No sugar feed? Does it exist?!

[MagicMelon]

So after taking advice on here and taking my cushings shetland off Happy Hoof and seeing an amazing difference in her - I'm now wondering what feeds contain no sugar. She's only on speedibeet now (which surely has none?) really just to add her supplement and pill to, but she's not very keen on it as its pretty boring. So long term I don't think its going to work and I'd like to give her something else that she would actually eat. Are ANY of the chaffs no sugar? I know many of the lami approved chaffs still contain a degree of sugar so perhaps such a thing doesn't exist?!

(she is of course on ab lib hay but that's about it otherwise as she is off the grass completely nowadays as it basically cripples her but she loves her big hardcored yard and she wonders in and out of the stables all day). So I feel it is a pretty dull diet and if I could feed her a bucket of no sugar chaff or something then it would perhaps add more interest for her, especially as I no longer give her things like carrots, apples etc.

 

[martlin]

Speedibeet contains around 5% sugar, I think. I don't think there is anything that has no sugar at all. Maybe a plain straw chaff would be a very low sugar option for you?

 

[HBB]

You could maybe try her on Allen & Page Fast Fibre, it is only 2.5% sugar. Most feeds will have naturally occurring sugars, so that might be your only option along with plain straw chaff.

 

[Fjord]

I add plain straw chaff to my mare's speedibeet as I'm trying to reduce sugars. The speedibeet is very good for hiding supplements in.

 

[rema]

I feed my IR and Lami boy Speedi beet molasses free,Dengie Hi Fi Molasses free and Spiller Lite Balancer..He does very well on it and it is just under the 10% sugar/starch level.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Oat straw chop or soaked hay and fast fibre is pretty much as low as possible.

 

[shellonabeach]

I feed my Cushings boy on Fast Fibre mixed with honeychop chopped oat straw (in the clear bag with no molasses!)

The problem with the Happy Hoof is it contains molglo which is a low sugar molasses

 

[khalswitz]

Finding sugar and starch free feeds in almost impossible - my EPSM horse has made feed labels my most common reason material!!

Speedie beet is 5% sugar, fibre beet te same but also 2.5% starch, alfa beet the same, and fast fibre has 2.5% sugar but 5% starch. Off the top of my head.

There are molasses free chaffs available (Dengie do hifi and alfa a molasses free plus alfa a oil) however I believe these still have low levels of sugar.

I don't know if this helps with perspective though, but my EPSM horse, who is intolerant to sugar and starch, has to have a combined sugar and starch below 12%, and below 10% if possible. This is total including grass and hay. I was told at the time by my vet that it is similar recommendations for laminitics, certainly below 9% sugar alone. So that might help with calculations!

 

[MagicMelon]

Speedie beet is 5% sugar, fibre beet te same but also 2.5% starch, alfa beet the same, and fast fibre has 2.5% sugar but 5% starch. Off the top of my head.

There are molasses free chaffs available (Dengie do hifi and alfa a molasses free plus alfa a oil) however I believe these still have low levels of sugar.

I don't know if this helps with perspective though, but my EPSM horse, who is intolerant to sugar and starch, has to have a combined sugar and starch below 12%, and below 10% if possible. This is total including grass and hay. I was told at the time by my vet that it is similar recommendations for laminitics, certainly below 9% sugar alone. So that might help with calculations!

Thanks, that calculation is really handy. My vets not given me any info on feeding so I'm taking it upon myself to try things!

Thanks everyone, will have a look into those. She did prefer Alfa Beet when I fed it a few years ago so I could perhaps swop the speedibeet to that, or the A&P Fast Fibre - whats in the fast fibre? I've looked on their website but it doesn't actually say what's in it.

 

[HBB]

Here is the ingredients for Fast Fibre:

FAST FIBRE Product Code 1765-20
Allen & Page Ltd., IP25 7SD. Tel: 01362 822902
A COMPLEMENTARY FEED for feeding to HORSES

Composition:
Nutritionally Improved Straw, Oat Feed, Unmolassed Beet Pulp, Linseed Expeller (7.4%), Grass Meal, Di-calcium Phosphate, Soya (bean) Oil, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Mint, Yeast, Fructo-oligosaccharides

Nutritional Additives (per kg):
Vitamins: E672 Vitamin A: 10k iu (as retinol acetate); E671 Vitamin D3: 1.5k iu (as cholecalciferol); E3a700 Vitamin E: 120mg (as all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate)
Trace elements: 200mg Ferrous Sulphate Monohydrate (E1-Iron); 278mg Zinc Oxide (E6-Zinc); 160mg Manganous Oxide (E5-Manganese); 3.25mg Calcium Iodate Anhydrous (E2-Iodine); 1.76mg Sodium Selenite (E8-Selenium); 83mg Cupric Chelate of Glycine, Hydrate (E4-Copper)

 

[Ella19]

I had my sugar and cereal intollerant mare who also couldn't do alfalfa on pure feeds pure easy. Lovely feed, I was really happy on it. Only stopped as I sold my mare! They also deliver to your house or yard included in the price of the bag.

 

[Herts05]

If you contact feed companies direct they will give you the sugar and starch content of their feeds. Unfortunately by law they do not have to list these on their packs.
Here are the details I received from Dengie when I emailed them:

Alfa-A Molasses Free 4.5% sugar, 2% starch
Hi-Fi Molasses Free 2.5% sugar, 1.5% starch

Hi-Fi Good Do-er oil 1%, sugar 9%, starch 1.3%
Alfa-A Original sugar 10%, starch 2%
Hi-Fi Original sugar 9%, starch 1.5%

 

[SamanthaG]

There's no such thing as no sugar.

Feed manufacturers are allowed a discrepancy on the percentage in feeds. So if one says 4% and another 5.5% then they could actually be the same percentage!

 

[holeymoley]

For chaffs try - Dengie unmollassed , or Dengie Healthy Hooves unmollassed.

 

[Micky]

Please see the laminitis site for recommended diets for PPID (cushings) and EMS horse/ponies, you're pony will require more than beet, salt, vit e/spillers lite balancer....plenty of info on there to answer your questions

 

[JillA]

You can check the composition of any food you are considering by looking on the manufacturers web site - it can become an obsession lol

 

[Nudibranch]

I would add HiFi molasses free to the Speedibeet (i.e. replace some of it). It's quite palatable and beet is a good feed. I am sure she will eat it if it's mixed. I fed this to my cushings mare for some time although eventually cut out the HiFi as she was greedy enough to eat the beet alone! The other thing you could do is add a handful of nuts, literally just a handful so you're not going to overdo the sugars. My big ones get Speedibeet and won't eat it plain but will with a cup of nuts mixed in.

Personally I wouldn't bother with Fast Fibre, I have yet to find a horse that will finish its ration. Seems to be very boring stuff! I know people on here rave about it but it was a waste of time in my experience.

Glad to hear your little one is doing well though, sounds like you have a good set up for her.

 

[Nudibranch]

Oh just to add, the Rockies red licks are really good, high magnesium and good enrichment for them. Doesn't replace a good mineral supplement obviously but they do enjoy them and it's an extra boost of salt and magnesium.

 

[MrsNorris]

Allan & Page L mix is pretty low in sugar and my horses much preferred it to fast fibre, think it has 2% sugar and 3.75% starch so very low in both.

 

[MadBlackLab]

you wont find a feed completely sugar free. As all feeds are made up using natural products they will contain a degree if natural sugars. best contact a specialist laminitis/cushings for best feeds to feed your horse

 

[paddy555]

my cushings horse is completely yarded and cannot have grass. I feed dengie soaked alfalfa pellets. He loves them and I give the prascend in them plus any number of supplements. They are the Dengie make. I am not sure if other makes are as palatable.
He can have any quantity of them with no affect on his feet (which grass would have)

he cannot however have hi fi lite as the alfalfa in that makes him footsore.

 

[khalswitz]

my cushings horse is completely yarded and cannot have grass. I feed dengie soaked alfalfa pellets. He loves them and I give the prascend in them plus any number of supplements. They are the Dengie make. I am not sure if other makes are as palatable.
He can have any quantity of them with no affect on his feet (which grass would have)

he cannot however have hi fi lite as the alfalfa in that makes him footsore.

Just curious, how can pure alfalfa pellete be fine, but not the very small amount of alfalfa in hi-fi? (it's mostly straw chaff with a small amount of alfalfa). Are you sure it's not the molasses binder in hifi thats causing your problem, if he's fine on alfalfa pellets?

 

[paddy555]

Just curious, how can pure alfalfa pellete be fine, but not the very small amount of alfalfa in hi-fi? (it's mostly straw chaff with a small amount of alfalfa). Are you sure it's not the molasses binder in hifi thats causing your problem, if he's fine on alfalfa pellets?

I don't know however mine is not the only one, several people report similarly. I don't think it is the molasses. If I gave him a bucket of liquid molasses he would have no problem with it. There does seem to be something in the hi fi or at least alfalfa in a chaff form possibly something as a preservative that seems to cause the problem.

He is barefoot and I can see the difference very quickly in his feet with hi fi lite. Alfalfa pellets and he is running round like an idiot.
Sorry not very helpful

 

[khalswitz]

I don't know however mine is not the only one, several people report similarly. I don't think it is the molasses. If I gave him a bucket of liquid molasses he would have no problem with it. There does seem to be something in the hi fi or at least alfalfa in a chaff form possibly something as a preservative that seems to cause the problem.

He is barefoot and I can see the difference very quickly in his feet with hi fi lite. Alfalfa pellets and he is running round like an idiot.
Sorry not very helpful

Very interesting, thanks for sharing.

 

[Echo Bravo]

There is a new high fibre no sugar added by Hi FI I think, as I bought a bag 2 weeks ago, Lilac covered, out of my 5 sorted horses/pony the concession was 1 liked it the other 4 wouldn't touch it, so I guess like everyone else our horses like a little sugar in their diet.

 

[Abbeygale]

I swapped my girls onto Hi fi molasses free a few months ago, as they did NOT like the bag of Honeychop chopped oat straw I got them! They absolutely love the Hifi molasses free - and it smells fab. I have now also changed from speedibeet to fast fibre - and that is also being consumed with a passion

 

[Tnavas]

So after taking advice on here and taking my cushings shetland off Happy Hoof and seeing an amazing difference in her - I'm now wondering what feeds contain no sugar. She's only on speedibeet now (which surely has none?) really just to add her supplement and pill to, but she's not very keen on it as its pretty boring. So long term I don't think its going to work and I'd like to give her something else that she would actually eat. Are ANY of the chaffs no sugar? I know many of the lami approved chaffs still contain a degree of sugar so perhaps such a thing doesn't exist?!

(she is of course on ab lib hay but that's about it otherwise as she is off the grass completely nowadays as it basically cripples her but she loves her big hardcored yard and she wonders in and out of the stables all day). So I feel it is a pretty dull diet and if I could feed her a bucket of no sugar chaff or something then it would perhaps add more interest for her, especially as I no longer give her things like carrots, apples etc.

Give her a mineral block and stick the pill in an apple quarter. Ad lib hay is more than most Shetlands would get - the harder they have to forage for food the better for them.

 

[budley95]

If ou feel speedibeet is helpful for her but she finds it unpallatable, have you tried making it up with some apple juice? When mine was being fussy adding mint to his feed also helpd. I did actually move him onto fast fibre. And he only gets allen and page feeds now, but thats because I love their stuff and he seems to thrive on it

 

[cobs and carrots]

​

my mare is really reactive to molasses in feeds - turns her into a racehorse in seconds unfortunately! I took her off Happy Hoof because for some reason a handful a day was driving her mad.

She's now on baileys light chaff which is just oat straw, alfalfa, mint and a little soya oil if i remember correctly - probably not completely sugar free but levels must be pretty low, as she's been a good girl since I've swapped her onto it

Edited to add: would probably add some garlic or a little more mint to the light chaff to male it more interesting - its brilliant for being low sugar, but its probably not anything special in terms of taste when plain