Equi-Shine by Doctors Choice Supplements

Dried forage is often the largest part of a horse’s daily ration, yet it is also one of the least understood. Horse owners may know exactly how many pounds of grain they feed and which supplements go into the bucket, but the nutritional value of the hay is often assumed rather than measured.

That is why we encourage a forage-first approach.

A forage analysis gives us a much clearer picture of what the hay is actually contributing so the rest of the ration can be balanced around it.

What We Look at on a Forage Analysis

When evaluating dried forage, there are several key values that help us understand its nutritional quality:

Moisture – The percentage of water present in the forage. This affects storage quality and helps determine the actual concentration of nutrients.

Dry Matter – Everything remaining after water is removed. Nutrient values are often compared on a dry-matter basis so different feeds can be evaluated accurately.

Crude Protein – An estimate of the protein content of the forage. Protein needs vary based on age, workload, growth, reproduction and overall condition.

Calories or Energy – Indicates how much usable energy the forage can provide. This is especially important when feeding easy keepers, hard keepers, performance horses or metabolic horses.

ADF – Acid Detergent Fiber – Represents the less-digestible portion of the plant. As ADF increases, digestibility and available energy generally decrease.

NDF – Neutral Detergent Fiber – Reflects the total structural fiber in the forage and can influence how much a horse is willing or able to consume. Higher NDF values are generally associated with more mature, stemmy forage.

Calcium – Essential for bone health, muscle contraction, nerve function and many other body processes.

Phosphorus – Works closely with calcium and is important for bone, energy metabolism and cellular function. The balance between calcium and phosphorus is especially important.

Magnesium – Supports normal muscle, nerve and enzyme function and is an important part of the overall mineral balance.

Potassium – A major electrolyte that supports fluid balance, muscle contraction and nerve function. Forage is often naturally rich in potassium.

RFV – Relative Feed Value – A comparative index used to estimate forage quality based largely on fiber levels, digestibility and expected intake. It can be useful when comparing forage lots, although it does not tell the complete nutritional story.

NSC – Non-Structural Carbohydrates – Includes sugars and starches that are more rapidly digested than structural fiber. NSC is especially important when managing horses with insulin resistance, metabolic concerns or laminitis risk.

What About Vitamins and Trace Minerals?

One important piece of the feeding puzzle is what we do not assign a dependable nutritional value to in dried forage: vitamins.

Across the feed industry, dried forage is generally not relied upon as a consistent source of vitamins because many vitamins decline rapidly during harvesting, drying and storage. Exposure to light, heat, oxygen and time can significantly reduce vitamin concentrations after forage is cut.

Trace minerals can also vary considerably depending on soil, geographic location, plant species and growing conditions.

That means even a high-quality hay analysis does not automatically equal a completely balanced diet.

A horse may be receiving adequate calories, protein and fiber while still requiring additional vitamins and trace minerals to meet daily nutritional needs.

This Is Where Equi-Shine Pellets Come In

Equi-Shine Pellets are designed to complement a forage-based diet by supplying the vitamins and trace minerals that dried forage cannot be counted on to consistently provide.

Rather than replacing forage, Equi-Shine helps complete the nutritional picture and supports:

-Hoof quality
-Skin and hair coat
-Immune response
-Muscle and metabolic function
-Overall health and longevity

A better feeding program starts with understanding the foundation.

Test the hay. Know what it provides. Then balance what it doesn’t.

FORAGE FIRST

Forage first doesn't mean forage only.

Forage provides the foundation of the diet, but nutritional gaps can still exist, even when you're feeding excellent-quality hay.

Equi-Shine Pellets are designed to complement a forage-based feeding program by supplying balanced vitamins and trace minerals that help support:

-Hoof quality
-Hair coat
-Immune response
-Muscle and metabolic function
-Overall health and longevity

Rather than simply adding more grain and calories, the goal is to support the nutritional gaps left by the forage.

Start with the forage.
Understand what's missing.
Balance accordingly.
Equi-Shine helps complete that.

https://www.drschoicesupplements.com/product/equi-shine-pellet/

As summer winds down and fall routines begin, it's a great time to check in with your veterinarian.

🍂 Fall vaccinations
Discuss your horse's individual risk factors, travel schedule and recommended vaccination program with your veterinarian.

🦷 Dental examination
Don't overlook the connection between dental health and nutrition.

You can purchase premium forage and carefully balance every nutrient in the diet, but your horse still needs to be able to properly chew that feed before the digestive system can efficiently utilize it.

Dental problems may make forage particularly difficult to process and can become increasingly important as horses age.

Don't wait until the middle of winter to discover the horse is losing weight.

🍂 Fall is a great checkpoint:
Vaccinate. Check the teeth. Evaluate the forage. Reassess the diet.

Set your horse up for winter from the inside out.

How well do you really know your horse’s hay? ☘️

Whether you are done making hay for the year or stocking up for winter, take a closer look at the forage that makes up the largest part of your horse’s diet. Type, maturity, storage, nutrient analysis, intake, and even your horse's dental health can all affect how well that forage works for your horse.

Swipe through our hay checklist and make sure you’re building your feeding program on a strong foundation.

Forage First. Test it. Know it. Balance it.

A metabolic diagnosis doesn’t have to define the rest of your horse’s golden years.

With consistent and thoughtful management, many horses continue to live active lives for years.

Need help navigating your horse’s roadmap?

We’re here for you: https://bit.ly/4oERuX0

Green. Soft. Leafy. Sweet smelling. Someone needs to bottle that up.....are we right?! 🙂☘️

With that to say, pretty hay doesn't always mean nutritionally complete hay.

Those are certainly desirable characteristics when evaluating dried forage, but appearance alone can't tell you everything your horse is receiving.

Hay can look beautiful while still being low in certain nutrients.

Likewise, color alone doesn't tell you:

-Protein
-Digestible energy
-Sugar
-Starch
-Fiber
-Calcium
-Phosphorus
-Trace minerals

Visual evaluation helps determine physical quality.

A forage analysis helps determine nutritional quality.

You need both pieces of information to truly understand your horse's largest feed component.

Good quality hay isn't automatically a complete diet.

Dried forage still falls short in vitamins and certain trace minerals depending on:

Soil
Plant species
Maturity
Harvest conditions
Storage
Geographic location

However, the answer isn't automatically adding more grain.

The better approach is:

1. Feed appropriate-quality hay for the horses you have.
2. Analyze what it provides.
3. Identify the nutritional gaps.
4. Balance those gaps intentionally.

Forage First doesn't mean Forage Only.