My crew will be sporting Elk Grove Milling Stable Mix T-shirts and Hats - look for a group of beige shirts.
Stable Mix is a pelleted feed that is forage based. I really like this feed. The senior and the performance stable mixes have very similar nutritional panels with slightly higher fat contents than the "original" stable mix. It doesn't have molasses or other added sugars on the label, but Farley still seems to love it. It's one of the few feeds that she will eat at home AND at a ride.
If you have a horse sensitive to sugars, I would contact EGM for it's suitability for feeding, however based upon the label and talking to knowledgeable people in this area, I am comfortable feeding it.
I have had problems keeping Farley is good condition over the last nine months. I'm very picky about what I place in Farley's dish. I dislike feeds that are corn based, make my horse's "hot", and have a lot of added sugars. I like LMF's "Gold", but I have to special order it in this area, and it was expensive - approximately twice the cost of EGM's product. It also didn't seem to stay as "fresh" as the Stable mix pelleted product.
After trying EGM's stable mix at the recommendation of a local feed store, I was in love with it. The low cost, ease of buying (no special orders!), and platability has made it easy for me to feed regularly and as a result, Farley looks better than ever.
I was surprised how many people I knew and encountered at shows were feeding EGM product. Apparently it has quite the following from serious dressage competitors, to western pleasure, to 4-Hers, and pleasure trail riders. In most cases, people started to feed it on recommendation from friends. Everyone I talked to liked the product and was still feeding it. I think this is the strongest recommendation a product can have. After all, I can name two or three feeds that I liked, but I'm no longer feeding for a variety of reasons. Horses like the feed and it helps put and keep weight on (which mystifies a lot of people since it's forage based with no molasses or traditional concentrates...).
Thank you EGM for agreeing to sponsor me this year!
Stop by Farley's fairground stall or the Faubel Team Crew area at Foresthill for literature, a handout detailing which feedstores carry it, and a free sample.
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What "kind" of forage?
ReplyDeleteFrom the label of the senior mix: Mixed Grain Hay, Alfalfa Hay, Almond Hulls, Mixed Grains, Soybean Meal, Rice Bran, Wheat Millrun, Beet Pulp
ReplyDeleteFrom the label of the "original" mix: Mixed Grain Hay, Almond Hulls, Alfalfa Hay, Rice Bran, Wheat Millrun, Soybean Meal
From the label of the "performance" mix: Mixed Grain Hay, Alfalfa Hay, Almond Hulls, Mixed Grains, Soybean Meal, Rice Bran, Wheat Millrun, Beet Pulp
These are not full labels - I stopped when I got to the salt, vitamins, minerals etc.
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ReplyDeleteAnd.....as a comparison, here is the LMF gold label to the same "point" as above (ie, until they start listing salts, vitamins etc.)
ReplyDeleteSteam crimped oats, soybean meal, dried beet pulp, steam rolled barley, cane molasses, soybean hull pellets 6.99%, soybean oil, whole wheat, sun flower seeds, rice bran, ground lime stone, spray dried vegetable fat
Thanks. I have had Hank on a Timothy hay pellet for awhile now, in addition to his pasture, and during rides, and have really liked it. He was put on Timothy hay right after the colic surgery, as it is easier to digest, and I have kept with it as an addition to his diet when working hard.
ReplyDeleteHad not seen Almond hulls in a horse feed. Interesting.
I was curious as well so I looked it up and it seems that almond hulls are included in horse feed as a source of fiber and bulk. When I did rations for dairy cows, we used a lot of almond hulls (yes, I know horses are different!). I respect LMF feeds so when I saw that they also used it, I figured I would be OK with it, unless I heard or saw research differently.
ReplyDeleteI was curious as well so I looked it up and it seems that almond hulls are included in horse feed as a source of fiber and bulk. When I did rations for dairy cows, we used a lot of almond hulls (yes, I know horses are different!). I respect LMF feeds so when I saw that they also used it, I figured I would be OK with it, unless I heard or saw research differently.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit late on this, but I have been using Elk Grove Forage Pellets for a while and really like it. For my horses I add it in as extra roughage. Its easy to feed, good and cheap!
ReplyDeleteI'm even later to this :) The place I used to board my horses 10+ years ago switched to feeding all the horses (maybe 60+?) there Elk Grove pellets and the guy said the incidents of colic really went down.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, I feed the senior pellet to "the old guy" Provo (22) to keep weight on him - buy it by the barrel.
The only thing I *don't* like about it is it is dry and I worry about choke - esp at a ride why they're already a bit dried out (not that this has ever happened, I can just *imagine* it happening).
For that reason I prefer the LMF gold - it's more moist.
I soak everything she eats regardless of whether it's a pellet or something like Lmf. So I haven't worried about it. I'm with you though about feeding dry pellet. I worry about choke at vet checks.
ReplyDeleteWhen I moved Pronto to a new facility 2 months ago, I was specifically looking for a place that fed Elk Grove, as I like the idea that the nutrients are always consistent. However, the place I found (and love) does not feed it. I constantly debate feeding it to him anyway, but since hay is included in my board - it's a seriously additional expense. He gets a bit each day to mix his supplements in and I use it for mash at rides - really wish I could have him on it full time!
ReplyDelete