Advice & Support

Pre-digested essentially means cooked, this can be done in a small number of ways. We use steam extrusion extensively throughout our products which involves, grinding, adding steam to and gently cooking a mixture of ingredients. The process causes the mixture to expand and any starches and proteins to change structure. This increases the surface area of the molecule, allowing the horse’s digestive enzymes to more readily and thoroughly break them down in the small intestine. Think of a popcorn kernel after it’s popped, the surface area is increased making it easier to digest. Take a look at Key-Plus™ or Stay Cool™ for what our steam extruded feeds look like.

Although not easy, it is possible to feed a balanced ration to this type of horse when you know how. It is likely your horse will only be interested in eating a certain amount of feed at a time so divide the daily feed up into as many meals as is practical, at least 3 but even up to 6 portions. Next concentrate the ration, use high protein balancers such as Nurture Pro and concentrated conditioners like Key-Plus™ to add concentrated nutrients into every mouthful. Finally, if they accept the texture, add oil (Key-3 Oil) to further concentrate the calories in the bucket. Feed plenty of quality hay and make sure they are eating it well, if not change sources. Contact us for help for further ways to help feed this type of horse.