6 minute read
WHAT IS A COMPLETE FEED?
What is a Complete Feed?
Lindsey Close, PAS
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A complete feed can replace everything in the horse’s diet in one sole product. This means there would be no need for additional hay, top dressing supplements, or to be fed alongside another fortified feed. The most important part of identifying a complete feed is the high fiber content. Complete feeds must be able to replace long-stem forage safely while ensuring the hind gut will still function properly.
WHAT ARE SOME BENEFITS OF COMPLETE PELLETED FEEDS?
There will be no sorting of ingredients. This means your horse will consume everything they need and not waste any valuable nutrition at the bottom of their feed pan.
Convenience is another benefit of feeding a complete feed. Horses need a balanced diet for their age, metabolism, activity level, and any other conditions. Complete feeds take all the guesswork out of selecting a balanced diet for horses. Reputable feed companies would be happy to review your horse’s status and make sure their feed is the right choice.
Complete feeds are also very easy to travel with and often considered weed-free, which is required when riding on state lands or in designated wilderness areas. Traveling with complete feeds can also provide you with more convenience as they are cleaner to pack, take up less space, and provides your horse with consistency while on the road. You can also soak the complete pelleted feed to encourage hydration during trips.
From a barn management standpoint, feeding a complete feed can minimize feeding time during graining since no topdressing of additional supplements are needed. This is also a great way to provide uniform nutrition to the barn, making it easier for feeders or ranch sitters. There is peace of mind knowing that each horse was fed correctly and no corners were cut. Complete feeds also store well, offering advantages to cleaner feed rooms and barn aisles. Another overlooked benefit of feeding a complete feed, is that during stormy weather hay often blows around or gets wasted in the mud.
WHEN WOULD YOU CONSIDER SWITCHING TO A COMPLETE FEED?
Complete feeds allow for complete control and consistency in the diet, at any age. This is very beneficial during poor hay crop years or during limited hay supply.
When horses have compromised dentition, senior or young horses shedding caps, a complete feed can be very beneficial. Painful teeth, like impacted caps, can lead to weight loss from the horse not consuming enough food due to pain. When young horses are in a growing phase, they need all the nutrition they can get. Compromised dentition also mean that the horse is not chewing their hay very well. This is dangerous in a few ways. When hay is not chewed well, this can lead to impaction colic in some cases, as well as general poor utilization of the nutrition in the feed. Other ways a complete feed can be beneficial is with clinical conditions like recovery from surgery, Fecal Water Syndrome, IBD, metabolic issues, and in refeeding cases. Long stem forage can irritate sensitive or inflamed linings of the gastrointestinal tract. The small particle size of complete pelleted feeds can get the horse the nutrition they need, while being gentle on the digestive system so that their body can work on healing soft tissues. Metabolic conditions can be difficult to work with when buying large supplies of safe, tested hay is just not realistic. Starved or rescue horses often have compromised gastrointestinal functions and utilizing a gentle complete feed can help them recover when fed safely and as directed.
HOW DO STABLE MIX™ COMPLETE FEEDS CHECK ALL THESE BOXES AND MORE?
Dave Soto of Stable Mix Fields.
Stable Mix™ complete feeds, manufactured by Elk Grove Milling, Inc. have a formula for every life stage of the horse. Not only is this advantageous for barns with several horses that have various needs, but it also helps the single horse owner know their horse’s nutritional needs are met from the very start, for their lifetime.
The Stable Mix™ Family of Complete Feeds include: • GetGo – for foals (not to be fed alongside alfalfa) • Stable Mix™ Futurity – for developing horses in training (contains oats) • Stable Mix™ – for adult/mature maintenance
• Stable Mix™ Senior – for mature maintenance (contains beet pulp) • Sport Horse Mix – for moderate working horses (contains Cool
Stance Copra) • Stable Mix™ Lite – for dietary management (low NSC, Teff hay base)
The core of Stable Mix™ products start with hay, the very base of any forage-first diet. In addition to hay, Stable Mix™ feeds have super fibers like almond hulls or beet pulp, quality protein sources from soybean meal, added fat from rice bran, additional salt, and performance minerals from Zinpro. The blend of Zinpro minerals, Zinc, Manganese, and Copper, supports immune function, hoof & coat quality, bone and joint development and integrity, and so much more. Stable Mix™ feeds also contain full spectrum coverage from Alltech solutions with prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, and yeast. The recent addition of Chromium from Kemin Equine to Stable Mix™ feeds assists with better utilization of glucose.
Stable Mix™ feeds are continuously reviewed by third-party nutritionists for accuracy and staying updated with new discoveries in the field of equine nutrition. Elk Grove Milling, Inc. is also home to Agriculture Analytical, Inc. with the newest NIR technology from Foss Analytics. This feed analyzer is used to monitor incoming raw materials, check mixes, and verify finished product meets Guaranteed Analysis.
Elk Grove Milling, Inc. has been in business since 1982, promoting complete feeds that align with their mantra “For Healthier, Happier Horses.” Check them out on Facebook at https://www. facebook.com/stablemix or find Stable Mix™ near you at http:// www.stablemix.com/retailer.php. If you are curious or have questions about their line of feeds, reach out to their customer service at (916) 684-2056 or customerservice@ elkgrovemilling.com.
Lindsey Close has been with Elk Grove Milling, Inc. for over 8 years and is currently the Operations Manager. She is a Professional Animal Scientist and runs Close Equine Nutrition Consulting, a private consulting service, as a Legacy Certified Equine Nutrition Advisor. https://www.facebook.com/ CloseEquineNutritionConsulting
