# Sweet Feed



## missy06 (Apr 5, 2008)

I'm having a hard time finding out information about this online. I swear somewhere along the line I've heard that sweet feed contributes to horses being too "hot" especially when they're not being worked regularly. I looked at a gelding last night who had maybe been ridden 3 times this summer and understandably, he was full of beans. They have him on a 10% sweet feed mix, but the guy obviously hasn't been worked with much.

Is sweet feed generally a good grain to be feeding? Can someone educate me on it and other grain suggestions? I do have a lot of horse nutrition/health books I just got from the library that I plan on scouring, but I've never had a horse in my care before and thought the forum would be a good jumping off point.


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## Peggysue (Mar 29, 2008)

Sweet feeds are high in sugars and starches which is like feeding pop and candy to a kid ... 

the higher the NSC the more hyper it has the potential to make your horse


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## missy06 (Apr 5, 2008)

Peggysue said:


> Sweet feeds are high in sugars and starches which is like feeding pop and candy to a kid ...
> 
> the higher the NSC the more hyper it has the potential to make your horse


That's what I thought! Thank you. Suggestions on an alternate feed? He wouldn't need fattening up, just weight maintenance, and would be worked between 1-3 days/week through the winter.


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## Peggysue (Mar 29, 2008)

HMMM 

what type of hay is he on?? How much of the sweet feed is it taking to maintane his weight now?? What brands do you have avaliable to you? Or you can PM or post your zip that way I can find what you can get ...


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## missy06 (Apr 5, 2008)

Peggysue said:


> HMMM
> 
> what type of hay is he on?? How much of the sweet feed is it taking to maintane his weight now?? What brands do you have avaliable to you? Or you can PM or post your zip that way I can find what you can get ...


He's not my guy yet, just one I'm looking at. But, if I were to take him, he would be on a round bale of mostly pasture grass with clover and alfalfa. I don't know how much sweet feed they're giving him per day but could ask. 

PM'ing you now!


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## Peggysue (Mar 29, 2008)

OK give me a few to do some digging and see what you can adn cant' get ... I will post later with all my results hopefully there is more then one to choose from


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## missy06 (Apr 5, 2008)

Thank you so much! You're the feed guru around here, it seems :wink:


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## Peggysue (Mar 29, 2008)

Your welcome I just know enough to get in trouble with  I have done alot of personal research and have a bit of schooling behind me but keeping my babies healthy is a passion with me


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## missy06 (Apr 5, 2008)

Got your PM, thanks for al the great help and guidance.


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## Peggysue (Mar 29, 2008)

when you search look for sugars starches horse diet 
Here are a few I found that will help you  

http://www.barefoothooves.net/id70.html


http://www.equussource.com/docs/eq/0308_feedinghorsesmyths.pdf

http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070430/NEWS02/704300383/1003/NEWS02


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## TxHorseMom (Mar 4, 2007)

Here's another interesting article.

http://www.westwayfeed.com/documents/TechUpdates/Sugar, Sweet Feed, Horses, and Hyperactivity.htm

I've always felt that the sweet feed and hot horses correlation to be a myth. I have never, ever seen it in my own horses, nor in any that I have rescued nor any boarded in my facility. This being said, we are not a "show" barn, thus our horses are turned out 24/7 unless foaling or injured. It is my personal belief that horses that are in more "natural" settings tend to be less hot. That also being said, for the most part, I do not feed a sweet feed. Not because I have anything inherently against it, but I prefer a locally milled feed that is very similar to Stradegy.

Most people who believe this (myth?) will be firm in their belief that sweet feed makes a horse hot. Those who don't believe this possible myth are also just as firm in thier belief.


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## Peggysue (Mar 29, 2008)

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=12559



> Young horses might be easier to train if they temporarily lay off the sweets, according to a Montana State University (MSU) study that tracked behavior of 2-year-olds in training and compared it to their nutrition program.
> 
> The extra energy provided by sweet feed during the early stages of training made the horses in MSU's study more disobedient and fearful than horses that only ate hay, said Jan Bowman, MS, PhD, an animal nutritionist at MSU.
> 
> The study involved 12 closely-related Quarter Horses that came from one Idaho ranch, Bowman said. Wade Black, instructor of the MSU Colt Starting class and one of Bowman's graduate students, trained the horses for three weeks, five days a week at MSU's Miller Livestock Pavilion. Half the horses ate only hay, which was a mixture of grass and alfalfa. The other horses ate five pounds of sweet grain a day in addition to the hay. Both groups ate as much hay and drank as much water as they wanted


. 

I copy and pasted the first part of this you have to sign in to read it ... the Horse is a great resource site and it's FREE!!!


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## Horse Poor (Aug 20, 2008)

My experiences have been along the same lines as TxHorseMom. I think some key words in above article is excess and extra. There are some trainers who will withhold or limit feed from a horse on days they train, when the owner is due to show up or before a show for the opposite reason (lower energy levels = "calmer" horse). If a horse has a more natural environment available to it, he will have a better overall attitude in general with an added benefit of the ability to burn off extra energy in a constructive manner. 

Just my opinion...your mileage may vary.


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

My mare was getting some sort of "sweet feed". It didn't have the same look as it, but that's what they called it and she was rather hot on it. But she was stalled overnight and her turn out was very small and she had no room to get rid of her extra energy.

Since moving her, she is on a pelleted sweet feed (because she is hypp NH). Maybe because it's pelleted, she doesn't get hot, I'm not sure, but she's also out 24/7 right now (until the winter time) but she's been a lot calmer than at the old place.

I personally think that if the horse doesn't get enough exercise per day, they're going to appear "hot". Yet if a horse was able to get 24/7 turn out, then they will be calmer. Imagine a dog that's been in a crate or small area all day and when you let them out, they go bonkers. But if they were not confined, they wouldn't be as bonkers.


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## Peggysue (Mar 29, 2008)

you wanna see the difference remove the sweet feed and put them on a forage based feed OR a ration balancer  Mine weren't HOT on a sweet feed BUT I had rain rot, abcesses, thrush and colic on a regular basis .. since changing 1 1/2 years ago I have had only one case of rain rot actually mud fever from my 3yo standing in pond and NO OTHER ISSUES... I had a mare that coliced at least once a month on 1 1/2 lbs of feed PER DAY ...; since changing she has not coliced at all... two of my horses were abcess prone since changing NONE

their spooks are smaller if/when they do spook which is rare anyway 

coats are healthier, feet are better, and THEY DON"T SWEAT AS MUCH **** .. I dont' get that yucky foamy yellow stinky sweat anymore AND I dont' have as many flies :shock:


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

I'm sure if I talked to my BO about changing foods, she'd do it, but as of right now, all my guys are doing really well on the sweet feed and Vega on the pelleted.

If and when I get my own place, I'll consider switching feeds, but if everything's working out fine now, I'm not going to switch.

Speaking about mud fever, my mare had it last winter but since moving/ switching feeds, she hasn't gotten anything...


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## missy06 (Apr 5, 2008)

appylover31803 said:


> My mare was getting some sort of "sweet feed". It didn't have the same look as it, but that's what they called it and she was rather hot on it. But she was stalled overnight and her turn out was very small and she had no room to get rid of her extra energy.
> 
> Since moving her, she is on a pelleted sweet feed (because she is hypp NH). Maybe because it's pelleted, she doesn't get hot, I'm not sure, but she's also out 24/7 right now (until the winter time) but she's been a lot calmer than at the old place.
> 
> I personally think that if the horse doesn't get enough exercise per day, they're going to appear "hot". Yet if a horse was able to get 24/7 turn out, then they will be calmer. Imagine a dog that's been in a crate or small area all day and when you let them out, they go bonkers. But if they were not confined, they wouldn't be as bonkers.


That is entirely possible. They have him out all day but I don't think their pasture is very big, and honestly, 3 rides over the summer and occasional lunging can make any horse a little "wahoooo!" if they're getting exercise.


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## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

That could be why he was a bit on the crazy side. Gem and Vega don't have a large pasture to run in, but they do take walks around the pasture all the time (I'm not sure why, but they do. Must be a married horse couple thing hehe)

Montana's pasture is a bit large than Gem and Vega's. When I first went to see him he was only ridden one or two times previously in a couple years. He was on 4 scoops of sweet feed 2x a day. He wasn't crazy, but he wasn't crazy about doing any work.

Though I'm sure age, temperature and a whole bunch of other things combined go into making a horse hot as well as what they're fed.


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## Peggysue (Mar 29, 2008)

depends on what the pelleted feed is... sweet feed is not recommended for horses with HYPP nor is a ration balancer


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## ahearn (Jul 10, 2007)

It all boils down to if the horse is sensitive to NSC. Some are, some aren't. Coupled with the fact that this horse is not exercised on a daily basis could be the reason why he may be hot headed. Some horses can eat sweet feed with no problem. It will not affect there coat, mane, or anything. While others it will demolish mane, tail, coat, and hooves...making the horse look unhealthy.

Texas A&M has great research on NSC, sweet feeds, and their affects. Most of the time it's not just the sweet feed, but the combination of proper pasture grass, hay, supplements, etc. It truly is a science trying to figure out what works for individual horses. My whole herd is on something different. Pain in the butt, yes, but it's what's best for them.


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