Thunderbrook Feeds - your thoughts & experiences please

meleeka

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 September 2001
Messages
10,473
Location
Hants, England
Visit site
My horses much preferred Agrobs and if I didn’t have so many mouths to feed I’d still be using it.
I don’t feed anything that I can’t see what’s in it!

I do wonder why you’d drag up a 4 year old, mostly negative thread if you want to advertise the company. Isn’t there an older, positive one somewhere that would have been better? That’s a bit odd I think.
 

Roxylola

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 March 2016
Messages
5,248
Visit site
I dont feed it and have no direct experience but I dont understand the need to keep ingredients secret. I'm not a human nutritionist but I like to know what's in my food, I'm not one of these who wont eat x or y but especially if I'm buying convenience food I like to know the basics in it. If I picked something up to buy without that info I wouldn't buy it. Same with dog food, and I'd take the same approach with horse food.
I dont need to understand all the micronutrients but there are certain red flags for me - sugar and/or fillers being listed high on the ingredients is a big one, I know enough to know that!
My knowledge or understanding is irrelevant though, these days all we really need is available on the internet. I've had some super conversations with experts from other brands who respect my equine knowledge and arent trying to blind me with science, belittle me, or hide anything. On that basis alone I'll stick with them.
 

TPO

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 November 2008
Messages
9,414
Location
Kinross
Visit site
ah I’m sure it was yourself I said to about said trimmer. He works very closely with Tb and tells all his clients to feed it. Unfortunately for the horse I’ve seen the end result.

NH?

He was my first bf trimmer and thankfully I was only coerced into one bag. He insisted my thoroughbred shouldn't be getting any feed other than base mix and some scissor cut hay if I insisted on filling a bucket ? It was dec 2010 and in scotland at least it was a horrifically cold winter with so much snow that the country pretty much stopped for a week with roads being locked etc. There was certainly no goodness in the grass under 3ft of snow and all the hay in the world wouldnt have kept my thoroughbred in a suitable condition. He was already in adlib hay alongside his "bad" feeds.

I called Thunderbrooks to find out the ingredients and that's when I received such excellent customer service... they also insisted that I only needed to feed base mix (pretty sure that was their only feed in 2010. I dont think any of their other products were available/invented at that point) alongside hay ?

So the base mix ended up being an expensive addition to the muck heap because it got dumped along with trimmer (he did not go in muckheap!)
 

holeymoley

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 November 2012
Messages
4,325
Visit site
NH?

He was my first bf trimmer and thankfully I was only coerced into one bag. He insisted my thoroughbred shouldn't be getting any feed other than base mix and some scissor cut hay if I insisted on filling a bucket ? It was dec 2010 and in scotland at least it was a horrifically cold winter with so much snow that the country pretty much stopped for a week with roads being locked etc. There was certainly no goodness in the grass under 3ft of snow and all the hay in the world wouldnt have kept my thoroughbred in a suitable condition. He was already in adlib hay alongside his "bad" feeds.

I called Thunderbrooks to find out the ingredients and that's when I received such excellent customer service... they also insisted that I only needed to feed base mix (pretty sure that was their only feed in 2010. I dont think any of their other products were available/invented at that point) alongside hay ?

So the base mix ended up being an expensive addition to the muck heap because it got dumped along with trimmer (he did not go in muckheap!)

Oh yes NH indeed. He’s some guy. I’ve honestly never been so disgusted with the blaze attitude of the advice given from him for a thoroughbred in absolutely shocking condition. Unfortunately owner was completely brain washed by this point and couldn’t see the hip bones sticking out and the cracks on both front feet (and the lameness and various other ailments for that matter) But nevertheless continued to feed 1 scoop of TB healthy herbal chaff! Unbelievable
 

Regandal

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 August 2011
Messages
3,387
Location
Perthshire
Visit site
I bought a bag of tb chaff in a moment of madness. My horse wasn’t keen on it, ate it quite reluctantly. Ended up on danilon following an emergency vet visit, fellow livery kindly gave me some of her hifi molasses free stuff to hide it in. He loves it, I phoned Dengie to check all ingredients and they couldn’t have been more helpful. Tb stuff got binned.
 

Milliemuncher

Member
Joined
20 February 2020
Messages
14
Visit site
Wtf! Why would you even ask that?

There's clearly several of us here that all had the same experience, and that's just on here today. Just accept that and move on.
Companies have a hard enough time as it is without people slating them, if you don’t like they’re feeds don’t feed them but don’t rubbish anyone on a public forum, buy elsewhere and move on!!!
 

Scarlett

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 August 2006
Messages
3,645
Location
Surrey
Visit site
Companies have a hard enough time as it is without people slating them, if you don’t like they’re feeds don’t feed them but don’t rubbish anyone on a public forum, buy elsewhere and move on!!!
You really don't get it, do you?

We're not rubbishing them, we're sharing a shared experience that happens to be a negative one. It's fact. It happened. Should we say nothing unless it's positive?

Let me remind you that your the one that resurrected this years old thread. I had long moved on. I am, however, perfectly within my rights to share my experience, good or bad, when asked. If you don't like that then maybe the Internet isn't for you?
 

TPO

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 November 2008
Messages
9,414
Location
Kinross
Visit site
Companies have a hard enough time as it is without people slating them, if you don’t like they’re feeds don’t feed them but don’t rubbish anyone on a public forum, buy elsewhere and move on!!!

Maybe you could direct that advice back to your pet company. Theyve built the horrendous reputation that they have from their own actions on social media, messages that they have sent and posted along with direct experiences with speaking with them.

I don't know what your aim is and if you are directly involved with them but either way you've succeeded in making a bad situation worse. Not only do you dig up a negative 4yr old thread but you conduct yourself in a not so pleasant manner.

Now not only do people have the memories of previous interactions with Thunderbrooks they now have a fresh reminder by you as to why this is a bargepole company.

You catch more bees with honey than vinegar.
 

Milliemuncher

Member
Joined
20 February 2020
Messages
14
Visit site
You really don't get it, do you?

We're not rubbishing them, we're sharing a shared experience that happens to be a negative one. It's fact. It happened. Should we say nothing unless it's positive?

Let me remind you that your the one that resurrected this years old thread. I had long moved on. I am, however, perfectly within my rights to share my experience, good or bad, when asked. If you don't like that then maybe the Internet isn't for you?
But the thread was about the feed not the company, How do you even know that person still works there, I think feeding horses is a very personal choice thing and if I thought the food was good but I had a bad experience with a member of staff that wouldn’t disturb me from doing the best for my horse that’s all, it’s about the feet not about the company
 

Scarlett

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 August 2006
Messages
3,645
Location
Surrey
Visit site
But the thread was about the feed not the company, How do you even know that person still works there, I think feeding horses is a very personal choice thing and if I thought the food was good but I had a bad experience with a member of staff that wouldn’t disturb me from doing the best for my horse that’s all, it’s about the feet not about the company
Well I thought the feed was utter crap too so....

ETA: This isn't just about some poor customer service, which I agree can be forgiven for a good product, but repeated aggressive bullying behaviour by an OWNER of the company, who was willfully withholding information from his customers. The feed could turn my horses into rainbow farting unicorns and I still wouldn't buy it or recommend it.

Feed it, don't feed it, I don't care, but know who your giving your money too.
 
Last edited:

TPO

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 November 2008
Messages
9,414
Location
Kinross
Visit site
But the thread was about the feed not the company, How do you even know that person still works there, I think feeding horses is a very personal choice thing and if I thought the food was good but I had a bad experience with a member of staff that wouldn’t disturb me from doing the best for my horse that’s all, it’s about the feet not about the company

You really arent getting it...

That aside here are posters saying that the feed had NEGATIVE effects on the horses and when they called the manufacturer they were insulted and (possibly vital) information was withheld.

The founder is still the founder and involved, she was who I spoke with when I called. No idea if the loose cannon is still involved with them as I blocked him because I was fed up seeing his vitriol online as he attacked people.

TB have done nothing to improve their reputation and whilst new customers might be unaware of the history it doesnt mean that it didnt happen.

I'm not sure what your objective is and why you raised this thread from the dead but it's been rather self defeating for you and tarnished Thunderbrooks further...good job ???
 

Surbie

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 July 2017
Messages
3,376
Visit site
Companies have a hard enough time as it is without people slating them, if you don’t like they’re feeds don’t feed them but don’t rubbish anyone on a public forum, buy elsewhere and move on!!!

If a company provides bad service or wil not disclose information about their product, or if people's horses have not reacted well to it, I am grateful to people for highlighting it so I have more of an informed choice on whether or not to use their products.

Forums are really handy for this. Perhaps certain companies need to up their game to match the good practice elsewhere in the horse world.
 

Milliemuncher

Member
Joined
20 February 2020
Messages
14
Visit site
If a company provides bad service or wil not disclose information about their product, or if people's horses have not reacted well to it, I am grateful to people for highlighting it so I have more of an informed choice on whether or not to use their products.

Forums are really handy for this. Perhaps certain companies need to up their game to match the good practice elsewhere in the horse world.
Okay game over then
 

dixie

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 August 2005
Messages
4,870
Location
Devon
Visit site
I dont understand the comments about hiding the ingredients as it’s all there on their website? Or was it different a few years ago.
I for one, feed my ulcer prone horse on the Chaff. He was a fussy feeder but he loves and does well on the chaff.
 

NinjaPony

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 March 2011
Messages
3,031
Visit site
Well well well. I knew the company had a bit of a reputation, but had seen no evidence of it myself. Don't feed TB because I need oat-free feed, and it seemed expensive for what it is.

Now, thanks to this threat being resurrected, I'll be making sure it never gets fed. What an unprofessional way to run a feed company.
 

Scarlett

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 August 2006
Messages
3,645
Location
Surrey
Visit site
I dont understand the comments about hiding the ingredients as it’s all there on their website? Or was it different a few years ago.
I for one, feed my ulcer prone horse on the Chaff. He was a fussy feeder but he loves and does well on the chaff.
The ingredients weren't available publically at the time I dealt with them. Which was ironic as TB were very vocal about another feed company who didn't declare their ingredients either.

I believe it's now a legal requirement to publish ingredients.
 

southerncomfort

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 September 2013
Messages
5,207
Visit site
I judge a company on how they deal with complaints. Good customer service is a big factor when I'm purchasing goods or services.

Look at Derby House. They went through a dreadful period where deliveries were either late or didn't arrive at all. Most forums were filled with stories of poor service and many saying they wouldn't buy from them again.

Well they listened and they got their house in order. Products are now good quality and arrive promptly, and when things go wrong they deal with it quickly and efficiently.

Having previously boycotted them i now buy from them regularly and im happy to recommend them to others.

How companies respond to criticism leaves a lasting impression and if that response is rudeness and aggression then don't expect any customer loyalty.
 

criso

Coming over here & taking your jobs since 1900
Joined
18 September 2008
Messages
11,659
Location
London but horse is in Herts
Visit site
When i was asking for ingredients, they weren't listed. I had a horse with allergy issues and was carrying out food exclusion and tb marketed themselves as additive free so thought they might be an option. However even though I explained why I was asking and that the horse was under the vet, i got a rude email back and a refusal to disclose.
 

CMcC

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 May 2016
Messages
1,098
Visit site
I fed TB for quite a while and thought they were good products. Went to their stand at a show explained I was a regular customer and had a question about feeding regime. Got completely ignored as he was much more interested in trying to sell my friend his vastly over priced dog food, then tried to sell it to me and when I laughed and said as I have 3 large dogs it would cost be about £100 a week he just walking away.
Result loss of loyal customer.
 

ester

Not slacking multitasking
Joined
31 December 2008
Messages
60,198
Location
Cambridge
Visit site
Companies have a hard enough time as it is without people slating them, if you don’t like they’re feeds don’t feed them but don’t rubbish anyone on a public forum, buy elsewhere and move on!!!

The company did this to themselves. It's not about having an issue with the feeds this is all about their behaviour to people. They didn't have to behave like that and if they hadn't they wouldn't be slated for it on internet forums. Simples.
and no I won't be emailing a stranger on an internet forum either, what a weird suggestion.
 
Top