Protein Sources For Horses
Discussion:
This table lists the variety of commercial protein sources available for horses. The ingredients often change so be sure to read the label for the most accurate ingredients. This list was updated December 2020 and I will not be updating it in the future (too much work). I leave it up to you to investigate.
I still believe that feeding soybean meal alone is your best bet because:
- it is a natural source of all the essential amino acids.
- It is from the legume family like alfalfa, clover, birdsfoot trefoil, etc – all horses eat with few having bad reactions to.
- It is used in ALL of the commercial feeds listed here as well as almost all other feeds
- As an ingredient, it is the least expensive
- As an ingredient, there are no added ingredients that inflame the gut
Other natural sources of protein are pea protein and hemp protein though they do not have the safety and efficacy track record in horses of soybean meal.
| Protein Product | Percent Protein | Protein Sources | Suspect Ingredients | Unnecessary Ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Progressive Nutrition |
55% | soy protein isolate, whey concentrate, dried whey | flaxseed, vegetable oil | added AA’s, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, choline cloride |
|
Progressive Nutrition |
60% | Whey protein concentrate, spray dried whey, spray dried egg | wheat gluten, flaxseed, vegetable oil, rice bran oil | yeast extract, AA’s flavorings |
|
Progressive Nutrition |
65% | none | flaxseed, wheat gluten, rice bran oil | AA’s, betaine, flavorings |
|
Progressive Nutrition |
30% | soybean meal, dehydrated alfalfa meal | wheat middlings, maize distillers dried grains w/ solubles, beet pulp, lignin sulfonate, soybean oil | CaCO3, minerals, vitamins, choline cloride, probiotics, flavorings |
|
Manna Pro |
25% | soybean meal, dried whey, dehydrated alfalfa meal | corn, hominy feed, feeding oatmeal,vegetable oil, linseed meal | CaCO3, vitamins, minerals, Fenugreek, Anise (licorice) flavoring |
|
Manna Pro |
25% | soybean meal, dried whey, dehydration alfalfa meal | hominy feed, feeding oatmeal, linseed meal, vegetable oil | CaCO3, choline chloride, vitamins, minerals, fenugreek, anise flavoring |
|
Platinum Performance |
80% | whey protein concentrate | none | none |
|
Platinum Performance |
21% | whey protein concentrate | flaxseed, flax oil, rice bran, sunflower seeds, cane molasses | vitamins, minerals, AA’s |
|
Life Data Labs |
32% | soy protein concentrate, dehydrated alfalfa meal | none | Lecithin, AA’s, vitamins, minerals |
|
HorseTech |
90% | whey protein isolate | none | none |
|
Uckele |
100% | lysine, methionine, threonoine. (no other amino acids) | none | AA’s |
|
Seminole |
32% | dehulled soybean meal, dehydrated alfalfa meal | wheat middlings, soybean oil, rice bran oil | CaCO3, AA’s, yeast, vitamins, minerals |
|
Triple Crown |
30% | soybean meal | wheat middlings, ground flaxseed, stabilized rice bran, kelp meal, lecithin, soybean oil, cane molasses | AA’s, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, antacids, flavorings, preservatives |
|
Buckeye Nutrition |
32% | dehulled soybean meal, dehydrated alfalfa meal | wheat middlings, heat processed soybeans, maize distillers dried grains, flaxseed | CaCO3, AA’s, vitamins, minerals, yeast |
|
Purina Mills |
32% | unlisted ingredients on the website (see the blog “Betrayal” where a feed tag from 2018 is displayed) | unlisted ingredients | vitamins, minerals, prebiotic fiber |
|
Super Sport Amino Acid Supplement Purina Mills |
40% | dehulled soybean meal, soy protein concentrate, dried whey protein concentrate, alfalfa meal | wheat middlings, cane molasses | CaCO3, AA’s, vitamins, minerals, flavorings |
|
Tribute |
28% | dehulled soybean meal, dehydrated alfalfa meal, dried whey | ground extruded soybeans, wheat middlings, flaxseed, cane molasses, soybean oil | CaCO3, lignan sulfonate, AA’s, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, bentonite, flavorings |
|
Empower® Balance Grass Formula Supplement Nutrena |
30% | unlisted ingredients on the website | unlisted ingredients | Vitamins, minerals, probiotics |
Notes and legend:
- AA = Amino Acids from synthesis (man-made).
- Anise seed – licorice flavoring shown to be the most favorite flavoring in trials with horses.
- Bentonite – a clay used as a binder and absorbant to increase shelf life. Also used as a laxative when prescribed.
- Betaine – derrived from sugar beets it is an amino acid derrivitive.
- CaCO3 – calcium carbonate – the calcium used in antacids such as “Tums.”
- Choline chloride – a growth stimulant used mostly in poultry feed.
- Lignan sulfonate – an antioxidant in flame retardants and animal feed, derrived from wood pulp production, main ingredient in plaster, concrete, sheetrock and useed for dust control on dirt roads.
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