Feeding basics
Per day.
Do not feed any grain for 24 hours (hay or grass only) and begin feeding Total Equine® at the level needed. If they do not take to it immediately, put several kibbles in the side of their mouth. Total Equine® will start dissolving in the saliva and become sweet tasting to the horse.
Yes. Up to the recommended amount.
Yes, it can be fed as a moist or nearly gruel and they will eat it very well.
Always.
Your horse absorbs far more of the nutrients in Total Equine®. A traditional pelleted horse feed is much less digestible requiring more feed to have the same effect.
Yes, as long as excellent quality forage is available.
Hay & forage
We strongly recommend high quality alfalfa as a first choice to feed with all of our products if possible.
No. If alfalfa is not affordable in your area, feed the highest quality grass hay available.
Free choice. Horses generally reduce their hay intake by 20-30% when eating Total Equine®. Their weight generally remains stable while their total fat decreases and lean muscle increases.
Free-choice. Let the horse tell you how much it needs. They will not develop a large hay gut as they limit themselves to only what they need.
Alfalfas and grasses can vary widely in quality. The level of available proteins and digestible starches change depending on the climate and the days of growth at harvest. These factors were taken into account with the formulation of Total Equine®. Total Equine® is not intended to replace hay, or act as the only source of nutrition, but to supplement a horse’s normal diet to ensure that it is getting all the essential components to maximize its health.
Yes.
Supplements & top dress
No. Total Feeds® products are a complete supplement to hay and grass and no additional supplements are necessary.
Yes, as long as only joint healing compounds are fed and not a complete nutrient supplement.
Most of the time it is not necessary.
Yes, but since Total Feeds® products are a complete supplement, it may be wasting your money.
No. Total Equine® is a complete nutritional supplement.
Yes, but there is no need with the exception of medication.
Health concerns
Absolutely. Total Equine® is designed to help eliminate the digestive problems that lead to Colic and foundering.
Always do a fecal count before worming and make the decision on that basis. Many customers do not worm since starting Total Equine® and their horses are doing well.
Total Equine® is very positive for horses with ulcers as it contains no raw starch. Many horses with ulcers have become free of ulcers once on Total Equine®.
Yes. In fact we highly recommend it to help a horse recover from Colic.
You can wet Total Equine® and make it soft enough for any level of tooth deterioration.
Yes. We receive many testimonials from customers who have rescued both and completely turned them around.
Total Equine® allows the horse’s hind gut to clear itself of excess indigestible fiber. After several weeks the horse will start losing excess fat weight due to increased efficiency in their metabolism. Both processes are natural and make your horse much healthier.
Thyroid activity will typically increase when feeding Total Equine®.
Total Equine® strengthens the immune system, which makes it easier for the horse to combat the disease.
No. Horses do not colic due to eating Total Equine®.
Coat, hooves & temperament
No. The unique compounds in Total Equine® make horses calm and much easier to work with.
The hoof walls can double its natural growth speed. It generally thickens and softens the hoof making it more resilient to splitting and better able to hold a nail.
Generally yes. Horses on Total Equine® tend to grow darker coats and develop a permanent sheen due to the oil produced at the surface from the increased blood circulation and reduction of acid build up in the body.
Total Equine® will improve the hair growth rate and this in turn will improve the shine and in many cases darken or enhance the color.
By eliminating common digestive problems and increasing healthy circulation. It also contains nutrients required for nerve impulse transmission across nerve synapses. This allows the horse to always react calmly to normal situations.
The formula
The number that matters is the NSC of your horse’s total diet — mostly hay or pasture — not the bag. For horses that need a guaranteed low-NSC feed, Total Equine® LNSC™ is guaranteed at 15% NSC maximum, and Total Equine® Essentials™ is 21% NSC fed at just 1 lb per day. Contact us and our consulting nutritionist will run the numbers for your horse’s specific diet.
No. Total Equine® is a 100% extruded feed made without molasses or other sugars.
It is calculated at 1,350 calories/lb.
No. The protein – carbohydrate balance in Total Equine® is designed to make your horse healthy, lean, and muscular. The only time a low protein diet is recommended is when fat gain is desired – as with feeder cattle. Or when a horse has an untreated kidney disorder that makes protein metabolism difficult.
Total Equine® is designed to make horses healthy, lean, and muscular. Excess fat and starch in the diet counters this.
Extrusion is a process that uses a fine mash and steam to produce a kibble which dissolves easily in the mouth and digestive tract. Our research over the years determined that this makes our feed much more digestible than a pellet which is processed under extreme pressure. It would be similar to comparing eating a raw carrot to eating baby food.
Horses like a consistent flavor and texture and it insures the nutrient density and combination remain constant.
While horses vary from breed to breed, their basic nutritional needs are exactly the same internally. There are over 6 billion humans, with an extreme variety of diets and climates, yet we all need the same amino acids, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates to survive. When feeding Total Equine® they derive most of their major nutrients from the forage and Total Equine® is designed to enhance the efficiency of this process.
More than adequate.
It is typically far more digestible, allowing the horse to absorb more of the nutrients that you are paying for.
Because of the high digestibility they do very well on lower than customary levels.
Ages, breeds & other animals
Yes, except for any animal in the sheep or camelid families (including llamas and alpacas) due to the high copper level. For goats and cattle, feed Total Goat™ and Total Bull™ — formulated for them specifically.
Yes. In fact we recommend it.
Mares will milk extremely well on Total Equine®.
Yes. Total Equine® is safe and effective for all stages of a horse’s life.
Yes. It is designed for all horse breeds.
Wonderful. It will make the hair soft and dark in color.
Yes. It can be fed at the same recommended levels
The bag & the cost
Due to the nature of the volume of the extruded feed. A 50 lb. bag was too large to efficiently pallet and ship. Total Feeds® products are 50-100% more digestible than other feeds which means your horse digests much more of the feed you paid for.
Typically up to one year in dry storage.
No. Try our feed for six weeks and compare the total feed and hay at the beginning to the end. You should find that your horse eats less Total Equine® and hay making your total feed costs per day lower than your current program.
The plain white bag is to keep the cost as low as possible in order to provide the best nutrient package possible at a good price.