If eliminating obesity were merely a matter of cutting calories, you could simply cut a horse’s rations in half and expect great results. But that’s not the case. On the contrary, as any horse owner can tell you, watching a horse go hungry is heartbreaking. In addition, starving a horse can set off a chain of events that harm more than help, i.e., loss of muscle mass, nutrient deficiencies, etc. But WellSolve W/C® horse feed offers sound strategies for eliminating unnecessary fat and calories from the diet while supporting health—and contentment.

Links to: Quick Reference Guide Body Condition Scoring Chart FeedGuard™ Nutrition System Tag Talk Printer Friendly Version

WellSolve W/C® horse feed • Contains ideal levels of digestible energy to help manage caloric intake and weight control while maintaining a healthy body condition • Low-calorie full-scoop formula in a unique extruded feed form that is easy to feed, tastes great and helps satisfy the horse • High-quality optimal nutritional fortification • Veterinarian researched

Obesity is a serious risk factor for the following horses:
• “Easy keepers”
• Horses with Equine Metabolic Syndrome and/or Insulin Resistance
• Horses with laminitis
• Horses with Cushing’s Syndrome or Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID)
• Horse on stall rest

Proven weight loss results
We’re hardly the first to introduce a low calorie, “lite” horse diet, but we’ve taken our time to make sure that WellSolve W/C® is the best available. Purina Mills has spent years exploring ingredient combinations, feed form, meal timing, palatability and more.

We’ve pursued controlled studies at LongView Animal Nutrition Center in Gray Summit, MO, as well as extensive field testing. We’re proud to say that WellSolve W/C® horse feed is the only product on the market proven to support weight loss in controlled scientific studies.

Our ultimate goal—a healthier horse
Our research is geared to one thing and one thing only—a healthier horse. Obesity can act as a trigger for many chronic conditions in horses. We offer WellSolve W/C® horse feed as a tangible weapon in the battle against equine obesity.

Less than 1,000 calories per pound
WellSolve W/C® contains less than 15 percent soluble carbohydrates (sugar and starch). Instead, it’s formulated with fermentable fibers and other low calorie nutrient sources. Unlike sugars and starches which are calorie dense, these fermentable carbohydrates provide energy without causing a horse’s glucose and insulin concentrations to increase rapidly.

“Full-scoop” formulation reduces hunger, increases satisfaction
As we studied feed form, we noticed that horses eating extruded feed took their time chewing and seemed more satisfied at the end of the meal. Armed with this knowledge, we were able to come up with a “full-scoop” formulation that horse owners and horses can both appreciate. WellSolve W/C® horse feed allows horses to enjoy a larger meal without all the calories.

Horses love the taste
Formulating a horse feed that’s low in calories is one thing— making it palatable is another, especially when you can’t fall back on calorie-dense grains or molasses. But thanks to an extra hint of natural flavors, WellSolve W/C® horse feed is highly preferred and digestible.

No added fat
As long as a low calorie feed is made with high quality ingredients, it will contain enough naturally occurring fatty acids for the fat-soluble vitamin absorption a horse needs.
WellSolve W/C® horse feed is formulated without any added fat and contains less than three percent total fat.

Vitamins and Minerals proportioned for the weight-prone horse
Weight-prone horses can easily become deficient in key vitamins due to grazing restrictions or because of eating large amounts of stored hay. WellSolve W/C® compensates for these deficiencies with the proper combination of vitamins and minerals, including added vitamins A and D, as well as a natural source of vitamin E. We also added minerals like copper and zinc, which are involved in chemical reactions related to connective tissue synthesis and maintenance in tissues such as tendons and cartilage.

THE NUMBERS TELL THE STORY
Purina Mills conducted research trials using two groups of horses:
• Group 1 Weight Reduction Control (WR-CON) Horses fed WellSolve W/C® horse feed without exercise
• Group 2 Weight Reduction Exercise (WR-EX) Horses fed
WellSolve W/C® horse feed with exercise, including walking and trotting three days per week on an Equi-ciser®, starting with 90 minutes per week and working their way up to 180 minutes per week.

After 12 weeks:
• Group 1 lost an average of 22+ kg (50+ pounds), reduced body fat and decreased their body condition score by 1.2 points.
• Group 2 lost an average of 40+ kg (90+ pounds), reduced body fat and decreased their body condition score by 2.5 points.

Another reason to trust the Wellsolve W/C® horse feed product, Purina Mills FeedGuard™ Nutrition System. It’s one of the industry’s most innovative and exacting quality assurance programs and here’s what it provides you and your horses.

• Highest Quality Ingredients – Stringent quality standards help ensure many of the industry’s highest quality ingredients available are used
• Near Infra-red Reflectance (NIR) – a process measuring actual nutrient levels of specific ingredients instead of supplier averages is used to help increase nutritional consistency
• Utilizes a Constant Nutrition Formulations – Automatically compensates for naturally varying nutrient levels in ingredients for greater nutritional consistency bag after bag
• Ingredient Testing Program – Designed to minimize the risk of grains containing potentially harmful contaminants
• Uses a Total Horse Nutrition Formulation – considers all key nutrients and their interactions with each other to better support overall horse health

Click here for more information on FeedGuard™ Nutrition System

WellSolve W/C® Horse Feed

Guaranteed Analysis

Feeding Directions:
Click here to use the Purina Mills Feeding Calculator

Directions:
Guideline of pounds of WellSolve W/C® to feed daily with hay* for weight loss.

Guideline of pounds of WellSolve W/C® to feed daily with hay* for weight maintenance.

These recommendations are a starting point that may need to be adjusted up or down to accommodate different horses’ metabolisms, management practices, and forage quality and quantity. For further information regarding the use of this product visit www.wellsolveequine.com, call a Wellsolve horse feed specialist at 1-877-454-7109, or as our veterinarian.

* These feeding recommendations are for horses eating 1.0 lb hay per 100 lbs of body weight/day in addition to Wellsolve W/C® Horse Feed. This is the minimum amount of good quality hay to be fed. If feeding more hay, decrease amount of Wellsolve W/C® Horse Feed by 1 lb per 2 lbs of additional hay fed. Do not feed less than 0.3 lbs of Wellsolve W/C® Horse Feed, increase the amount fed or switch to a more calorie dense feed such as Purina Strategy Horse Feed.

** Once optimal body condition is obtained, performance horses in moderate and intense work may need to be fed a diet designed specifically for horses with higher caloric requirements such as Purina Ultium or Strategy Horse Feeds.

*** Pregnant mares should not be on a weight loss program during the first and last 90 days of gestation. Appropriate feeding directions for the obese, pregnant mare during 4-8 months of gestation may be obtained by contacting a Wellsolve Horse Feed Specialist. Lactating mares should be fed a diet designed specifically for horses with higher caloric requirements such as Purina Strategy Horse Feed.

Feed at regular times. Divide total daily feeding into at least two servings with 3 to 4 daily servings preferred. Do not feed over 6 lbs of Wellsolve W/C® Horse Feed in one serving. Do not feed free-choice. Any feed changes should be made gradually over a period of 7 to 10 days. Changes in rate of feeding should not exceed one pound per day for each horse. Always feed a minimum of 1 to 1.5% of body weight of good quality, clean hay or pasture. Over feeding good quality hay or excessive availability to pasture may reduce the effectiveness of Wellsolve W/C® Horse Feed to help control body weight. Inadequate amounts or poor quality hay may lead to colic and other digestive disturbances. Have salt and plenty of fresh, clean water available at all times.

Maintain an effective control program for internal parasites. Be sure that horses are free of dental problems. This product is not recommended for young growing horses under 2 years of age.

Click here to use the Purina Mills Feeding Calculator

Click here for more Feeding Guidelines

For more information on Purina Mills Wellsolve W/C® horse feed please contact a certified Wellsolve W/C® Purina Mills Dealer near you. Click here to locate your nearest dealer.