Eco Friendly Equestrian: Organic Feed

I admit I’ve jumped on the organic train! I’m not able to buy all of my food organic, but I try to avoid the “dirty dozen” and make sure that all of my milk/egg products are organic. I think this comes from being a vegetarian and paying such close attention to my food and where it comes from. I’ve been thinking a lot about Dancer’s food lately and I’m considering switching to an organic feed. Right now, he gets a basic sweet feed, but I know that the corn used is GMO and there are a lot of by-products that aren’t doing him any favors. But I live in Oklahoma, which is not exactly progressive in the health movement.  I’ve had a hard time finding information on alternative feed at my local feed stores and, let’s face it, horse feed is not what it used to be! Now, it’s loaded with all kind of chemicals and it takes a lot of research to figure out which ingredients are bad and which ones are OK!

So, after some investigation, I found out that there are a few main ingredients that seem to hinder, rather than improve your horse’s health:

GMO ANYTHING: Genetically Modified Ingredients are definitely not found in nature and horses (and humans) were not meant to eat them! The added chemicals can be harmful and don’t provide the same nutrients that natural, organic corn does.

CORN: Corn is the #1 GMO product in the US! It’s also very high in starch and a lot less digestible than oats.

SOY:  Not only is soy another GMO product, it contains potent enzyme inhibitors that prohibit proper digestion. It can also cause allergic reactions and irritate thyroid function.

BEET PULP:  Known to cause hind end weakness over time and can also cause kidney problems. It’s also typically loaded with pesticides, which can’t be removed even if soaked.

MIDDLINGS, HULLS, OR BY-PRODUCTS:  This is basically shells/outer coverings of wheat and oats that have very little or no nutritional value. By-products are basically leftovers from processing ingredients. There is no definition of what a by-product actually is. Scary, huh?

ADDITIVES & PRESERVATIVES:  Never a good thing! Why change the color or taste of a natural product? If it’s meant to go bad in a few weeks, days or months, shouldn’t we replace it after that? All that extra sugar and chemicals are not helping anyone!

That sure is a long list, you might say. How can you avoid all of those things? And how do you know what to look for at the feed store? Well, there are some grain companies who sell organic equine feed. Unfortunately, none of them sell products in my area. Most don’t even have distributors in my state! So what’s a girl to do? I have contacted a few companies and asked for price quotes for shipping and have decided to read more product reviews and do a bit more research before deciding on one company. The trick is to read the labels and know what to look for. “Behind The Bit” blog posted a great article about reading nutrition labels HERE. And HERE is a link to a diagram that explains some of the basics.

Now you’re probably thinking, OK I know where to start with this but how about some recommendations? I have found a handful of feed companies that tend to keep coming up in forums, reviews and searches. I have not tried any of these products, but have contacted quite a few of them for more info.

– Genesis Organic Horse Feed –

– Ranch Way Feeds –

Another thing to consider is how much good quality grass your horse is able to consume each day. If your horse is turned out full time on good grass, its nutritional needs might not be as extensive as a horse who only gets limited turnout or only has access to baled hay. Each horse is different, so it’s best to consult with your vet and trainer during this process to make sure you’re doing what is best for your horse!

Next week, we’ll look at a few ingredients that are good for your horse as I consider mixing my own grain and what that might involve!

 

DISCLAIMER: I am not a vet or a scientist, nor do I claim to know everything. Please take this post with a grain of (organic? haha!) salt and do you own research to form your conclusions. Every opinion is biased and I admit that I believe organic is healthier. Some of you may not and that’s OK. We can still be friends, right?