How to figure out # of calories and the benefits of switching

[ThoroughbredFancy]

I am considering switching my horses grain or just changing his diet around in general.

One thing I am struggling with, is how the heck do I figure out how much calories are in his grain or other parts of his diet?

Currently he is eating Blue Seal Carb Guard and I am considering Triple Crown Senior instead. It would cost me a little more each month ($3.50 more per bag) but not too bad.

A few horses at my barn do well on it, but I think they might be easier keepers except for one mare.

How would I be able to figure out or compare 6lbs of Carb Guard to 6lbs of Triple Crown Senior?

Would the 6lbs of TC Senior give him more than Carb Guard would, calorie wise?

I just want to get a little more weight on him and I feel like he's 'plateaued' on his current diet.

This is his current diet:

AM:
1lb Alfalfa pellets
3lbs BS Carb Guard
1/2 cup flax
Cocosoya oil (he gets this AM and PM, it totals about .5 cup per day)

PM:
1lb Alfalfa pellets
3lbs BS Carb Guard
1/2 cup flax
Cocosoya oil (see above for amount)
Uckele's G.U.T

There is also some Apple a Day electrolytes in there. He also gets roughly 2lbs (dry weight) Alfalfa Timothy cubes after I ride him late afternoon.

He's 1130lbs and 16.0hh and he's getting 15-20lbs of grass hay everyday. It's close to free choice. There are 2-3 hours in the day where he might not have any hay in front of him and might just be picking at things around the pasture. He's at a boarding barn and it's what my schedule allows.

That being said, I just feel like he's getting A LOT of food. He *just* at perfect weight but I feel like more wouldn't hurt him.

He is a TB, 7 years old, teeth done very 6 months, power packed yearly and kept on a rotational worming schedule. He's also been scoped for ulcers and scoped clean, actually. I still have him on G.U.T anyway. He's like light/the very low end of moderate work.

Maybe I can get a snapshot of him soon so his body condition can be better determined. Or maybe I'm fixing what isn't broke. Nonetheless, I am still curious.

I know this thread seems like a lot of other ones and is long so thanks for reading!

[LarissaL]

Are you looking for just calories or also fat, protein, etc? Here's (http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.com/horse-forums/calories-per-pound-reference-chart-269159.html) a quick calorie reference guide. Fat, protein, etc are listed on the respective feed websites - just take the weight you are feeding and multiply by the % given, convert to grams or whatever you need for comparison.

Alfalfa is typically 900-1,000 calories per pound, 14-16% protein, 1-2% fat. Flax seed is about 900 calories per cup, about 40% fat. Oil is usually roughly 1,900 calories per cup, 100% fat.

Perhaps that will help?

I have my boys on TC Senior and am in the process of switching so am doing the same type of analysis! I am going to try higher fat though, since one guy is responding well to EPSM type diet.

[Melyni]

He will eat about 2-2.5 % of his bodyweight per day which is
1130lbs X .02= 22.6 lbs to 28.5 lbs.

Good grass hay is roughly 0.8- 0.9Mcal/lb.

Most sweet feeds are around 1.5Mcal/lb

the alfalfa cubes are 1.2Mcal/lb

so your 3lbs Carb Guard per meal, 2 meals per day, is providing 6 X 1.5= 9Mcal
the 2 X 1 lb of alfalfa cubes are providing 2 X 1.2= 2.4Mcal

The oil is 4.18Mcal/lb your 8 oz is providing 2Mcal
That's an intake so far of 8.5lbs.
He will eat another 20 lbs roughly, which if it is hay will provide another 17Mcal

So total calorie intake is 17 + 9 + 2.4 + 2 = 30.4 Mcal per day which is quite a good intake.

If you wanted to increase it, changing one sweet feed or grain product for another won't change much as they all pretty similar in calorie content. But you could increase the oil by say another 4 oz and that would give him 1Mcal more per day.
Or change the carb guard for a high fat content feed (which is the same as adding oil).

But if he is at a good body weight why change anything. Leave him as he is unless there is something you don't like about his condition.

If it ain't broke don't fix it!

JMHO
Yours
MW

[ThoroughbredFancy]

That you so much for the information Melyni.

Yes, I thought about increasing his oil since that might do the trick.


I agree, it's not really broken...sometimes I get too much time on my hands and I get to thinking...


Never a good idea. :lol:

[Ghazzu]

BS Carb Guard is 1500 kcal/lb.

[Mary in Area 1]

Isn't that the same as 1.5 Mcal/lb?

[Ghazzu]

Yes; but that's the way BS lists it on the spreadsheet I have from them.
Mel had ballparked it, and she was right on the money.

[ThoroughbredFancy]

Thank you for confirming that, Ghazzu.