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Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

Platinum Equals Big Bucks

5/19/2016

 
While at Bakersfield Vet Hospital for Speedy's most recent appointment, I ran through a few things with my vet, Dr. Tolley. I've worked hard to develop a good relationship with the team that cares for my horses, and that includes my vet. Over the years, I've made sure to ask for and follow the advice that my vet offers. He's been in practice for more than 30 years; he knows his stuff.
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Dr. Tolley, DVM (image borrowed from BVH's web site)
Right now, both of my boys are in fine shape, as they usually are. Both have awesome feet, and their coats gleam with good health. They're regularly vaccinated, their teeth are examined at least annually, and they're in excellent weight. Twice a year they're checked for worms with an eggs per gram fecal test and then given an appropriate dewormer. They see the chiropractor as needed, which is at least once a year. There is not much more that I can do.

Even so, I like to check in with my vet to see if he thinks there is anything else I should be doing. The one thing that I felt was missing was a mineral supplement. Izzy already receives a magnesium supplement (Quiessence), but I wondered if I shouldn't be giving both horses something more.

Hay grown in the western part of the United States is well known for being deficient in selenium and vitamin E. Selenium, an essential trace mineral that helps the body deal with stress, and vitamin E serve as anti-oxidants. While I know that our hay is deficient in these essential nutrients, I've never done anything about it. Until now.
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Image from www.horseuniveristy.com
Dr. Tolley and I talked about the various supplements from which to choose. He's fairly conservative in his approach to caring for horses and can usually be counted on to choose the simplest and most often, cheapest option. His own horses live on dry pasture with some added alfalfa cubes when the grass gets sparse.

He recommends horses get a good quality roughage, a fat source, and a mineral supplement. He likes my current feed regimen: both horses are fed alfalfa/oat cubes, loose hay (Speedy gets some alfalfa while Izzy gets a grass or stemmy grain hay), beet pulp, and rice bran. Each horses gets fed by weight, and I weigh my feed every now and again to check that it's still right. While the feed was great, he felt that a mineral supplement was indeed missing.

Many years ago, Dr. Tolley created his own mineral supplement that was designed to pair with the hay typically fed to horses in Kern County. He contracted with a local feed producer to manufacture his mineral supplement formula. It comes in a plain white bag, no fancy label, and is sold either at the vet hospital or at a local feed store, Rosedale Farrier Supply. It costs around $30 for a 50 pound bag, and Dr. Tolley recommends a one-pound serving daily.
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I bought two bags, enough to try it out for seven weeks. Since it's a mineral supplement only, I won't see any changes in my horses. This isn't designed to shine their coats or harden their hooves. The purpose is to help them at a cellular level. The better their cells can function, the healthier they'll be. And ultimately, they should live longer and have more productive lives.

I should have enough of BVH's formula to last until we get back from vacation in late June. In the meantime, I'm evaluating two other mineral supplements: Platinum Performance and Grand Premium Plus. Both products are highly reviewed and well respected, but Platinum Performance was originally created by the doctors at Alamo Pintado, our area's premier equine medical center.
Platinum Performance was created to specifically aid bone and muscle healing in our equine patients. Based on research done over several years by Dr. Doug Herthel, we found that providing key trace minerals, highly bioavailable protein sources, vitamins and essential fatty acids that are missing from the modern horse diet, our patients experienced enhanced healing of muscles and bones, thus reducing the post-surgical recovery and promoting a smoother return to normal activity.
Both products come in multiple weight bags, but for comparison, I chose the 25 pound bags. Platinum Performance costs $1.69 per serving, while Grand Premium Plus runs slightly less at $1.49. BVH's Mineral Pellets come in a 50 pound bag and cost about $0.60 a serving, clearly the cheapest. While BVH's supplement is a lot cheaper, and remember I'm feeding two horses so cost is a factor, it doesn't come with all of the ingredients that the other two have.

When Dr. Tolley and I discussed my options, he asked if I needed or wanted all of the other ingredients. That was a very valid question and one that I am weighing seriously. As I look at the price of each supplement, I wonder if they're worth it for me right now. Feeding either of the name brand supplements would run me right around $100 per month. If I stick with BVH's supplement, I know I am getting the nutrients that they need without anything extra, but it would come at a price that I can easily afford.

Do you have any experience with either of these supplements? Do you feed something else that was recommended by your vet? If you had BVH's mineral supplement available, would you choose it over the pricier but more inclusive supplements?

​Choices, choices.
jenj
5/19/2016 08:00:33 am

My guys are basically on a ration balancer/mineral supplement. The only other thing they get is BioFlax 20, for hoof and coat. I've used Quiessence before and had great results.

Most of the supplements are quite expensive (as you noted) and it's really a question of what you're supplementing for. If selenium is what's missing, maybe a straight-up selenium supplement might be an option. Most supplements have so much filler in them that I wonder what my money is going for. Plus, I've had two horses that are sensitive to soy and sugars, so I've learned to be a label-reader. Feeding horses can be really hard sometimes!

Bakersfield Dressage link
5/19/2016 04:05:10 pm

I tend to go for less is more, but my vet really felt like the selenium and E with the additional stuff he added would meet my needs. I agree about fillers which is why I haven't opted for a supplement before now. The question is whether or not my horses would get any benefit form the pricier supplements.

Jan link
5/19/2016 08:08:27 am

My trainer and several of her clients use Platinum Performance- it's been a little hit or miss. One horse with real issues (they almost lost him while trying to figure out what was wrong- lyme, EPM, an issue in his hoof - it's been a year long recovery, but he is doing well now) absolutely benefited from the product. The owner now has each of her horses on it. One older OTTB who had issues keeping weight on anyway, mixed with Cushings, didn't seem to benefit from it (he did benefit from a ton of alfalfa cubes). I looked at it as a possibility for Penn, but the price point was just too high for an unsure benefit.

Bakersfield Dressage link
5/19/2016 04:06:04 pm

I am with you on price. If something isn't going to make an obvious difference, I am not too keen on throwing money away.

Tracy E
5/19/2016 08:29:05 am

I feed Renew Gold and spoke with the nutrition expert at the company that makes the feed. He said the only thing needed in the PNW to balance good hay, some pasture, and RG is some extra selenium. I picked Horse Guard for this and am satisfied so far!

Bakersfield Dressage link
5/19/2016 04:07:03 pm

I like the simple method as well. Good forage, some fat, and the essentials ... seems pretty easy. :0)

SarahO link
5/19/2016 08:49:13 am

So I'm a bit of a minimalist when it comes to horse feed so take my advice with a lick of salt (get what I did there lol)...

...however, two things:
1) You prefaced the post with saying your hay is low in selenium and vitamin E, but the BVH tag doesn't seem to include any vitamin E, so would that actually solve the issue?
2) It seems like you're looking for just a mineral supplement, however both BVH and Platinum Performance also have fat, protein and fiber in them (I can't read the actual contents on the other one). It seems as though the rest of your feeding regime should deal with those parts so if you pay for them in a supplement you are paying for more than you need.

I don't know if it's available in your area, but up here the common mineral supplement is Hoffman's Horse Minerals (http://www.hoffmanshorseminerals.com/horse-minerals-equine-nutrition.php)
It has no protein/fat/fibre, and is just a loose mineral powder that you can top dress feed with or feed free choice. It has all of the BVH minerals and vitamins, plus Vitamin E and several other things, and almost all of them in higher concentrations.
It costs $50cad/25kg bag (so ~$38usd/55lbs), however since it is more concentrated, you need less of it. The recommended daily ration is only 150g which puts it at only $0.23usd/serving, less than half the BVH price. Even if Hoffman's itself isn't in your area, maybe you can find a similar mineral only supplement. Hope that helps

Bakersfield Dressage link
5/19/2016 04:09:55 pm

Sorry - the tag didn't show up clearly. There are additional vitamins like vitamin E. I am totally fine with the price of BVH's supplement and it is easy to get which is important. I don't want to go to a lot of hassle to get feed. We are limited in our feed stores and what they carry. I haven't seen HHM.

Donna
5/19/2016 09:54:01 am

I had Hans on BVH all last summer and fall, but found he needed more energy, so now he's on platinum performance. Two scoops a day. It definitely gave him more energy, and he looks fantastic (Very shiny). But he's so lazy by nature I'm probably going to have to add something else. I have heard that some naturally hot horses get crazy on platinum performance. But it definitely didn't do that to Hans.

Bakersfield Dressage link
5/19/2016 11:01:32 am

Thanks for sharing, Donna. My trainer says the same thing about PP - giving them energy. Izzy definitely does NOT need any added energy!

Hillary link
5/19/2016 11:18:07 am

No experience but interested to see what you end up with.

Bakersfield Dressage link
5/19/2016 04:10:17 pm

Me too! :0)

Val
5/19/2016 11:53:43 am

If all need is a straight up mineral supplement, then go with that.

I use Barn Bag by Life Data Labs, Inc. There is some soy protein and alfalfa to hold the pellet together and the rest is minerals and vitamins. No sugar added.

Bakersfield Dressage link
5/19/2016 04:12:05 pm

That's what I am trying to decide, Val. Do I need/want all of the joint and tendon stuff, or is the mineral supplement enough? Both boys have super nice feet, skin, and coats so I don't need anything to enhance that. Other than make them shiny, what else can those pricier supplements do for them?

Olivia link
5/19/2016 03:12:52 pm

I feed LMF Super Supplement G which is a ration balancer for horses living in the west eating mostly grass hay. (They make an alfalfa version too). They have a SW and NW version so it's balanced for the region you're in. It's about 30$ for a 50lb bag and also is fed at 1 lb per day. We also do beet pulp every day with the LMF and rice bran when weight is needed.

Bakersfield Dressage link
5/19/2016 04:14:07 pm

I forgot to mention that one. Dr. Tolley did discuss it with me, but it is very similar to what BVH offers. He said I could go with either one. In fact he feeds the LMF for grass eaters himself since his version is designed for those eating alfalfa or alfalfa blends.

Micaylah link
5/20/2016 08:16:33 am

Growing up my mom always fed a ton of supplements. I never really noticed a difference but the one supplement I swear by is Exceed 6 way. It is pricey but it has all of the added vitamins and minerals I need plus joint support. My trainer swears by LMF and always feeds it to horses not receiving anything else, as advised by Idaho Equine Hospital.

Teresa link
5/23/2016 04:58:18 am

I think I would go with the one from your vet. It seems to be straightforward and have what they need.
I'm interested that you have Izzy on Quiescence. I've just started Carmen on it and she seems far more relaxed lately.


Comments are closed.

    About the Writer and Rider

    ​I am a lifelong rider. 
    I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
    ​Welcome to my dressage journey.
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    About Speedy G

    ​Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
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    About Izzy

    Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
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