31/05/2025
When switching feeds, protein and fat percentages are the least important things on the tag!
Here’s what I look at—in order of importance:
Ingredient List
Guaranteed Analysis
Feeding Directions
Let’s break it down:
1. Ingredient List
Are the ingredients clearly listed (e.g., beet pulp, alfalfa meal), or are they grouped under vague terms like “processed grain by-products”?
Collective terms = ingredient changes based on commodity prices.
2. Guaranteed Analysis
Only nutrients listed under the guaranteed analysis on the product tag (not just the website) are regulated and must be present at those levels—they’re testable and enforceable by law.
The more items guaranteed, the more nutritional quality the company is backing.
Marketing may promote “digestive support,” but unless ingredients like probiotics are in the guaranteed analysis, there’s no guarantee they’re viable post-manufacture (this is called tag dressing).
Note: Don’t compare nutrient levels without first comparing feeding rates—context matters!
3. Feeding Directions
These tell you how much to feed to meet the vitamin and mineral needs.
Example:
If a feed recommends 6 lbs/day for a 1000 lb horse and you’re feeding only 3 lbs, you’re delivering half the nutrition. Choosing a feed with a lower recommended feeding rate can be more cost-effective and appropriate.
A feed with a 3 lb/day rate vs. 6 lb/day dramatically affects both nutrition and cost. Lower feeding rates should have higher nutrient concentrations to make up the difference.
Organic Minerals
Organic forms (e.g., zinc methionine complex) are far more bioavailable than inorganic ones (e.g., zinc oxide).
Are organics listed before inorganics? If not, it may just be tag dressing. This is a deep topic, but placement matters!
