Small happenings....

Went to a two of my local feed stores seminars in the last month. The feed store is Bits and Spurs I worked with these women at the first feed store I worked at, for 7 years. Its good to see them have the new store and having fun doing it. The store has been open a little over a year now.

The first seminar I went to was a feed seminar put on by the Nutrena Feeds rep.

I learned a few things and also changed the grain I have been feeding.

I went to Nutrenas Safechoice, Perform. The deciding factor was that it has a full vitamin pack in it, with biotin and methionine for hooves. I had Emma on a hoof supplement for about 40 days and noticed a good half inch of healthy horn, so I wanted to continue feeding one. They are expensive though at around $40 mo. for one of the cheapest ones. So I went with the Perform, by Nutrena feeds because at a 2lb feeding a day, for a 1000lb horse, it provides a full vitamin supplement! It is also 14% protein and 9% fat.  So far I have fed one bag and they really like it. I only give grain to Easy and Emma. Easy because of her tooth issues, yes I took her off of Senior, but, I feed as much beet pulp as she will eat (about 2, 20oz containers, morning and night, so she is doing great with this. Senior is mostly beet pulp anyway.) She has not dropped weight at all in the last month, so that is good!! This is much higher in fat than the Sr. She gets 4 cups or 1.6lbs am and pm, 2lbs is the base feeding rate per 1000lb horse. (they also said that a horse could eat most of a bag, with no ill affects! Occasionaly they get out and get into the feed barrel, despite the tight lid.)

Emma on the other hand needs the vitamin pack, and its a pain having to buy and feed two different grains, so I am going to try this for awhile. Since Emma has no tooth issue, although her teeth could be floated, I feed her 3cups in the am and 4 in the pm, which works out to about 2.5+- lbs, she weighs around 1200lbs so this should be about right. (I have a scale and weight the grain) Emmas feet have not looked the greatest and I am looking forward to seeing how this does in the next few months. The cost per 50lb bag is $20.49. so a couple dollars more that the cheaper Senior that I was buying, but the vitamin pac should more than make up the difference, and cost less than buying grain and supplement. 

Mickey she only gets some beet pulp, so she thinks she is getting grain, she is a very very easy keeper, my fat girl.

 The rep did a great job explaining everything.
They have been holding the seminars at The Fern Prairie Grange This is an old historic building in this area. I can remember having 4-H fair here, we only got to show our horses in showmanship, no riding here, in a field behind the grange. (we would ride in an arena on a different day, usually before this day) At the end of the day they would add up our premium points and we would get a few dollars for the premium points we earned, Danish system of course. But I digress!! On the stage behind her we would all watch the 4-H fashion review and exhibits would be all around the outside of the room. Downstairs there is a full kitchen, I remember having lunch there after a long day of showing. Such memories. I will have to get more pictures of it and find some of my old ones!! and do another post on the old grange building.

The second seminar was put on by a Farnam rep. Big emphasis on ulcer meds for horses, not to sure what to think about that. Then he talked about a few more products, Sandclear and I dont remember the others. Last he introduced Farnams new product, Centaur fly spray, for use on you and your horse, but at 18 applications for around $24, not something I will use.

There were around 15-18 people there at each seminar. They gave you a ticket to put your name and # on and put in a dish labeled with a product, that they would draw for later. I never won any freebies, lol. Cookies and punch provided too.

It was fun, I learned a little bit and left a little bit, LOL. How do you figure out what to feed and how much to your horses? labels, industry representatives, other horse owners? Just curious.