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Re: [RC] Pelleted Feeds - Susan GarlinghouseShould any kind of pelleted feed be soaked into a mash- like consistency? If so should it be thin or thick... or would that depend on the horse's preference? > Is it OK to feed a pelleted feed dry? Pro or Cons? I like pelleted feeds being fed wet to any horse whenever circumstances are conducive to doing so---ie, if it's not so hot or so cold that the mash sours or freezes before the horse will eat it all, if barn help will actually do it and clean out leftovers before the next feeding, and so on. At an actual endurance ride, IMO, there's no excuse NOT to soak down pellets of any sort---for that matter, I like wetting down long-stem hay as well, but it's not always feasible to do that. Nice if you can. Back at the ranch, it's okay to feed pellets dry, you're just missing out on some of the potential benefits of feeding it wet. For example, a wet sloppy mash is usually eaten more slowly and that's a good thing in terms of choke, impaction colic, feed efficiency and saliva production to buffer gastric acids. If you have a horse that has a history of ever choking on any type of feed, then IMO, dry pellets are contraindicated, with the exception of feeds like Complete Advantage (just because it's not really even a pellet, more of a loose feed). Wet mash is a really good way of getting extra water into a horse that's tired or dehydrated---two important factors that predispose to a choking episode. And, as Roger commented, it's really an excellent way to feed horses that can't chew well (and thus have limited saliva production) due to age, teeth problems or injury like a broken jaw, post-sinus surgery, that sort of thing. Like Roger, I have an old retired critter or two (the oldest being a 37ish mule named Mildred) and she gets all the grass-alfalfa hay she can eat, plus a mash of Complete Advantage, Nutrena Empower and Buckeye Gro n' Win and she's positively blooming. Her main issue is that she likes her hot mash so much, so gets it those ears. <g> Susan G =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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