What is TropiCAL Blend?
Equine Vit&Min TropiCAL Blend provides all the minerals often missing from the equine diet including chelated calcium for horses grazing high oxalate tropical pastures. It is unique in its ability to balance the mineral profile across the whole diet.
It contains a blend of organic and inorganic minerals with added salt, biotin and Vitamin E. It includes chelated sources of calcium, zinc, copper and selenium. With added biotin and Vitamin E but no sweeteners or fillers.
Equine Vit&Min gives you the freedom to raise or lower your horse’s calorie intake (by feeding more or less grain, pellets, super fibres or oil) whilst knowing that the vitamin and mineral requirements are ALL being met.
Equine Vit&Min TropiCAL Blend can:
- Add calcium to offset oxalate levels in pastures.
- Top up the minerals often missing in horse diets to at least the minimum recommended levels (according to NRC 2007).
- Balance the critical mineral ratios across the whole diet.
Directions for Use
Mix daily serve of EVM TropiCAL Blend into horse’s slightly dampened feed. Unlike other Equine Vit&Min blends, TropiCAL includes a daily serve of salt which allows the product to be used as a loose lick since horses’ appetites for salt matches their actual requirement. Ideally, the product is best served daily, but when management conditions only facilitate free choice minerals, TropiCAL can be made available free choice in a free-draining container kept under shelter.
When grazing 100% High Oxalate Pasture, no hay fed:
Miniature: 75g/day
Pony: 100g/day
Galloway: 150g/day
Horse: 175g/day
Reduce by 20% for every 2kg Lucerne hay fed.
When grazing 50% high oxalate pasture, no hay fed:
Miniature: 50g/day
Pony: 75g/day
Galloway: 125g/day
Horse: 150g/day
Reduce by 30% for every 2kg Lucerne hay fed.
If using a fortified feed such as pellets or muesli mix, reduce the rate of Equine Vit&Min. Do not feed more Equine Vit&Min unless advised by a veterinarian or nutritionist. Always provide fresh, clean water. Dosage can be halved and fed twice daily. Scoop included in pack holds 100g.
Who is TropiCAL Blend recommended for?
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Equine Vit&Min TropiCAL Blend fit into a best practice feeding program?
The Equine Vit&Min feeding system tops up and balances the diet of horses grazing high oxalate pasture. It inputs the minerals lacking independently of protein and energy (calories). This means you can rest assured your horses are getting all their mineral needs (including adequate calcium to balance the ratio with oxalates) even when you don’t need to feed large quantities of fortified hard feeds.
Can Equine Vit&Min TropiCAL Blend be fed free choice?
Although we recommend feeding a controlled daily serve of minerals, the salt levels in TropiCAL blend do allow it to function as a loose lick. Salt is the only mineral where horses appetite for it actually matches the requirements so when minerals are blended in the correct ratios, horses desire for salt (and ability to stop when they’ve had enough) keeps daily mineral intake within acceptable limits.
Why doesn’t EVM include amino acids?
Simply because most horses don’t need them, and we don’t think you should pay for ingredients you don’t need. Most adult horses get all the protein they need, including the most limiting amino acids lysine, methionine and threonine, from their roughage and energy sources. Breeding and growing horses have higher protein requirements which can be easily met through the addition of a quality protein feed source such as lucerne or full fat soybean meal.
Why doesn’t EVM contain organic minerals?
Actually, it does contain some organically chelated zinc, copper and selenium. However, in a study of scientific literature, Frape (2010) concluded that "there is minimal, or no, difference in biologic use, or animal performance with trace minerals compared to organic sources. Since organic chelates and proteinates bypass the body’s "feedback loops" for mineral absorption, organic minerals should be limited to 20 - 30% of the total micromineral content of the additive to avoid the risk of toxicity. In other words, because the microminerals are being snuck in the ‘back door’ in disguise as proteins when in chelated form, the body’s normal ability to monitor how much to let in is compromised. There is probably merit in providing a small proportion of microminerals (such as copper, zinc and selenium) in quality horse supplements in both organic and inorganic forms.
Will EVM make my horse silly?
Equine Vit&Min does not add any energy or calories to the horse’s diet. However, it might make a horse feel better and its body may use the calories it eats more efficiently as its body functions become optimised. This is called feed use efficiency, which can mean a horse needs less caloric intake each day to perform the same work (and that can mean a smaller feed bill). It’s a bit like a car’s engine doing more kilometres per litre when fuelled with a higher quality fuel that allows the engine to perform more efficiently.
When should I switch back to Equine Vit&Min Premium Blend?
Hard working, stressed or hay-fed horses can become vitamin deficient and will benefit from a vitamin and probiotic supplement. When the grass dies off and whenever your horse is reliant on hay for roughage, Equine Vit&Min Premium Blend (with the red logo on the label) is the most appropriate supplement. We can help you calculate any extra salt and calcium needs if necessary to balance the Premium Blend to your pasture. Equine Vit&Min Premium Blend contains a quality mineral blend with added biotin, broad-spectrum vitamins and a daily serve of a live yeast probiotic (Saccharomyces cerevisiae).