Feeding During Summer’s Swelter

Horse Feeds: Which is better?

Here in Kentucky—and across the United States—we’re in the hottest part of summer. This time of year, sticky, molasses-based equine feeds can attract unwanted insects, making pelleted (⅛”) feeds (or cubes, ½”) an attractive alternative. If you’re considering transitioning to a pelleted feed, we have a few suggestions, based on your horse’s particular needs.

Horses Needing More Calories

Whether your horse needs to increase body condition, gain weight for an upcoming sale, or consume a lot of energy for his workload, he may benefit from Quantify. This nutrient-dense cubed feed is custom-crafted with soy oil for added fat and Stamm 30 for optimal amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals. We recommend Quantify for:
• Gestating or lactating mares
• Sales prepping
• Active horses, including performance horses

Growing Horses

If you have a young horse who’s being groomed for racing, the sales ring, or your own riding, you’ll want to make sure his bones develop properly. Our Edge 14 feed is a nutritionally sound choice. This research-backed formula replaces cereal grains with soluble fibers for energy; this supports proper skeletal integrity by reducing insulin production during digestion. In addition, Edge 14 is fortified with Stamm 30 for maximum nutritional support. We recommend Edge 14 for:
• Young horses
• Mature horses in maintenance (not heavy work)

Mature Horses

One key to keeping older horses healthy is ensuring their feed is palatable; no amount of nutrition will help your horse if he doesn’t eat it!

Staminoats is extremely palatable and full of nutrients. When fed at the correct rate, there’s no need to supplement your horse’s diet with additional protein, vitamins, or minerals. We recommend Staminoats for:
• Broodmares
• Weanlings
Yearlings
Mature horses

Equibility is another nutrient-dense, palatable choice. This pellet is fortified with Stamm 30 to ensure your mature horse gets the protein and micronutrients he needs to maintain his health.

Broodmares and Their Foals

Breeding farms need to consider the nutritional needs of their broodmares, as well as young horses. We’ve created three cubed feeds that satisfy these needs.

Many have heard of our Kentucky Mare Cubes. This palatable cubed feed is a great choice for this time of year when there is enough pasture and high-quality hay available to ensure the horse maintains a healthy body condition. Kentucky Mare Cubes are formulated to provide the correct level of protein, vitamins, and minerals—without added calories—for gestating and lactating mares, as well as foals, weanlings, and yearlings.

We also make Staminoats and Super Staminoats; also known as the gold standard in premium cubed equine feeds. They are both fortified with Stamm 30 to ensure proper levels of protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Making the Switch? Call Us

As always, these suggestions are meant to complement a forage-based diet. Be sure you provide your horse with high-quality pasture or hay, and plenty of clean, fresh water.

In addition, remember that you should never change a horse’s diet suddenly. If you decide to switch to a horse feed pellet or cubed feed, be sure to do so gradually so as not to upset your horse’s digestive system.

Not sure if switching to a horse pellet is right for your horse? Give us a call, and we’ll help you decide if your horse could benefit.