Re: new distance feed, comments appreciated

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

I don't see anything in there to *not* make it a decent feed, although I *personally* prefer feeding rations that don't have alot of added fat, so I *know* the fats I add myself in the form of veggie oil are fresh.  Preservatives go a long ways towards reducing rancidity and extending shelf life, but they're not an absolute.

 

Also, 6.6% fat isn't all that much---that's about 7-9 cups of oil in a 50-lb bag, and if your horse is eating five pounds of it a day, that's more or less the equivalent of adding a bit more than a cup a day.  Which is fine if that's how much oil you want to add, and your horse will eat a high-fat-mix and won't touch it if you add the oil yourself.

 

And I certainly wouldn't pay a premium price for the high-fat mix---if it's more than maybe $3 more per bag than the equivalent mix sans fat, it's not worth the price in my book.

 

I'd also be interested to know what, if anything, is different in this mix that makes it a "distance" formulation, other than added fat.  Is the vitamin A content higher?  Vitamin E?  Is the added biotin at a sufficient concentration to help hoof tissue density?  Any beet pulp (no, didn't see that on the list).  Is the yeast culture added specifically the yea-sacc active strain or just brewers yeast, and at what concentration?  What's the calcium-phosphorus ratio, and what are the absolute concentrations of each?  What was their reasoning for adding the mineral oil, which adds to the 6.6% fat content (though undoubtedly to a very minor extent), but is *not* bioavailable for absorption and utilization by the horse?  Are the bags date-stamped so that you know how long that fat's been sitting in the bag, not to mention the molasses in contact with the protein sources?

 

Just some things to consider.  As I mentioned above, there's nothing to specifically not make this a decent feed----but I guess I'd want a little more specific information before I would necessarily believe that this feed really qualifies as a "nutritionally advanced distance formulation".

 

Susan G

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Sullivan's

To: ridecamp@endurance.net

Cc: Susan Garlinghouse

Sent: Monday, April 16, 2001 10:39 PM

Subject: RC: new distance feed, comments appreciated

Our local mill has started formulating a "distance" feed.  I will attempt to list the ingredients on the tag, and would appreciate any comments!

I had hoped it was more of a pelleted feed-when I opened the bag, it appeared to look like sweet feed with added pellets in that it was slightly moist and sticky.  I did talk to the rep at the feed mill, and was told that was from the corn oil, but I did notice the feed did have added molasses

(which I am not a fan of).  Anyway, here is the tag:

 

N.A.F/Bar Ale   (Nutritionally advanced formulation) DISTANCE

 

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Nutrient          Min               max

Crude Protein  14.0%

Crude fat           6.6%

Crude fiber                          8.0%

Crude Ash                           5.7%

 

INGREDIENTS

 

Rolled oats, Wheat Millrun, Soybean Meal, Rolled Corn, Corn Oil, Rice Bran, Canola Meal, Saccharonyces yeast, Limestone, Corn Germ meal

Salt, Dicalcium Phospate, Cane Molasses, Vegetable oil, sulphuric Acid, flavor, Iron Oxide, Propolyene Glycol, Ammonium Hydroxide, Calcium

Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Sodium Chloride, Monocalcium phospate, Copper sulfate, Biotin, Zinc Oxide, Mineral Oil, Manganous Oxide,

Proprionic Acid, Choline chloride, Iron Sulfate, Niacin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Vitamin A supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate,

Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Selenite, (next word mangled by stitching) "Menadionedimethylpyrimidinol, Zinc Methionine, Folic Acid, Vitamin

D 3 supplement, Pyridoxine HCL, Copper Lysine,  Magnesium Oxide, Vitamin B 12, Manganese Methionine, Colbalt Sulfate, Calcium sulfate,

Ground Magnesium limestone, Cobalt, Glucoheptonate, Potassium Chloride, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Zinc Proteinate,

Copper Proteinate, D-Biotin, Menadione Sodium Bisulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Cobalt Carbonate, Cobalt Proteinate, Ethylenediamine

Dihydriodide

 

Whew!

 

So.......they claimed that the added corn oil would not cause the feed to spoil (becuase of the Propolyene Glycol??) and that this feed

contained some 'Probiotics."

 

My horses do like it, but I hesitate to feed much; since it appears like sweet feed, but wonder if it would be a good feed during endurance rides

 

Susan G, any opinoins welcome!!  (forgive typos!)

 

Karen Sullivan