We know all too well about the abundance of choice when it comes to feeding horses. Information overload occurs to even the most knowledgeable equine owner with easy access to the internet and a plethora of information that comes along with it. Knowing which feed is best for your horse, in your discipline, for their life stage can be utterly overwhelming with so many choices out there! At Masterfeeds, we’ve made that decision easier for every owner out there by introducing our MasterCare Life Plan. Among our many fantastic feeds, we’ve selected five core products that work for a majority of horses, at each stage in their life which all require a balanced diet for health, appearance and performance. You may have already heard about these feeds, but we want to break it down as to why we’ve chosen each, and why they are ideal for each life stage of the domesticated horse.
Growth & Development: 14% Equine Developer
Our first feed in the MasterCare Life Plan is our crown jewel of breeding farms and any of those horse owners dealing with broodmares and their adorable babies. Equine Developer is a 14% protein, 6% fat, 17% fibre pelleted feed fortified with organic trace minerals as well as yeast cultures and a probiotic pack to encourage a healthy gut.
Developer is a versatile feed, able to be fed across a variety of breeds from miniature ponies, to standardbreds, to draft horses and back. The best part about Developer? It’s a catch-all feed for the broodmare and foal. It can start being fed to broodmares for the last six weeks of gestation, and continue through to the foal after weaning up to two years old. This makes for easy creep feeding at weaning time, reducing the stress of this already chaotic time on the farm.
Feeding to both mare and foal ensures that mares are supported through their final gestation period and through lactation, and also starts the foal out on the right foot with well balanced proteins, amino acids, trace minerals and energy levels. Another perk? It is a low starch feed for decreased chances of digestive upset and reduced incidence of developmental problems. Our mantra: A healthy horse starts in utero!
Adult Care and Performance: Surmount & Podium Cool Energy
Now that your horse is past the baby stage, it is likely that they are going to be in some type of work, which means they need a feed that has a bit more energy to replace that which is used while exercising. Whether your horse is in light recreational riding or headed to an event each week, Surmount and Podium Cool Energy pellets encompass a wide range of adult equine needs.
Surmount is a safe and economical high fat, high fibre choice to start your low to medium activity (or easy keeper athlete) on. It can be fed to all types of horses and produces a relaxing working energy for those stressful competition days. Who would benefit from trying this feed? We like to gear this towards easy keeping athletes, or those in low to medium activity, such as hunters, western pleasure, or amateur dressage horses.
If your horse is in more intense training or is a hard keeper that seems to lose weight easily, the next step in the MasterCare Life Plan is our prized performance feed, Podium Cool Energy. With 8% fat and 20% fibre, Podium is a complete and balanced feed with low starch to cater to the demands of the high performance athlete. Podium reduces the incidence of ulcers and tying up to ensure your horse has a healthy gut to focus on their choice activities. The concentrated formula makes it a great feed to add weight to those harder keepers whether they are in intense activity or even if they just can’t seem to hold their weight.
A common concern among owners is requiring a feed that will gain weight and cater to performance without having their horse get too “hot”. If that is what you’re after, Podium is our go-to solution, so it is ideal for athletes such as standardbred racers, eventers, or high level jumpers.
Senior Care: Senior Pellet
After a long, successful career as an athlete, a balanced diet is still required by our retired horses to continue to live a long and happy life. We often get the question of when it is appropriate to feed a senior feed to horses. The answer to that is each horse is different, so rather than chronological age, what is more important is to measure the signs of the senior horse. Some of these are: losing topline, harder to keep weight, shaggier hair, teeth loss and less efficient digestion.
With the lowest NSC, our Senior feed is formulated to aid in the aging digestive system and is fortified with elevated amounts of vitamins and minerals (such as selenium and vitamin C) required by the senior horse and their changing GI tracts. Senior, however, like our Developer in the early years, is a diverse feed.
Although it is designed for our older equine friends, it can also be used for the moderate working horse or hard keeper with low NSC needs. No matter the age of your horse, Senior is a great option for special case equines who may be susceptible to digestive upsets or have metabolic issues but still require energy or fat for light performance or weight gain. A good example of these types of equines are those who are in lesson programs.
All Care: VTM Supplement
Anyone out there who has a very easy keeper knows that the idea of adding a complete feed to their horse’s diet is out of the question. Although an overweight horse does not need extra calories and fat, they do still require essential vitamins and minerals that are not found naturally in forage in order to stay healthy and happy. Even the best forage that can be found will be lacking some of those key components of the equine diet, so our MasterCare Life Plan solution for these horses is our VTM Supplement.
This is our go-to vitamin and trace mineral supplement that can be mixed with grains, top dressed, or fed alone for those horses that simply need their daily needs fulfilled. At 20% protein, it is also a great supplement to add to a performance feed to help build extra topline and muscle. VTM is ideal for horses that need no added fat but for owners who would like to see some muscle building and rest easy knowing their horse is enjoying the benefits of vitamins and minerals they are not fully receiving from their forages. VTM is also ideal to maintain our favourite little equines – the miniature horse!
With our MasterCare Life Plan, we make feeding easy. From their first steps through to their golden years, our life plan products are designed to give your horse a happy, healthy life. Check out our featured MCLP products for well rounded nutrition below!
For more information or to schedule an on-farm call from one of our reps, visit our website, contact us, or email us directly at: happyhorses@masterfeeds.com
Product Spotlight
14 % EQUINE DEVELOPER (PELLET) EAST | WEST
FOR YEARLINGS & PREGNANT OR LACTATING MARES
Masterfeeds 14% Developer is an excellent feed for broodmares, growing yearlings and two year olds. Well balanced protein, amino acids and energy levels, along with controlled starch content and premium mineral vitamin fortification, encourage balanced growth. The formulation is made to help reduce incidence of developmental problems. It is also an excellent choice for pregnant and lactating mares. The controlled starch content provides a safer choice for the mare, reducing risk for digestive upsets.
SURMOUNT (PELLET) EAST | WEST
FOR ALL TYPES OF EQUINE ATHLETES
Masterfeeds Surmount is our gold standard for fat and fibre nutrition for your horse. This premium ration is relatively high in calories, very palatable, and an excellent choice for those owners and trainers looking for a premium fat and fibre ration that is well fortified with vitamins and minerals. The controlled starch content provides a relaxed working energy for the horse, making it a great choice for hunter trainers, western pleasure trainers, amateur dressage and any other discipline looking for a quality feed without making horses “hot”.
PODIUM COOL ENERGY (PELLET) EAST | WEST
FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE ATHLETES
Podium Cool Energy is a favourite with owners and trainers looking for a very low starch feed for high performance athletes. With proven results in reducing ulcer incidence and tying up, it is a great choice for standardbred racehorses, eventers, and any trainers and riders looking for an ultra low starch ration for working athletes. Added flax provides an excellent source of Omega-3 and it is fortified with our premium vitamin mineral pack for a complete and balanced feed.
SENIOR (PELLET) EAST | WEST
FOR THE SENIOR HORSE OR PONY
Masterfeeds Senior is our lowest NSC complete feed. It is ideal for the senior horse and also works very well for horses needing an ultra low starch ration with added fat. The premium high calorie digestible fibre sources blended with 6% fat from all vegetable sources makes it a safe choice for working, pleasure, or retired horses who are very sensitive to added starch in their feed and need a low glycemic ration.
VTM SUPPLEMENT (CRUMB) EAST | WEST
FOR ALL CLASSES OF HORSES WHEN EXTRA NUTRIENTS ARE REQUIRED.
Masterfeeds VTM 20 is a trace mineral and vitamin supplement with 20% protein. It can be mixed with grains to make your own ration or top dressed on complete feeds to add additional minerals, vitamins and protein. Very palatable and versatile, it’s a great choice for all classes of horses when extra nutrients are required.