To help add muscle in a work out program do you prefer oats or rice bran or both??

Neither for that.. They do need grain. Oats are high in fat and so is rice bran. They are both low in protien.. Remember protien is where we all get muscle from.. If you want to add muscle use Soy Bean Meal. Only about 1/4 a day.. Also good for the feet..

hmmmm okay, why do all the trainers down here say add oats or rice bran?
The feed they are on is 14% protien and 8% fat already

Most of the dietary specialists are encouraging more of a low protein high fat diet these days. You can talk with 10 different phd nutritionists and get all different kinds of recommendations but it all depends on what is available in your region and what your baby is bred for, what you want to accomplish and most of all what is best overall for their health. I personally like Mormans concept of forage first as long as you have good forage in front of the 24/7 with a balanced vitamin/mineral to meet their basic needs everything else is a personal choice that is just all about fluff... and by that I mean everyone will have a different program that works for them and that they believe is the best or they wouldn't do it. I would suggest talking with lots of different people and then taking what makes the most sense to you and putting it into practice you can always make adjustments as you see it working or not. Equine nutrition is an ever evolving thing and it is amazing what research is showing every day! If I ever went back and started over in school this is where I would go it just facinates me.

Lynn - I couldn't agree more! With our 'kids' we are constantly adjusting (to small degrees) the feeding program...we pay close attention to how they are doing and if any other changes have been made. We especially watch them when we change from one hay cutting to another or when we change their workout schedule...
We're on a solid feed (14- with a fat supplement for the horses that are actually in full race training (or for whatever reason need it)

We've changed feeds once in the past year but we've also changed the way we supplement... It is one of the never ending sources for discourse and research - I absolutely love nutrition and all of the things that are being done...truely amazing!

okay, that makes sense.

The only major feed brands around here are Nutrena, Purina, Lone Star and MG.

I don't want a fat horse or I guess I mean a thick layer of fat over the shoulder and whither. I just want to be able to HELP them build muscle and make the most out of a workout.

Cindy, it does depend on what you are trying to accomplish with the horse.. The only thing I do is halter fitting.. And, we do feed oats.. Many halter fitters just feed more to get the weight on in the right place.. This really throughs things off balance.. Since feeding 101 is 75% forage and 25% grains.. A high fat diet and low carbs is good for all horses.. Will not get you the look you want on a halter horse though.

If you are trying to get a certain look on a horse. Reshape if you will. Then you will likely need to do other things then just through the fat to them.. I have to do something different with every horse.. And, adjust as I go.. I do not do this by overfeeding one thing or another.. That is why I like the Soy Bean Meal. Is's cheap and I can keep the other stuff I feed balanced and just add a little of this..

I have also used this on horses that come here where there is not much in the way of muscle left on them for what ever reason and had great results adding this to the other stuff I feed.. I have seen results in just two weeks.. These horses were not mine. Of course the worming thing every two weeks for three cycles was done on these horses.. Then the oats, alfalfa and other things I add with the Soy Bean Meal.. They come right up nicely in a month and no leg or tummy issues either..

All you can do is try different things and see what works.. Make sure you give it some time.. What I do not do is buy those expensive products that claim to do what they say they can..

Nutrena youth, a friend of mine uses that and does well with it. I use Buckeye growth. LOVE IT! but that wont help you... Anyway they do the nutrena, and like it. GOOD HAY! Alot of trainers use rice bran and Oats as well BUT they use a bunch of additives with that type of program.

Nutrena Safe Choice is a great feed. It helps hold those legs together with the rapid growth the weanling goes through.. I have Chad on it.. Along with Nutrena Empowered. That is 22% fat. Same as rice bran.. He is coming along really nicely.. He also gets alfalfa, beet pulp and DAC products. He is really getting big and tall.. I am happy to see that after the way he looked when he got sick. His legs are sturdy as well.

I feed crimped oats and it depends on the horse how much I add on the other stuff. I feed all of my horses, half a jigger of Gro Strong minerals - criminey, that mess is high, but lasts a long time. I started out feeding a 14% with 6% fat pellet with the oats, but they'd get too fat too quick; so I backed down to a 12% with a 4% fat. Bluejay's right, you've got to watch how much fat you put in there, or it'll go straight to their neck. Course, I also feed alfalfa and good coastal.

Because Kid's out now in the stud pen, runs more, he's getting 1 1/2 scoops of pellets and 1 scoop of oats (these oats are crimped or steam rolled - I hate whole oats!)... Scamp gets 1 scoop of each (course these are twice a day)... Jazz, because she's N/H gets 1 scoop of oats, 1/2 scoop of pellets. Geldings get less than anybody; yearlings and Trent's ugly horse gets 1 1/2 scoops of pellets, and I'm fixing to up them again.

Scamp and Jazz, getting ready for show season, are fixing to get the 5-day Panacur worming; Kid, the broodmares, and the geldings always got Zimectrin Gold, all of it!!!! Babies are fixing to get a tube of Safegard... I drive Rick crazy on this different worming stuff...

I'm watching Scamp right now like a hawk...he's getting a little hot/onery/studdy, even though he goes out every day for at least 4-5 hours, so I might have to back down his pellets. But I always like to fatten up FIRST before I start working 'em...he's in for a rude awakening when I get my golfcart back... tehehe! Dad's been letting him get away with too much!

I've never been able to get rice bran or beet pulp to work with my horses - they get too danged skinny...even Trent's stupid show steer got skinny... go figure...