FAO of all feed companies........

[seabiscuit]

It would be really helpfull if you could kindly list down on your websites the exact ingredients that you put into your feeds. I don't know how else one is supposed to make informed decisions on what feed to choose for our horses otherwise.
On each of your websites,most of top brand companies have listed NO ingredients for each of your individual feeds.But one or two of you, like Allen and Page, have made the effort to list every single ingredient that is going into their bags.

This is so important- we need to know what you put into your feeds- so please take note. I know that it is listed on your bags when you buy them, but it is NOT on the web, where it should be, and so therefore if you are researching feed you have to spend a lot of time trying to find all the different bags in the shops(&most bags you want won't even be in the shop they have to be specially ordered) and having to squint at the tiny writing on faded grey bits of paper attached to the bags...

You won't get away with putting random useless stuff in horse feeds anymore,and kind of hoping that we won't notice, it has to be PROPERLY on display to the public please!

 

[RunToEarth]

*claps* well said.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Ditto - Really important for me as gee is totally sugar intollerant.

 

[RunToEarth]

Well Oshka is like a human bin, he will eat anything, BUt straying from the point a little, and this is going to sound ridiculous, it would be nice to have the soaking instructions a little bigger. We had a livery last year that fed barley whole, it should have been soaked and almost cost pally pony's life

 

[seabiscuit]

Thanks-
piebaldsparkle- my horse is sugar intolerant too !he cant have a lot of cereals either...

You wouldnt believe some of the stuff they put in feeds- if you do get to read the ingredients- stuff like peanut oil! Erm, can horses digest peanut oil? I think not!

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Have you tried the Allen and Page sugar and cereal intollerant mix? Does my mare very well. Alfa A Oil is also very good as no mollasses unlike most chops, even the lite ones have mollasses in.

 

[seabiscuit]

Have ordered that vey mix ! it had to be specially ordered, of course they did not have it in the shop.

My only concern with the sugar and cereal intolerant diet is that he wont have enough energy to event off it but I guess we will see how it goes. I had him on the ride and the relax for a day or two and he very quickly showed that he was intolerant to that,

So does your horse look good and have lots of energy on the sugar and cereal free mix?

That is great news about the alfa-oil- I was convinced that all dengie stuff had molasses with it ( why oh why do they have to add molasses to everything?!)

 

[Weezy]

I was pretty sure ALfa A had molasses in too - thats why they have a "lite" which is what i fed (less molassed) and I have also fed the Oil version quite a lot and that leaves residue on the hands that I would be 99% certain IS molasses! GOing to look at the site now, but the norm and lite certainly are molassed (albeit to a very small degree)
EDIT: BINGO! no molasses!!! http://www.dengie.com/alfa_a_oil.htm

 

[piebaldsparkle]

If yours doesn't get enough from the mix the Alfa A Oil or Dr Greens do a version too (I get which ever is in stock) is great - Alfa can hot up some horses (does Sparks). Sparks works mainly off good quality hay in summer (has restricted grazing, but I have to be careful or she gets really loose). Sparks is Cob X Warmblood and happily does X-country, Showjumping, Dressage and 10 mile sponsored rides no problem. As for does she look good (I think so) she's the coloured job in all the photos!!!

 

[sillygillyhorse]

Well said Seabiscuit, this is the reason I always go for Allen & Page as they have true "open declaration".

It is no good saying a feed contains for eg. barley, peas, maize and balancer pellet but then not declaring what is in the balancer! that is just a cop out. years ago I worked in agriculture and one of the most important things when selling animal feed was the fact that companies openly declared the contents, this is a lesson I have never forgotten.

 

[seabiscuit]

LOL Thank you Weezy !Could have sworn that was full of molasses too..! but yes I am definately getting that for sure....

 

[seabiscuit]

She looks abs-fab! And definately full of spark too LOL..

Thank you for your help, will give it a go!

 

[seabiscuit]

I know! I can't believe the audacity of the leading brands not to list their feed ingredients properly. This is 2006!

Allen and Page are brilliant- their site is fantasitc- they are so moving forward with the times- I bet they become the market leader over Dodson and Horrell now, if they arent already.

 

[druid]

This is why I only feed ones that declare totally!!!

Whole oats, soaked
Alfalfa (unmollased with NO additives!)
Baileys Lo-cal
and Speedi beet

 

[H's mum]

You could always do what I did and start making your own! LOL!!!

Having a sugar/cereal intollerant horse is no fun - but once you get a diet you find works - it's easier to maintain!

Kate x

 

[Doublethyme]

Well said, I agree totally and it drives me nuts too. My mare shows footiness and laminicty signs since being barefoot on certain foods and also sugar affects her temperament, but trying to ascertain ingredient content of feeds and starch/sugar levels is near on impossible it seems.

I find Top Spec products really good and their staff are excellent with advise. Top Spec has no cereals in and only a very small amount of mollasses and also their cool and condition cubes are good too.

Post back on how you get on with the Allen and Page Sugar Intolerance, particularly energy wise, as I am currently struggling to find an energy feed that doesn't have too much starch/sugar in so it doesn't affect my mare's metabolic system - very difficult, but the Sugar Intolerance mix does meet the spec, just not sure like you it will give her enough oomph!!