sweet feed

[New2Minis]

I only feed sweet feed as a treat........I have gone to several feed clinics and I have learned that a pelleted food is much easier to digest than sweet feed. If you notice a horse fed sweet feed has oats&corn in their manure. So it makes since that they are not getting the total value from the feed. Pelleted feed has most of the same ingredients including mollasses that sweet feed has it is just ground up to make the pellet which makes it easier to digest. I definately think that this is a to each is own subject. Everybody has their own opinion and likes and dislikes about what to feed their horses, whether big or small. But someone saying sweet feed will kill your horse is crazy!

 

[Jean_B]

Personally, I don't like the sweet feeds because of the empty calories from the molasses, but the main reason is they are often times WAY too high in corn content.

In my experience, corn is the culprit causing the sacks to get too thick, and that's when babies don't get out and die. Since discontinuing sweet feed, I've had much better foaling success. And I have a problem with those HIGH protein content feeds. That's hard on the kidneys. I prefer something in the 12 to 13 percent area.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I fed the Omelene sweet feed products to my horses when I first started showing, alot of them did great on it. Then they became very easy keepers and the sweet feed was making them fat. I switched over competely to the Complete feeds to the easy keepers and the ones that needed the extra weight were on the sweet feed. I now switched to the Platform mini feed to everyone, and everyone is doing great!

 

[babygoose]

The main problem with sweet feed is like many have said, is the sugar and empty calories. I don't think any of my horses need that much sugar, and especially my cresty necked mini. I avoid feeding anything with much sugar in it. Some minis and ponies are more prone to founder from sugars.

Alfalfa is generally very low in sugars and is used as a staple in diets for horses that have EPSM. Also, high protein in a horses diet is not hard on their kidneys, as long as the horse has healthy kidneys to begin with. It is true that excess protein is secreted through the urine, which is why horses on alfalfa tend to have stronger smelling urine. Studies have been done on rehabilitating starving horses and the best feed for them is alfalfa in small amounts several times a day.

A good website concerning sugars in feed, particulary hay and grass, is

www.safergrass.org

Sweet feed will most likely not kill your horse. But it might increase the risk of founder and colic, and there really isn't anything in it that they really need.

 

[kaykay]

jean that is so interesting. I also dont like corn but didnt know it was thought to make sacks tougher.

Alfalfa is generally very low in sugars and is used as a staple in diets for horses that have EPSM. Also, high protein in a horses diet is not hard on their kidneys, as long as the horse has healthy kidneys to begin with. It is true that excess protein is secreted through the urine, which is why horses on alfalfa tend to have stronger smelling urine. Studies have been done on rehabilitating starving horses and the best feed for them is alfalfa in small amounts several times a day.

I so agree with that and its very well put!!

 

[Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too]

...Studies have been done on rehabilitating starving horses and the best feed for them is alfalfa in small amounts several times a day. ...

Absolutley the best. That is how I brought my Copper back to life and why she continues to do well.

As for sweet feed I'm with you. Not something I find necessary to feed to keep mine shiny and in good health. There are much better alternatives now.

 

[evedex]

I know this has been said over and over, but all of that sugar is not great for your minis' G. I tract. The reasons sweet feed has so much molasses on it, it is because the mills take their poorest quality grains and put the molasses on it to make it palatable for horses. Minis definitely don't need these empty calories, hardly any of them work enough to burn it off, and I would rather feed a higher quality grain to my animals.

Since the many of these little guys seem to need grain of some sort to produce a nice top line on their bodies, and they definitely need assistance to get enough supplements, a good-quality extruded feed or a combination of extruded feeds and supplements are a better choice. Of course if your horse won't eat them, they'd do no good for them at all<G>. So if your horse won't eat anything but sweet feed, and you really given it a good try, stick with what works.

I have been fortunate enough to never have bought a horse who had only been fed sweet feed, so all of my guys eat extruded with supplements added.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

The reasons sweet feed has so much molasses on it, it is because the mills take their poorest quality grains and put the molasses on it to make it palatable for horses.

That is absolutely not true, unless you have some terrible mill in your town. NONE of the quality brands do that. The sweet feed is just as high quality as the rest of the grains they offer. The molasses is a staple diet item, one that's been used for centuries, and due to continuing demand they still offer it. You will also note that the molasses content changes due to season. There is less in the summer to prevent spoilage, and more in the winter to prevent freezing. That means you need to take that into account when you make diets

I only feed my horse the best, and sweet feed fits in his diet. He's not getting the poorest out there, he's getting what he individually needs.

 

[Sandee]

A big reason for not using sweet feed would be if you only have 1 or 2 minis a bag of the stuff lasts way too long. In the winter not usually a problem but in the hot months it can go bad towards the bottom of the bag. I guess it might not last too long if you're feeding heaps of it to them but that's another problem. The only extras I feed mine, beyond their hay, is beet pulp (no molasses and they love it) and 1/2 cup 2x a day of Born to Win or Mare and Maintenance for the vitamin content.

 

[PaintedPromiseRanch]

we pretty much save the sweet feed for someone who has to take meds... they like it so much, they will eat the meds too LOL. although we have a 2-yearold big horse that was just so mellow and laid back, she wouldn't do anything more than walk, frustrating my duaghter who was trying to train her... gave h er a cup of sweet feed a day on top of her normal diet and boy did she liven up! also have a big horse hard to keep weight on, just a cup of sweet feed a day keeps her ribs from showing... so tried it on my one mini who is hard to keep weight on, it's doing her good as well.

as for hay, lots of people swear by alfalfa, but unless your horse is working hard, alfalfa has too much protein. we prefer grass hay but bermuda doesn't have much in the way of nutrients... we found one grower in our area that carries a rye and rye mix, which is the best of both worlds... better nutrients than bermuda, less protein than alfalfa. we figure they get enough alfalfa in their pellets, they don't need it in their hay too.

we've changed our feeding regimen quite a bit over the years, and have developed a plan that works for us and our horses. you just have to talk to people, do research, try different things... until you find what works best for you and your horse(s).

one thing i will caution is, when changing feed, DO IT GRADUALLY. our vet told us this years ago and it helps a lot to avoid colic.

 

[HGFarm]

Ok, most of the sweet feeds on the market are geared for horses and made specifically for them. There used to be another feed, and not having been working with cattle the last few years, dont remember exactly what it was, but it had ingredients in it that horses should not have. I would not feed any cattle feed to horses unless it specifically says it is made for all livestock and safe.

Any grains or additives can be harmful if over done or abused. We have used sweet feed for 35 years with no problems. We have also fed alfalfa all my life with no issues. I have heard of people having worse problems feeding grass hay. The old rumor of it being hard on kidneys is not true according to studies.

 

[user 488]

dont remember exactly what it was, but it had ingredients in it that horses should not have. I would not feed any cattle feed to horses unless it specifically says it is made for all livestock and safe.

Laurie, you are probably talking about ionophores such as monensin, a feed additive for cattle. It is extremely toxic when fed to horses. NEVER give horses feeds that contain growth promotants such as those found in some cattle feeds. If the label says anything about cattle.........steer clear.

As far as a good sweet feed goes...........hundreds of TOP show barns have fed it for years along with alfalfa hay. Now I am speaking of large horses. Minis have a tendency to get fat on air so there are other beneficial feeds. But to say that sweet feed or alfalfa is bad is ridiculous. Tell this to the farms that feed it to their high five and six figure horses.

As long as you are feeding a good quality feed and you KNOW HOW TO READ LABELS..........do what is best for your horses and don't feed what your neighbor does just because it is best for them.

Carol

 

[HGFarm]

Great answer Carol and I completely agree. Keep in mind, every horse, just like every person, is different with different needs, metabolism, etc..... and what works for one may not work for another. We have had disgustingly healthy horses (big and small) over the years, and have never had one with Cushings, kidney problems, etc....

 

[southernmother]

thanks again for all the advice!! On the topic of cattle feeds - I would never feed cattle products to my horse ... that is one reason I am trying to figure out a "diet plan" so to speak for my mini. We have had her a bout a week, and the people who had her, the breeders were feeding her cattle feed from a local feed mill. I saw the bags, it was a 50/50 feed with a picture of a cow on the front of the plain brown feed sack and they were mixing it with chopped corn and sweet feed. I had read that you should be careful about feeding too much corn before purchasing her, so when I saw what they were feeding it sort of surprised me. The sweet feed we are feeding is made specifically for horses, and has a small amount of very small almost pulverized corn. I'm mixing it 50/50 with the platform and planning to try weaning her down to nly platform.

thanks again everyone!!! Your advice and knowledge is so apprecitated!!

 

[HGFarm]

Your local vet might be able to give advice too regarding a good feeding program for you. The vet may be aware of a lack of minerals in your area, or the contents of your other local feeds- hay, etc.. and what may be needed. OMG, I am glad you now have the filly on a better diet!!!

 

[southernmother]

Your local vet might be able to give advice too regarding a good feeding program for you. The vet may be aware of a lack of minerals in your area, or the contents of your other local feeds- hay, etc.. and what may be needed. OMG, I am glad you now have the filly on a better diet!!!

I never even thought about talking to the vet about a feeding program! How slow am I? LOL Thanks!! Yes, he would be aware of anything I should know I'm sure. I think I willput in a call in the morning! As for hay, we have soft mixed grass (mostly bermuda) hay, it's practically all you can get around here. I was told any soft grass hay would be fine, just be sure not to feed straight fescue (we don't even allow our cattle straight fescue). I had read to be careful about the amount of alfalfa you feed too.... anyway, the people around here who raise large horses feed the same hay we're feeding our mini, so I assume it can't at least be "bad" for her. We're just monitoring how much we give her, as right now theres still grass to graze. I will definately speak to our vet about this all! I should have thought of that myself!! Thanks again!!

 

[HGFarm]

I have fed straight alfalfa for over 35 years now, with never one single problem, whether it was full sized horses or down to Minis. I make sure it is good quality. Our bermuda hay we use for bedding during foaling season as it is soft, but doesnt have a lot of nutritional value in it. More of a filler. If it is not cut at the right time, it is a waste of time.