Frequently Asked Questions

Which products have the lowest levels of starch and sugar?

SuperFibra Integri‑T, SuperFibra Fibra Classic, hybrid product Equilibrium Equilizer and hybrid product Equilibrium Optimal. Any of these products support the nutritional needs of horses that have problems such as Cushing’s syndrome, Equine Metabolic Syndrome or insulin issues. Equilibrium Trimax, Evolution Sport Elite and SuperFibra Plus are also options for horses who need controlled starch levels in the diet due to potential health conditions, but still need enough starch in the diet to maintain higher performance levels. Evolution Maternity, Evolution Juvenile and Evolution Senior also have reduced levels of starch and sugar.

What are your highest and lowest calorie products for horses?

Equilibrium Trimax and Equilibrium Sport XT are our highest calorie horse feeds. Pur-Athlete is also available as a high-calorie supplement, designed to be fed along with a complete horse feed. SuperFibra Classic, SuperFibra Nature Complement, hybrid product Equilibrium Equilizer & Equilibrium Optimal are Purina's lowest calorie products.

Do you offer a soy free feed?

All Purina horse feeds contain soy in varying amounts.
See the nutrition article entitled ’’Why use soy in horse feed’’

Do you offer a beet pulp based feed?

The Evolution line, Equilibrium Trimax, Omolene Sport Plus and Velocit-T Forte are Purina’s beet pulp based product.

Do your feeds contain Genetically Modified Grains?

Yes, some of our products may contain genetically modified ingredients. It's important to remember that all grain is technically genetically‑modified, as simple plant breeding is a form of genetic modification.

Agricultural biotechnology (including genetically engineering grain in a laboratory to enhance desired traits) is thoroughly researched, regulated, and safe to feed to your animal. GMO ingredients are prevalent in the feed supply chain. Because grain for feed is purchased in bulk from large storage facilities, it is not possible to tell which corn has been genetically engineered. It is possible to specifically purchase "non‑GMO" grains, but this comes at a premium price. Producing feed with non‑GMO grains would be cost prohibitive.

The Canadian Food Inspection of Agriculture has facts about Agriculture Biotechnology on their website: http://www.inspection.gc.ca

When should a horse be switched over to a senior feed?

Age 15 has been used as a guideline, but there is a lot of individual variation based on dental care and early life health care. Signs that your horse is ready for a senior feed include loss of muscle condition, trouble keeping weight on with their current diet, and decrease in coat and skin condition quality. For horses having trouble chewing forage, Evolution Senior is a good option, fed wet.

When should I start my broodmare on a Mare & Foal feed?

Broodmares need to be on a quality maintenance diet, such as Evolution Maternity or one of the Evolution products, for the first ½ of the pregnancy. The body structures of the foal are being developed through this time, and a quality nutritional program for the mare is critical to the health of the foal. Around the halfway point of the pregnancy, nutritional demands on the mare’s body begin to drastically increase – this is where the growth of the unborn foal begins to dramatically increase. A mare’s body will give nutrients to the developing foal, then what is left will go to the mare, so supporting her with a diet such as Evolution Maternity, Omolene Maternity 300 and Equilibrium Maternity XT that are designed for just this time period is ideal. If you do not feed the recommended feed tag amount, you need to add the hybrid product Equilibrium Equilizer during the first half of gestation and Equilibrium Optimal the second half of gestation.

How long should my broodmare stay on a Mare & Foal feed?

Nutritional demands on a mare continue to be high through the first several weeks of lactation – when the foal is taking its total diet from her milk. Once the foal begins exploring other food options, such as creep feed and hay, and begins to not rely quite as much on his dam, then a broodmare can be switched back to a nutrition program that still provides quality nutrition, but not quite at the high levels found in a Mare & Foal feed. Also, foals can creep feed on a Mare & Foal feed, to begin their journey in to being fed regularly along with the mare.

My horse is too fat. What product should I use?

Hybrid products Equilibrium Equilizer and Equilibrium Optimal are Purina’s best options and they offer all the vitamins and minerals the horse needs, without the extra calories. Feeding rates and total feed intake need to be assessed. Increasing the exercise level for the horse is also a good idea.

What can I feed miniature horses?

Miniature horses are generally fairly "easy keepers”. Hybrid products Equilibrium Equilizer and Equilibrium Optimal, and SuperFibra Classic work very well for them. Miniature horses should NOT be allowed to get fat!

What feed do you recommend for a horse with Insulin Resistance or Cushing's syndrome?

For a horse that is overweight or an easy keeper, we recommend either Equilibrium Equilizer or Equilibrium Optimal. For an underweight horse or hard keeper, we recommend SuperFibra Integri‑T or SuperFibra Plus.

My horse has laminitis. What should I feed?

First, restrict access to lush pasture, using a grazing muzzle if needed. If your horse is an easy keeper or overweight, you can feed hybrid product Equilibrium Equilizer. If your horse is being worked or needs additional calories to maintain weight, we suggest feeding SuperFibra Integri‑T, or SuperFibra Plus.

Can I use regular horse feeds for donkeys or mules?

Yes, they have similar requirements. They seem to be a little more efficient than horses, so they may require lower feeding rates.

What are amino acids and why are they important?

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and indicate the quality of the protein sources in a feed. Horses cannot synthesize all of the amino acids. Lysine, methionine and threonine are the first limiting amino acids. If they are deficient, the horse cannot make full use of the protein for hair coat, hoof growth and muscle development. All Purina horse feeds contain optimum levels of amino acids, for ideal muscle development and maintenance.

Why is there is a range of recommended feeding rates for different products?

Horses vary quite a bit in how much they need to eat to maintain body condition. It is always a good idea to start at the low end of the feeding rate and increase to the required level if necessary. Make sure you add hybrid product Equilibrium Equilizer or Equilibrium Optimal if needed to balance vitamins and minerals.

Why do I need to offer salt free choice if there is already salt in the feed?

Salt intakes may vary by temperature, humidity and exercise level. Most horses will regulate their salt intake if it is available at all times and may require more salt than can be included in a feed due to palatability. Salt consumption is important to maintaining the horse's water consumption as well as to reduced health problems associated with dehydration.

If I work my horse hard on a weekend, should I increase the feeding rate?

Horses do best with relatively constant feeding rates. If a horse is being worked hard for a few days in a row, adding a third meal may be useful, but each meal should not be over 0.5% of bodyweight and should be fed at equal intervals.

Does Purina use fixed formulas?

By definition, a fixed formula is one that is fixed in both its ingredient selection and the inclusion rate of each ingredient. Since all ingredients are variable in their nutrient content, then, by definition, fixed formulas will fluctuate in their nutrient content. For example, oats can vary in protein from 9 % to 13 % depending on growing conditions. So, if the formula is fixed, the protein level in this fixed formula will fluctuate with the fluctuating protein content of oats.

Purina equine diets use a combined fixed nutrient and fixed ingredient formulation concept, where the ingredient selection is fixed but their inclusion rate fluctuates with the varying nutrient content and cost of ingredients, in order to maintain a fixed nutrient content in the diet. In other words, the formula is not fixed but the ingredient selection and nutrient content of the formula are, which is, in layman’s terms, the intend of a fixed formula.

All Purina horse feeds are manufactured in Strathroy, Ontario in our medication-free plant where we use premium ingredients, tested for mycotoxins. They are also formulated with all-vegetable proteins and fats only

Can you give me a visual reference to evaluate the weight of a feed according to its texture and the scoop used?

What are the advantages of
Diamond V XPC?