Soon after a friend joined the feed business, some 30 years ago, he attended a meeting where the advantages of feeding pellets to hogs were discussed. Later, during a discussion, he asked if the same advantages were available to horses. Yes, was the answer,. . . but most horse owners will never consider feeding a pellet! Today, however, many feed companies are seeing their greatest growth in non-traditional feeds. Many horse owners are attending seminars and are a) listening to new feeding concepts, b) having the information verified, and c) then applying them to their own horses. The results have usually been astounding! We know more about horse nutrition than ever. Yet, the major impact on equine nutrition has simply been the feeding of a good quality pellet. Good quality is the key.

Just as there are sweet feeds less valuable than the packages they are in, the same can be stated about pellets. However, a well respected nutritionist was once asked, How do you differentiate between one pellet and another? He answered, Simply know the caloric value. That is the primary differentiating characteristic between feeds. Of course, there are secondary issues too but the heart of any food is the energy value. This is information not on a tag but must be obtained from the manufacturer.

ADVANTAGES

Simply put, pellets are better for most horses because the ingredients are cooked and, therefore, more digestible. Just as certain cooked foods are more digestible to humans, the same may be said about horses. Pellets usually cost less than other food-forms of equal nutritional value. They are especially beneficial when fed to older horses (they often do not have good teeth). An Ohio client once stated that his horse frequently ate its own manure when fed a texturized horse feed but never ate it when fed a pelleted horse feed. Why?

A horse chews food just long enough to swallow the ¡°bolus¡±. With texturized feeds, some of that food travels the entire digestive tract without ever being utilized. The reason is it was not thoroughly chewed in the first place. Non-digested food particles, in fact, can cause havoc in the large intestine and cecum (hind gut) resulting in colic and laminitis. Take an ounce of pellets, drop it into a glass of water and, within seconds, it is dissolved. We have received many notes from customers who compliment us on the growth of their horses after switching to one of our pelleted diets. The horses are finally getting the maximum food value from the food they are eating. This is the primary secret behind the better senior diets on the market.

Pelleted feed is made by grinding grains, adding vitamins and minerals, and combining these elements with steam to make a mash. This mash is processed through a pellet mill. This circular device, approximately 3 feet tall and weighing several hundred pounds, contains thousands of small-diameter openings (usually 1/4inch). The mash is forced through these openings. This creates friction, which raises the temperature of the mix to up to 180 degrees F. This grinding and cooking procedure processes nutrients so that pellets are more digestible than straight or textured grains. This is an advantage to all horses. True, at one time, there may have been vitamin degradation. Today, however, vitamins often are designed to withstand the pelleting process and dissolve only in the digestive environment.

If the pellet is complete-with-roughage , it also contains a fiber source. Generally speaking, this means that supplemental hay is not required (Senior Delight is a great example). We recommend a couple of pounds of hay, regardless. Horses enjoy chewing so let¡¯s give them something they enjoy doing. Pellets tend to make adding supplements easier because the horse (usually) cannot selectively pick or avoid additives, as it can with grains. In addition, horses do not tend to waste pellets as they do textured or straight grains. It is generally advised to never feed more than six pounds of pellets per feeding.

Pellets do not have the variability problems seen in textured feeds containing molasses. Pellets neither attract flies nor lose their freshness as readily as textured feeds do. Certainly, there are obvious storage and handling advantages with pellets over textured grains. Also, they do not freeze in the bag.

DISADVANTAGES

The disadvantages of pellets should also be known, for all factors are important in deciding whether to switch to pellets or not.

1) It is imperative that the reputation and integrity of the company producing the pellet be of the highest caliber. Why? Horse owners can no longer check the ¡°appearance¡± quality of the feed. One pellet looks about the same as any other, and by sight, feel, and smell you cannot tell if the pellet contains a good quality protein or a high level of digestible energy. You are placing more trust in the company you choose than you once did. Look for a company that does not least cost or best value cost formulas! King Feeds are not least-cost formulated. The diets are fixed and do not vary due to the cost of ingredients. Dr. John Hunt, an Indiana veterinarian, once said that "The horse's hind gut is challenged enough without feed companies playing around with the formula!

2) You must find out the guaranteed number of digestible calories, per pound, of the food you are considering using. Is this important? Dr. David Dzanis, a consulting nutritionist, has said that ¡°. . . a statement of caloric content is perhaps the most important piece of nutritional information that can be put on a label, since all other nutrient requirements are based on caloric intake. It helps the owner and veterinarian make better informed decisions as to the type and amount of food to offer, and allows for meaningful comparisons. However, most horse owners know nothing about the energy value of their feeds and it has little to do with the percentage of protein. Reputable feed companies will tell you the digestible energy level (referred to as D.E.) of their products. If a company does not know this level, will not tell you, or quotes only gross energy instead of D.E., . . . . be suspicious.

If you would like an extended version of this article showing energy values of popular feeds, just call us at King Feeds @ 800-253-7346, or contact us through our comments section on the home page.

Article : Why Feed Horses Pellets? Back

Soon after a friend joined the feed business, some 30 years ago, he attended a meeting where the advantages of feeding pellets to hogs were discussed. Later, during a discussion, he asked if the same advantages were available to horses. Yes, was the answer,. . . but most horse owners will never consider feeding a pellet! Today, however, many feed companies are seeing their greatest growth in non-traditional feeds. Many horse owners are attending seminars and are a) listening to new feeding concepts, b) having the information verified, and c) then applying them to their own horses. The results have usually been astounding! We know more about horse nutrition than ever. Yet, the major impact on equine nutrition has simply been the feeding of a good quality pellet. Good quality is the key. Just as there are sweet feeds less valuable than the packages they are in, the same can be stated about pellets. However, a well respected nutritionist was once asked, How do you differentiate between one pellet and another? He answered, Simply know the caloric value. That is the primary differentiating characteristic between feeds. Of course, there are secondary issues too but the heart of any food is the energy value. This is information not on a tag but must be obtained from the manufacturer. ADVANTAGES Simply put, pellets are better for most horses because the ingredients are cooked and, therefore, more digestible. Just as certain cooked foods are more digestible to humans, the same may be said about horses. Pellets usually cost less than other food-forms of equal nutritional value. They are especially beneficial when fed to older horses (they often do not have good teeth). An Ohio client once stated that his horse frequently ate its own manure when fed a texturized horse feed but never ate it when fed a pelleted horse feed. Why? A horse chews food just long enough to swallow the ¡°bolus¡±. With texturized feeds, some of that food travels the entire digestive tract without ever being utilized. The reason is it was not thoroughly chewed in the first place. Non-digested food particles, in fact, can cause havoc in the large intestine and cecum (hind gut) resulting in colic and laminitis. Take an ounce of pellets, drop it into a glass of water and, within seconds, it is dissolved. We have received many notes from customers who compliment us on the growth of their horses after switching to one of our pelleted diets. The horses are finally getting the maximum food value from the food they are eating. This is the primary secret behind the better senior diets on the market. Pelleted feed is made by grinding grains, adding vitamins and minerals, and combining these elements with steam to make a mash. This mash is processed through a pellet mill. This circular device, approximately 3 feet tall and weighing several hundred pounds, contains thousands of small-diameter openings (usually 1/4inch). The mash is forced through these openings. This creates friction, which raises the temperature of the mix to up to 180 degrees F. This grinding and cooking procedure processes nutrients so that pellets are more digestible than straight or textured grains. This is an advantage to all horses. True, at one time, there may have been vitamin degradation. Today, however, vitamins often are designed to withstand the pelleting process and dissolve only in the digestive environment. If the pellet is complete-with-roughage , it also contains a fiber source. Generally speaking, this means that supplemental hay is not required (Senior Delight is a great example). We recommend a couple of pounds of hay, regardless. Horses enjoy chewing so let¡¯s give them something they enjoy doing. Pellets tend to make adding supplements easier because the horse (usually) cannot selectively pick or avoid additives, as it can with grains. In addition, horses do not tend to waste pellets as they do textured or straight grains. It is generally advised to never feed more than six pounds of pellets per feeding. Pellets do not have the variability problems seen in textured feeds containing molasses. Pellets neither attract flies nor lose their freshness as readily as textured feeds do. Certainly, there are obvious storage and handling advantages with pellets over textured grains. Also, they do not freeze in the bag. DISADVANTAGES The disadvantages of pellets should also be known, for all factors are important in deciding whether to switch to pellets or not. 1) It is imperative that the reputation and integrity of the company producing the pellet be of the highest caliber. Why? Horse owners can no longer check the ¡°appearance¡± quality of the feed. One pellet looks about the same as any other, and by sight, feel, and smell you cannot tell if the pellet contains a good quality protein or a high level of digestible energy. You are placing more trust in the company you choose than you once did. Look for a company that does not least cost or best value cost formulas! King Feeds are not least-cost formulated. The diets are fixed and do not vary due to the cost of ingredients. Dr. John Hunt, an Indiana veterinarian, once said that "The horse's hind gut is challenged enough without feed companies playing around with the formula! 2) You must find out the guaranteed number of digestible calories, per pound, of the food you are considering using. Is this important? Dr. David Dzanis, a consulting nutritionist, has said that ¡°. . . a statement of caloric content is perhaps the most important piece of nutritional information that can be put on a label, since all other nutrient requirements are based on caloric intake. It helps the owner and veterinarian make better informed decisions as to the type and amount of food to offer, and allows for meaningful comparisons. However, most horse owners know nothing about the energy value of their feeds and it has little to do with the percentage of protein. Reputable feed companies will tell you the digestible energy level (referred to as D.E.) of their products. If a company does not know this level, will not tell you, or quotes only gross energy instead of D.E., . . . . be suspicious. If you would like an extended version of this article showing energy values of popular feeds, just call us at King Feeds @ 800-253-7346, or contact us through our comments section on the home page.
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