What I found during my research of today's commercially available horse feeds made it very clear as to why we have so many problems with weak immune systems, stomach and colonic ulcers, bad feet, skin issues and hormonal imbalances. Wheat middlings, distillers dried grains, soybean hulls, corn, artificial vitamins, minerals, preservatives, waste products...and the list goes on. Basically, horse feed is made of cheap indigestible fillers, artificial nutrients, and sugar. Soy is very difficult to digest for both humans and animals. It has certain hormonal properties that may slow down thyroid function and increase fat deposits, rather than muscle development. It is also GMO, which means it has been extensively sprayed with herbicides. Corn, which is also GMO, is only about 27% Forgut digestible. That means only 27% is digested in the stomach and small intestine, which is where the enzymes and bacteria are that process starches. The rest makes it to the colon, where it can cause good bacteria to die, which can cause laminitis, and it increases the colon's acidity, making it prone to ulcer formation. Barley is very similar in digestibility. Molasses is sugar, and is added so that our horses will eat what is not good for them. If there were no molasses in most of these feeds, our horses would simply refuse to eat it. The problem with sugar is that it slows phagocytosis, an essential function of the immune system where the body's cells 'eat' the bad cells such as bacteria, viruses and cancer cells. Since the body can only absorb so much and sugar is absorbed so easily, the horses will absorb it first and therefore the absorption of up to 29% of vitamins and minerals will be inhibited, which will then have to be excreted by the kidneys. Sugar can leach calcium out of the bones, which makes them brittle and prone to injury. This calcium will then also have to be excreted by the kidneys.
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Sugar, barley and corn raise blood sugar very quickly and that process is even intensified by the much too sped up ingestion of the feed as the horse gobbles up the molasses. Over time this leads to insulin resistance. Horses get all the Magnesium, Calcium and Phosphorus and vitamins from hay if they are fed the recommended amount of 2% of body weight daily. They make their own Vitamin D within 7-8 hours of daily turn out. Carrots are high in Vitamin A. Vitamin E is abundant in plant oils and sunflower seeds. The balance of Selenium in our horse's diet is a very fragile one. A lack thereof is easily corrected, and overdose can be deadly. Most areas with little rainfall have plenty of selenium, and those with lots of rainfall may be lacking it. However we feed hay and grains and feed stuff from different areas of the country, and so most horses will get plenty of selenium in their diet naturally. Crypto Aero Wholefood Horse Feed was originally designed for performance horses and horses prone to ulcers. Now, besides race horses and hunter/jumpers, we have seniors and even mini's on it, and the owners report a tremendous difference in overall mood, ride-ability, hoof health, coat, and muscle development. The only horses that I would not recommend this feed for are Insulin resistant/ diabetic horses, since the oats have too much starch for them. I am however working on a wholefood feed for those horses, and am very excited about it. My hope is that people will recognize, that optimal nutrition will result in optimal health, and optimal performance. Anna Frensemeyer, B.S. Nursing, B.S. Biology, Founder of Crypto Aero Wholefood Horse Feed.