Are the expensive feeds even worth it?

[Peter7917]

Now I don't keep proper horses, only native or native crosses so mine live on whatever I give them just fine but I do question if the expensive feeds are really worth the money?

I had a poor yearling once, pumped him full of expensive feeds, cant recall what, was blue chip or something and made not a shred of difference. He didn't pick up until I turned him out on Dr Green.

If I buy feed, I buy cheap. Cheap £6 bag of pony nuts, £6 bag of mole valley chaff. Most I will do is buy the cheap version of fast fibre which is still only about a tenner a bag.

Do you think you have noticed a real difference on expensive feed rather than cheap? Or is it because you prefer it as its better quality, less sugar etc?

Basically, why do you feed what you feed?

 

[SEL]

I feed low sugar / starch because I have horses with PSSM. One of them is also sensitive to alfalfa in that it makes her photosensitive in any great quantities.

So I feed straights because then I know what is going in to them and I can increase / decrease as their waistlines require.

 

[HeyMich]

I feed Pure Feeds (I guess you could call it an 'expensive feed' at £18/bag) as it's low sugar, low calorie, has no NAS, no alfa, no iron, has all the required vits/min, added biotin, added pre/probiotics etc, all of which I think are important for my horses, especially my ulcer-prone mare. I'm sure I could save pennies by buying straights and adding supplements, but I like that it's all in one bag, ready to use. The only things I add are linseed oil and fast fibre in the winter.

I used to feed a basic £6 pony nuts and cheapo chaff, but it was so full of sugar and fillers, my mare really didn't do well on it. Her ulcers were at their worst then, and I can only assume that the feed wasn't helping. Much happier now.

 

[ihatework]

My thoughts in general are that the commercial expensive feeds are just that - commercial - designed to make a profit for a company, and whilst I have no doubt a lot of thought, research and money is invested into a product there is also a lot of money spent on advertising and preying on owner anxieties! ... ultimately it will have very little impact on the vast majority of horses in this country. You can feed most horses reasonably cheaply on hay/grass topped up with a vit/min or additional fibre source or even cheapo compounds or straights.

Where they do come into play are with horses who genuinely have very specific nutritional needs (not just owner hyperchondria) and also for performance horses.

My current horse is fed on Spillers & Winergy (a Spillers company). Why?
a) because he is on a performance yard with horses at the very highest level of sport and it is essential that feed is stringently tested and sourced to be competition legal
b) because that is who sponsors the yards and the horses do well on it so no need to look elsewhere

 

[conniegirl]

My lad is on fast fibre and outshine.
The fast fibre is fed as a soup to stop him bolting all of his feed and choking.
I have noticed a big difference in him whilst on outshine vs pony mix.
His coat is better, he is more settled, we dont get the silliness we used to and he has a more constant energy level,
Previously he was absolutely wired for about the first 30mins of work and then he crashed and just wanted to stop, now we dont have the absolutely wired feeling but he can happily do an hours work and then go for a cooling off hack!
I also find it cheap to feed him, a bag of outshine will last 2 to 3 months depending on the level i feed it at (higher in winter) so my monthly feed bill is probably around £20

 

[Leo Walker]

I wont feed cheap feeds, they are cheap for a reason. I dont like feeding anything that has a big long list of highly processed ingredients.

I'm currently feeding a tiny amount of pink mash, I love this stuff, everything does well on it, its very low starch and sugar and hides supplements really well so perfect for what I need. Ingredients - Soya hull super fibre, Dried Beetroot, Micronised Linseed, Protexin® Probiotics and Prebiotics

I also feed an oat straw and hay chaff. Slightly lower calorie than hay and bulks the feed up. Ingredients - Organic Hay, Organic Oat Straw, Organic Fennel Seed, Organic Mint. I'm not interested in the organic element of it and I cannot stand the manufacturer, but I cannot find an alternative. The pony wont touch chopped straw on its own so I grit my teeth and buy this for the time being.

In the winter when shes not as restricted I change the chaff for a grass based chaff which is slightly more calories and higher sugar and starch

 

[dogatemysalad]

I think that if your horse looks great, with good condition, bright eyes, shiny coat and healthy feet then stick with your current regime.
I knew my latest horse before I bought him. He found it hard to keep condition , his coat was dull, he had recurrent eye infections, and periodically suffered with thrush and mud fever in winter.
I've had him for 10 months without a repeat any niggling ailments or lack of condition. I think finding the right feed played an important part in how he's looking now. He's fed Top Spec balancer with chaff and in the winter fast fibre cubes are added.
I don't think it's necessary to buy expensive supplements, it's a combination of quality forage, quality feed, work balance and minimising stress and boredom.

 

[Auslander]

I feed Alf good quality hay/haylage, grass, and a bucket feed of grass chop as a love token, and to carry a dose of Equimins Advance Complete. I notice a big difference in his coat if I stop feeding the Advance Complete - he has a lovely glossy coat when he's on it, and it goes a bit dull and fluffy when he isn't.
Liveries have the same hay/haylage, and a bucket feed of HiFi Molasses Free and a balancer, with copra if they need a bit of condition on.

 

[catkin]

It is about knowing your horse, knowing your grazing and forage, learning about feeds and their effects then taking some time and thought to do best by your animals.

For my situation good quality forage (and plenty of it) is the most cost-effective way to feed my ponies. I take all 'costs' into account including minimising risks of metabolic conditions developing.
On top of that they have a vits and minerals mix as we have deficiencies in our grazing.

 

[charterline]

It depends on the horse, it’s workload, and your budget.

Most of the time there’s nothing wrong with cheaper feeds

 

[Peter7917]

It is about knowing your horse, knowing your grazing and forage, learning about feeds and their effects then taking some time and thought to do best by your animals.

For my situation good quality forage (and plenty of it) is the most cost-effective way to feed my ponies. I take all 'costs' into account including minimising risks of metabolic conditions developing.
On top of that they have a vits and minerals mix as we have deficiencies in our grazing.

How can I tell if there are deficiencies in my grazing?

 

[HappyHollyDays]

How can I tell if there are deficiencies in my grazing?

Forage Plus will do an analysis for you. Our soil in very high in Iron so mine have a balancer that is low in iron but higher in copper and zinc.

 

[chaps89]

@LeoWalker would you mind letting me know which chaff you're using please? I'd assume TB from your description but can't see it on their site so thought I'd ask as always good to have a molasses/alfalfa free fatty friendly back up.

 

[Fransurrey]

I feed Pure Easy, as it doesn't have any alfalfa or garlic in it, so is ok for my SI mare. The other two did well on it, too. I've lost Henry, now, but will stick with this feed, probably. No point changing what isn't broken.

 

[catkin]

How can I tell if there are deficiencies in my grazing?

There are companies that can do analysis for you.

For a general overview though the type of plants that are growing there plus the geology can give you clues. For example: are you on chalk or acidic uplands? Also worth asking neighbouring farmers.

 

[Leo Walker]

this isnt perfect, but you can look on here and get an idea of the soil type

soil map

Equimins, forage plus, progressive earth and equivita all do supplements designed to balance average grazing. I find Equimins to be the best, you get the best spec for the lowest price with them. Like Aus I notice a difference if mine doesnt get it.

 

[ycbm]

I have always fed own brand cubes until recently and had no issues with them. But now I have a horse who cannot eat any form of grain including linseed, or alfalfa. And a TB who is a typically poor doer in winter. And in order not to have loads of different feeds around which would take space in the feed area and risk mistakes when the temporary groom comes in, I'm finding it simpler just to feed Spillers Speedy Mash to get supplements into two good doers and Top Spec Cool and Condition cubes for the racehorse all year and the appyx in winter. Job done with no fuss, both stocked by a local supplier at competitive prices.


..

 

[PoppyAnderson]

Blue chip might be expensive but it's full of rubbish. Most of the commercial feeds are to be honest. They just have big advertising budgets and the advantage of being first to market & established brands. I avoid sugar/molasses, nis, alfalfa, cheap bulking byproducts etc and so am left with very little choice - Agrobs, thunderbrooks, micronised linseed, the new Allen and Page feed, pink mash and a couple of others, the names of which escape me right now!

 

[CrazyMare]

I feed Topspec balancer. My horses look amazing, feel great, have fantastic feet and I don't have a feed room full of various things.

When you can bring in, give a literal quick flick and go to dressage looking like this, then something is right....

 

[nikkimariet]

Yes and no. Depends entirely on the horse really.

Fig is a typical poor doer exracer. He does best having expensive havens slobbermash shovelled down him (mind you, it's still the least I've ever had to feed him volume wise) and he looks and feels the bee knees on it, so I'm happy. Plus it's the only feed he's stayed interested in long term, which makes me think his tummy must be 150% ok on this.

Nova is a better doer WB, he has a handful (very literally) of the slobbermash as the oil does his muscles the world of good. The rest of his feed is bulked up with cheap as chips local rolled oats. He has a dressing of supermarket corn oil. Also looks like the bees knees.

Now Bruce always held his condition well, but no amount of grass/hay/feed ever made him bloom.

P.S. Blue Chip is full of rubbish, I'd never feed it.

 

[Twohorses]

agree it can depend on the horse, plus reading labels and understanding what "it" all means is important these days. I learned that when I ended up with two of my four horses developing metabolic issues.

I stopped buying bagged feed or ration balancers quite a few years ago.

I buy Timothy pellets and use them as the carrier for whatever supplements my horses need.

One horse is on 19 U.S. acres, the remaining metabolic horse is on six acres. They eat locally grown orchard grass/mix hay, when they come in at night.

I live in a mild 4-season climate in the U.S., which means I rarely have to throw hay during the winter months given the amount of acreage that I have for two horses.

 

[ohmissbrittany]

I don't trust "milled whole feeds" full stop after discovering heavy metals and a poor protein profile in a really spendy brand. I also found I have a happier, ulcer free horse when I stopped buying anything with wheat meal/middlings, or any kind of soy in it.

I feed straights, and alfalfa and equijewel with a balancer have been my go-to for the past 3 years with no issues- just adjust the quantity up or down for weight, work, time of year etc. Runs me maybe £100/mo and super healthy horse.

 

[conniegirl]

Runs me maybe £100/mo and super healthy horse.

is that just for one horse???

 

[ohmissbrittany]

is that just for one horse???

Yes, but she's in relatively hard work. I think it was more like £50/lb a month when she didn't need the calories and I fed a LOT less. You can find cheaper balancers too, I just really like that one because it's got EVERYTHING in it.

Looking back at OP's post, it probably doesn't matter because you only see incremental performance increase/loss in harder working animals. But I still wouldn't feed a lot of the crap they put in those mixes. Garbage in = garbage out, true with both horses and humans.

 

[flying_high]

I don't trust "milled whole feeds" full stop after discovering heavy metals and a poor protein profile in a really spendy brand. I also found I have a happier, ulcer free horse when I stopped buying anything with wheat meal/middlings, or any kind of soy in it.

I feed straights, and alfalfa and equijewel with a balancer have been my go-to for the past 3 years with no issues- just adjust the quantity up or down for weight, work, time of year etc. Runs me maybe £100/mo and super healthy horse.

I totally agree with cutting out processed feeds - soya / nutritionally improved straw / middlings / oat feed / wheat feed / grain etc.

I feed grass nuts, coprameal, meadow grass chaff, and a vitamin and mineral balancer, linseed oil, micronized linseed. But I don't think comes to more than £40-50 a month, as are lower cost options, and I don't feed huge quantities. The bulk of the diet is as much good hay as can eat.

 

[Nasicus]

Cheap doesn't always equal rubbish and expensive doesn't always equal good.
Your best bet is to sit back and read the ingredients regardless of cost.

Personally, I like as little as possible on my ingredients list. I feed soaked Landmühle haycobs (100% hay) and Topchop Zero. I did previously to feed Honeychop Plain Oat Straw, but sourcing it locally was a pain and they wouldn't touch it plain or without the soaked component. Topchop Zeros got a few more ingredients in, but if I'm in a rush I can just wet it and feed it sans soaked haycobs and they'll eat it, or they'll eat it plain instead of hay, so it was a compromise I was happy to make. A feed for them is just to shove a mineral supplement in them anyway, and a couple other things for various ailments hah

 

[Ambers Echo]

Pink Mash and mol free chop are cheap and I feed them with a Forage Plus balancer which is very expensive!!! Recommended by the Barefoot Performance book. I have no control group to compare it with but mine came out of shoes to barefoot with no transition period at all and all have rock crunching feet. They are also healthy and shiny so I'm happy. I'd feed that even if I didn't need my horses to perform because I like to know that they have all the vits and mins they need.

 

[ycbm]

Pink Mash cheap? It's £16 for a 15kg bag.

 

[Green Bean]

I swear by Keyflow Stay Cool and Keyplus. Low sugar, low carb, my mare has never looked better. Don't like the cheap feeds but if you have a good doer then I am sure they are fine

 

[Leandy]

Nothing wrong with cheap feeds or straights. The key to good feeding is observation and adapting diet according to condition, work, weather, grazing etc. There is no magic to it and there are no magic feeds.