Friday afternoon rolls around and its time to pick up the feed, or your about to call in your order. And you pause for a minute asking your self “Have I made a correct choice?” Like any caring horse owner your have spent a great deal of time researching all the feeds in your area. Looking for the correct levels of protein and fat. Checking out the ingredients, trying your best to make the correct choice, and like many people you may still be feeding supplements.
Here are a few things to think about on your way to the feed store that work me.
- Cheaper grain mixes are more likely to be formulated with only a basic "pre-mix" (what feed manufacturers call the vitamin/mineral supplement they add to the grain combination). Premium feeds are more likely to be specifically formulated for your type of horse, with minerals designed for optimum digestibility. Chances are you won't have to supplement. If you are worried about your horses mineral level, have a soil test done. And blood work on your horse, try to not guess!
- Each grain type used in a high-priced feed will contain fewer foreign particles than cheap feeds, giving you more bang for your buck.
- Cheap grain mixes are often mixed according to a "least-cost" formulation. Their nutritional profile remains similar from bag to bag, but the company may change the formula, or substitute ingredients according to fluctuations in the grain market. This can be a problem if you have a horse with allergies or sensitivities to certain ingredients. By contrast, the cost of premium feeds may change, but the ingredients remain exactly the same.
- Beware of sweet feeds, most tend to be high in sugar. And many times a really gooy feed is covering up a lesser product.
Try looking for an all natural feed like McCauley Brothers. They only make feed for horses and use wonderful ingredients.
Sincerely,
Petra
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