.
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Post by Emma R on Jan 17, 2009 19:56:16 GMT 1
I bought a bag of ERS pellets. I paid just over £10 for a 15kg bag and have been told that for a roughly 500kg horse I would need to feed 4kg a day which does make it very expensive as others have mentioned. It contains milk powder which I'm not very keen on feeding if it can be avoided although I was told by D&H that there is only a small amount in there. It also contains extruded sugar beet, I don't know how much is in there but considering the price tag and how cheap ordinary sugar beet is to buy I would hope not very much! I try and keep starch as low as possible because Saff can get a bit footy but she tends to be a bit of a poor doer but I think I will go back to Opti-Gro (8% starch) and adding instant linseed for condition.
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Post by mags on Jan 18, 2009 12:36:42 GMT 1
Will have a look at Opto-Gro emma, and give top spec a ring about how much starch is in there feed
Odered some top spec cool condition and unmolassed sugar beet for now. Here's hoping Jack will eat it
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Post by mags on Jan 18, 2009 15:27:59 GMT 1
Opti-Gro is bit high in protein at 20%
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Post by arabheaven on Jan 18, 2009 18:24:31 GMT 1
Emma, the amount they state you 'should' feed is ridiculous for all products and companies. I never feed the amount they say and still get extra energy. I do like to use fibre and oil first though and I supplement with pink powder for vits and mins.
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Post by Emma R on Jan 18, 2009 20:02:12 GMT 1
Emma, the amount they state you 'should' feed is ridiculous for all products and companies. I tried feeding the D&H build up cubes at slightly less than the recommended amount because they were another one you were supposed to feed 4kg of and I just couldn't get Saff to eat that much and she ended up losing weight on them. It's feed as a balancer so you don't actually feed very much of it, I've just looked at Baileys Lo-Cal and that's 16% protein, couldn't find out from the Top Spec website how much protein is in that. I'm sure there are plenty of horse the Opti-Gro wouldn't suit but Saff does as well on that as she did on Top Spec and I currently pay about £17 for it where Top Spec is over £30!!!!  I hope you manage to find something that suits your horses anyway, it's an absolute minefield! |
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Post by mags on Jan 18, 2009 20:06:03 GMT 1
Didnt realsie it was a balancer, only had quick look. Will just hae another look
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I hope you manage to find something that suits your horses anyway, it's an absolute minefield!