horseyman
Member
Hi,
I keep hearing lots of different things about molasses. What does everyone think!?
I keep hearing lots of different things about molasses. What does everyone think!?
How did you work out that he was intolerant to molasses?
I just would like to know what people think about molasses in feeds? With the sugar and all?
A small amount of molasses is fine, too much is not good as the horses digestive system processes sugar too quickly and can cause upset. Most people don't know but good grass can contain over 20% sugar (hence why rich grass can cause lami if not restricted) so a chaff containing mollasses is not going to make any difference if you feed it at the normal amounts to bulk out concentrates. Even hay has 8-9% sugar.
what i don't understand, and having done some internet research is that grass has lots of sugar in. So then why does that make molasses bad if that is just sugar? almost all feed companies use molasses don't they?
AFAIK they use molasses to make the feeds palatable. I recently switched my horse from molassed feeds (I was feeding Dengie Hifi which is molassed) to Simple System feeds (no molasses) and he wasn't impressed at all to start with. SS told me to expect that, as it isn't as tasty as the molassed feeds and might take him a while to get used to. First few days he kicked his dinner on the floor and walked away from it but now he's used to it, he eats as normal.
Look at it this way... grass can cause laminitis because of the sugar. We know this so why would you add even more sugar to the diet by feeding a molassed feed? I've always been under the impression it is better to graze horses on fairly poor grass rather than lush dairy type grass that is full of sugar. I see plenty of posts on here by people who are having to restrict their horse's access to grass, haylage, hay and feed because of the sugars.
I look at it the same as the human GI diet. There are natural sugars in fruit, vegetables, even milk but the minute you add sucrose to things like biscuits, cake, drinks, tinned foods, you are putting an overload into your body. Why is there so much diabetes in "western" populations?
Some horses seem to become "high" when fed on molassed feeds. If nothing else it is adding unnecessary calories. OK if you have a lean TB in hard work, but not for something that is prone to weight gain. Molasses is CHEAP and palatable, which is the same principle of human junk food.
All forages also contain carbohydrates and simpler sugars so adding sugars to feed isn't necessary. Feed companies like molasses because it binds the feeds, cutting down dust etc. and of course horses quickly get a taste for it and demand it as well as eating more or stuff they wouldn't perhaps eat without the sweet coating.
I've heard of hay and other forage being sprayed with mollasses to get horses to eat it.
Of course horses need sugars but no where near the quantities some horses are stuffed with. On top of the mollassed feeds, polos, fruit, carrots, chocolate and all manor of treats are regularly fed daily so the sugar content in a horses diet can be very high indeed. Who knows what visitors to yards are feeding too...
Horses aren't designed to eat a diet high in easily available sugars or high in feed value so these feeds also upset their digestion especially when forage is inadequate.
I don't wish to sound rude but my experts are my horses. Horses have no agenda but sadly most humans do.
Feed company experts may be good and claim to be objective but they are compromised imo because they are employed by said feed companies.
Yes cynical I'm afraid. I would prefer to use an independant nutritionist for advice. I do know many owners have had much help from feed company nutritionists btw.Rather cynical and unfair to the vast majority of feed companies. In fact I regard my horses opinion as far from expert, as given half a chance he would eat everything in the feed room.
Does everyone not think that sugar is getting a really bad time, molasses mainly!?
Sugar is one of the most natural feedstuffs for horses, and molasses being around 60% sugar. The horses central and peripheral nervous system have one fuel, glucose, and where does glucose come from? You guessed, sugar!
Sugar like anything can be detrimental if fed in too large a quantity. It is supposed to be digested by enzymes in the foregut, but when fed it too large an amount and spills to the hind gut where the gut flora are, this can cause problematic issues. Problems can be caused if anything is fed in too large an amount, not just sugar. The human food industry became 'sugar is bad' obsessed, and this has then moved on to the equine market. It is horse owners that create these problems, and then feed companies move in to take advantage.
If a company states that there are no molasses, then another form of sugar syrup is normally used. Just ask one company, who use maltose syrup. Some though do tell the truth, and adding oil instead, this though comes at a more hefty financial price.
Why on earth do a lot of people think that molasses are the route of all evil. When science quite plainly shows us it is not?
The answer!?
what i don't understand, and having done some internet research is that grass has lots of sugar in. So then why does that make molasses bad if that is just sugar? almost all feed companies use molasses don't they?