19/03/2024
A very popular choice with our clients 🙌
For more than twenty years, HAPPY HOOF from SPILLERS has been a trusted choice amongst horse owners across the nation. Unsurprisingly over that time there have been many misconceptions surrounding commonly used feed ingredients including molasses, below we hope to shed some light on some of these common feeding myths:
1. **Total Sugar Consideration**: There’s often debate about molasses in horse feed, but what matters most is the total sugar content and its contribution to the overall diet.
2. **Molglo Coating**: SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF doesn’t contain straight molasses. Instead, it's coated in Molglo—a blend of molasses and oil. Additionally, for those preferring molasses-free options, we offer SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF Molasses Free.
3. **Sugar Type**: The sugar in molasses primarily consists of sucrose, the same sugar which is found in grass and hay. The body metabolises this sugar similarly regardless of its source.
4. **Low Sugar Content**: SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF is 4% total sugar and the molasses free version is 1.25% total sugar which is very low. For example when fed at the recommended compound feed level to a 350kg pony they contribute just 80 grams and 25 grams of sugar respectively.
5. **Grass Intake**: Grass can contain up to 50% water soluble carbohydrate which includes simple sugars. This means a 350kg pony grazing 24 hours a day could be eating 1.3kg of simple sugars a day and almost 9kg of water soluble carbohydrate significantly more than the recommended amount of SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF or SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF Molasses Free.
6. **Dietary Contributors**: Grass and hay are the primary sources of sugar in most equine diets, emphasising the importance of managing grazing and forage intake in laminitis-prone horses.
7. **Alfalfa Inclusion**: Alfalfa, sometimes called Lucerne, is safe for laminitics when fed as part of a balanced diet. Alfalfa contains bio-available minerals and quality protein.
8. **Low-Starch Options**: Wheatfeed and oatfeed are not whole cereals they are fibrous materials that contribute far less starch than the whole cereal. Again the starch level which is the important consideration when trying to provide a low non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) diet is very low in SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF and SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF Molasses Free at 1.5%.
9. **Fibre Source**: Fed as part of a balanced diet, straw is an appropriate low calorie ingredient ideal for providing fibre for good doers and the laminitis prone.
10. **Research-backed**: SPILLERS invests extensively in equine research, and HAPPY HOOF has undergone rigorous trials, demonstrating its suitability for both laminitis-prone and non-prone equines.
For tailored nutritional advice, our team of experts are readily available via phone (01908 226626) or online consultation form on our website.
