Progessive feeds? How to pick the right one

[EquineLVR]

So I have been thinking about putting my OTTB's onto some of the Progressive feeds..

I like the Envision or the Pro Advantage HI Fat Formula..

Currently they get free choice grass, 1lb senior and 1lb soy bean. Plus PPCJ.

But they are both still skinny and ribby. They have been wormed and teeth done. But I am going to give them both the Panacur PP starting on Wednesday to see if that addressess some of the NQR look.


Do the progressive feeds work? Is there something else that works better like Fat Cat, Gleam n Gain or Smart Gain 4?

There are so many choices it gets hard to figure out what to do.

[Samigator]

I have used the Progressive ration balancer-grass and the stable where I go for training has all of their horses on it- they look incredible- muscled up, shiny, and even some a little plump. My old gelding, a very hard keeper, looked great while he was on it while in training there. Of course that is tough to tell as he was also in training and they probably had a different exercise/turn out regimen than I had at home, but I still was very impressed with it. The barn owner said that they were able to take pretty much all of their horses off of supplements (joint, hoof, etc) because the Progressive was so good, it included enough of the right blend of vitamins and minerals that the horses didn't need supplements. Sounds maybe a little too good to be true, but wow does it put nice weight on a horse. I can't speak for the other products, but I've been very impressed with the ration balancers.

[dalpal]

Personally, in hindsight, Progressive didn't do much for my two horses.

1st formula...Performance textured...sent my TB threw the roof...he was a raging maniac...I had no idea what the deal was (just bought him)..until we switched and he calmed down. BTW..this was the formula the local rep recommended.

2nd...Grass Diet Balancer...neither horse had a great topline (didn't realize it until the switch to Blue Seal Vintage Performance). Neither had much energy either.

3. Progressive SR for colicky mare....just BLECH altogether.

I like Blue Seal's Vintage Performance and the Pennfield Fibergized Omega ...I also feed Platinum Plus Performance with my grain.

Edited to add.....my gelding liked the Envision at first and then wouldnt' touch it with a ten foot pole.

[avezan]

I use Progressive with great results! I had a TB mare who was lactating and in foal again for the next season. I was feeding her 12lbs of a commercial sweet feed a day (Triple Crown Mare and Foal, not cheap!) and she was skinny and no topline. I was also pumping oil, beet pulp, you name it into her. She was shiny, but too thin. I switched her to Progressive. After a few months, she was down to 2lbs of the Diet balancer and 4lbs of the Growth. And she looked great! She actually had a crease down her back. Not fat, but muscle. The Prorgressive was more expensive per pound, but when you can cut the feed in half, it ended up being MUCH cheaper! I feed all of my horses the Grass diet balancer and add the Growth if they need more calories.

I've used the Envision fat supplement before with good results. It smells like Candy! But its only 30% fat. Oil is 100% fat and will give you more bang for your buck. Because of the high fat content, the Envision will go rancid in the heat, so you need to be careful about storage. Dalpal, that could be why your horse started refusing it.

All of my horses look fantastic on the diet balancer. Most just get 1lb a day and that's it. They have this really deep, deep shine, nice muscling, good energy. They are on good pasture too.

I dont' know what PPCJ is, but it sounds like you may just need to up the groceries. 2 lbs a day is not much for a TB. If you decide to go with Progressive, give them a call. They will send a sales rep out to your barn to look at your horse, test your hay and make recommendations. They are really great to work with. Good luck.