Does anyone actually feed mixes anymore?

I feed Baileys Ease and Excel, supposedly low in starch and sugar and high in fibre and oil. Looks halfway between the 2 examples pictured earlier. Supposed to be ‘ulcer friendly’ suitable for high energy demands (we do endurance). I suppose that is a mix? Why would it be bad?
 
I feed D&H Mare and youngstock mix to mares in their last 3 month's of pregnancy and then youngster up to 2 years old if needed. The shop ran out so I got a bag of the Baileys equivalent- within 3 days the mare was off her feet with a touch of lami. Never never again!

I dont feed any other mixes, by big French Tb gets Barley Rings.
 
ihatework said:
I’ll ask someone for you!
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Well what I’m about to say isn’t really going to be news or rocket science.

Definite steep trend to fibre feeding over the last ten years, especially in the leisure sector.

Of those that feed cubes or mix then it’s approximately an 80/20 spilt in favour of cubes - it’s pretty similar between leisure/comp and that is for the UK market. Other countries can have higher mix requirements.
 
hopscotch bandit said:
I feed a Dodson & Horrell Pasture Mix which is oat free, low protein and has the benefit of having tasty garlic, mint, carrots, basil and oregano in it being one of the very few things that my very fussy horse will consistently eat.
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I don't think garlic should be fed to any horses tbh.

I am currently feeding Saracen Re-leve to weedy TB. he joined on my standard feeding regime of grass nuts, linseed + balancer just cos that's what I had on the yard when he arrived... he takes FOREVER to eat his tea so I have added the re-leve to speed him up ;) it's very tasty apparently. I dunno what he will end up getting in the long term but this is OK for now.
 
I feed Re-leve sometimes, but wouldn't class it as a traditional mix.
Changing the subject slightly - I have to soak Re-leve, as several of mine choke on it. It's amazing how much it swells up
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Auslander said:
I feed Re-leve sometimes, but wouldn't class it as a traditional mix.
Changing the subject slightly - I have to soak Re-leve, as several of mine choke on it. It's amazing how much it swells up
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I thought you had to soak it? I wouldn't want to feed it dry as its got quite a high proportion of dried sugar beet in it.
 
I think my TB could eat it dry as he nibbles his food so slowly it would have plenty of time to expand in his mouth before he swallowed it :rolleyes:

I do soak it though, I remembered you posting about it a while back Aus.
 
milliepops said:
I don't think garlic should be fed to any horses tbh.

I am currently feeding Saracen Re-leve to weedy TB. he joined on my standard feeding regime of grass nuts, linseed + balancer just cos that's what I had on the yard when he arrived... he takes FOREVER to eat his tea so I have added the re-leve to speed him up ;) it's very tasty apparently. I dunno what he will end up getting in the long term but this is OK for now.
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There is probably about one tablespoon of garlic in the whole 20KG bag so not really an issue or likely to cause problems lol. I know fed in large quantities it can supposedly cause gastric ulcers but not sure if there has been any research in this. Incidently mine have never liked the taste of wild garlic that you find growing in this country.
 
hopscotch bandit said:
There is probably about one tablespoon of garlic in the whole 20KG bag so not really an issue or likely to cause problems lol. I know fed in large quantities it can supposedly cause gastric ulcers but not sure if there has been any research in this.
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not ulcers, anaemia. Some studies have shown pretty tiny amount can have a negative effect.
I have absolutely no idea why manufacturers continue to add it to their feeds.
 
milliepops said:
I think my TB could eat it dry as he nibbles his food so slowly it would have plenty of time to expand in his mouth before he swallowed it :rolleyes:
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There's hope yet, MP. My TB wouldn't eat without looking over his door every mouthful and spraying it all over the yard. I called an emergency visit from the dentist who found nothing wrong, to his surprise. I used to feed him from a door bucket hung on the outside of the stable door to catch as much as I could. Then suddenly he started eating out of a floor bucket after six months, and then at eight months he sticks his head in the bucket and wolfs his food down without lifting it up, never mind rushing to the door. It seems like it took him eight months to really feel confident here.



I'm another who wouldn't feed Re-leve dry, it expands normously.
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ycbm said:
I'm another who wouldn't feed Re-leve dry, it expands normously.
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The only time I feed it dry is a tiny handful with Danilon. I find feeding Danilon dry is the secret to horses not spotting it and the blackcurrant flavour of Re-leve seems to give that extra nudge towards edibility (if that's a word?)
 
Just been doing some comparison. Most big feed companies the mixes are mostly the same ingredients as the cubes.. so are mixes really any more unhealthy than a cube!? I am struggling to see any real difference in the Spillers ones for example, conditioning mix vs cube. All ingredients are the same as is Nutritional info... yet I would perceive a cube as being healthier than a mix.... when really its the same?

Edited as wrote baileys and meang sppillers
 
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Michen said:
Just been doing some comparison. Most big feed companies the mixes are mostly the same ingredients as the cubes.. so are mixes really any more unhealthy than a cube!? I am struggling to see any real difference in the Baileys ones for example.
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I think it does depend on the manufacturer - D&H Pasture Mix, for example, is 27.4% starch/sugar whereas the equivalent Pasture Cubes are 20.5% starch/sugar. I supspect also, that now more people are switched on to starch/sugar levels in feeds there is less difference between the more modern cubes/mix. But there is a limit to how low starch you can make a traditional mix and still retain that desire 'muesli look' which relies on a far percentage of cereals.
 
TGM said:
I think it does depend on the manufacturer - D&H Pasture Mix, for example, is 27.4% starch/sugar whereas the equivalent Pasture Cubes are 20.5% starch/sugar. I supspect also, that now more people are switched on to starch/sugar levels in feeds there is less difference between the more modern cubes/mix. But there is a limit to how low starch you can make a traditional mix and still retain that desire 'muesli look' which relies on a far percentage of cereals.
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Yup I edited as it was the spillers one I meant and the nutritional info is exactly the same. Sugar, starch, ingredients, everything.

We are still happy to feed straights, oats etc yet somehow in a mix they become unhealthy...I suppose due to added mollasses.

Hmm, I am merrily feeding conditioning cubes and actually don't think they are that much better than a mix.
 
I haven’t got time to check everything but mine is on HDF power cubes. The mix equivalent is different, ingredients and starch level
 
I used to feed D&H Pasture Mix until I came on HHO and realised how poorly formulated it was. IMHO it reeks of garlic, but at that time I thought that was a good thing, too...

Mind you, I don’t think that the senior mare has quite forgiven me for swapping her on healthier alternatives :D.
 
I was naughty and bought a sack of standard 'non branded' cool mix a while back to try. Don't shoot me!

Just trying to use it up every so often to get rid of it, as have switched to Topspec Turbo to see if it gives any more energy, its worked but its just pure starch and I am sure full of crap. Might change to Saracens Competition Fit cubes as they recommended those for him and I know Saracens is good quality.
 
I like cubes because you can make a mash easily in water overnight for hiding supplements or for horses that like a mash.

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Michen said:
Just been doing some comparison. Most big feed companies the mixes are mostly the same ingredients as the cubes.. so are mixes really any more unhealthy than a cube!? I am struggling to see any real difference in the Spillers ones for example, conditioning mix vs cube. All ingredients are the same as is Nutritional info... yet I would perceive a cube as being healthier than a mix.... when really its the same?
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I always understood that the way cubes are processed/cooked? means they are more digestible than the same ingredients in a mi plus a mix is more likely to be coated with molasses to preserve it whereas cubes don't need this.

In answer to who feed mixes, everyone on the yard except me and the person with the laminitic cob. Competition mix, cooling mix, conditioning mix, sometimes more than one.

I do however feed the Agrobs Musli which is a bit more than just a chaff because fussy diva tb gave it a big hooves up when I got samples. He doesn't like feed that's too wet and doesn't have a bit of chew to it and as I need to keep weight on, I needed something palatable and higher in calories without added molasses.

ETA I have fed Barley rings in the past to another horse who needed weight, these days if I wanted to feed Barley and Linseed, I'd probably feed straights and actually be more likely to use Oats if I wanted a grain.
 
Well call me novicey then.
I feed mixes, as when ever I have looked at feed I couldnt find much different between the mix and the equivalent cube.
My lad is currently on re-leve ( fed dry, hadn't even thought of soaking it as at no point does the literature say to! Although I wet my feeds and so it usually gets I bit of time to soften before being eaten.) Before that he was on cool mix.

I do think mixes have changed alot over the years though
 
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