With a wide range of horse feed available in the market, it can be difficult to shortlist the best brand for your horse based on the diversity of nutrients and budget. For your assistance, we have compiled a list of the 10 most popular horse feed brands available, along with our top three picks.
Quick Picks
We have compiled a list of the 3 best brands according to our research and preferable budget plans, with respect to their ingredients.
Best overall
Leading the horse feed market, Manna Pro has feeds that provide all the necessary ingredients to sustain a well-rounded horse diet. Their most famous product is their Apple Treat Nugget bag. Most brands struggle with nailing flavors, but all Manna products are famous for being loved by horses and humans alike.
Best budget option
The best budget-friendly horse feed brand is Kalmbach. This brand is famous for its use of organic ingredients. Moreover, its packaging is pretty decent as well. This is because the products come in the form of salt blocks. Storing these blocks might be difficult, but if you have a stable full of horses, these blocks are more cost-effective than pellets. Their most popular 3 in 1 vitamin and mineral block is a must-have for all horses.
Runner up
Purina is another well-known pet food brand that makes awesome horse feed as well. Its feeds are mostly centered around flavored treats and pellets. They are especially famous for growing horses or calming supplements.
Top Horse Feed Brands
Horses are animals who can live on hay and water alone. However, like any other animal, these species require a balanced diet rich in nutrients. All barns that keep horses provide them with special feed high in nutrients. They have supplements that help a horse grow strong, healthy, and heavy. There are numerous feeds present in the market claiming their nutritional benefits. In this article, we will mention the top horse feed brands. These brands are also the most popular horse feed brand among users.
1. Manna Pro
Manna Pro feed has vitamins and minerals in adequate amounts. Their products are easy to digest and high in calories which may help in increasing the weight of the horse. The best thing about this feed is the bite-sized treats. They are easy to handle and can be taken anywhere. They offer apple flavor which is readily liked by the horses.
2. Buckeye Nutrition
This is a family-owned brand with a huge line of feed. It is one of the best brands for horse hooves. They are known for the unique blend of fats and natural proteins in their feed. This feed is highly beneficial to provide energy and increase the weight of weak horses.
Buckeye Nutrition Ultimate Finish Pellet is a soft pellet feed that is easy to digest. It is low in starch and sugar that improves metabolic rate and makes it free from artificial flavoring.
3. Farnam
To maintain the health of your animal, Farnam supplements are added to the horse feed. Mostly senior horses maintain their overall health, especially that of the digestive system, better absorption of nutrients, and prolonged strength in them, by consuming its products. This is the best brand for joints.
Farnam Joint Fluid Supplement and The Senior Horse Feed can be found easily on online selling platforms like Amazon.
4. Purina
Purina feed is best known for its quality and nutritional values. It is specially designed for performance horses who need more energy and power. It has high-quality proteins and amino acids which work as an immunity booster and improve bone and muscle function. The specialty of this feed is the addition of beet extract, which is a huge source of fiber, that provides energy to the horse.
Purina IMPACT Professional Performance Pellets can be purchased from Amazon.
5. Hilton Herbs
Hilton herbs have a range of dry and herbal feed for small and mature horses. This feed has herbal as well as organic ingredients. This makes it safe for almost every horse and has minimum side effects. It benefits the horse in the proper functioning of hormones and nervous system, is good for respiratory functioning, improves digestion, and supports overall health. It makes the coat of the horse shinier and thicker.
6. Vita Flex
Vita Flex is popular for having the best equine supplement line for horses. It improves muscle functioning and increases energy. This is also used for the recovery of performance horses to heal the muscles and stress after they undergo hard exercise.
Vita flex Vitamin C supplement is packed with antioxidants. It provides support to the connective tissue and ruptured muscles during training. Vita flex has an extremely high customer satisfaction rating online.
7. Intervet
Intervet feed is rich in proteins, calcium phosphorus, and crude fat. It has Alfalfa based pellets.
This formula is ideal for pregnant horses. It has wheat grains in it and is available in apple and oats flavorings. This brand also uses mineral oil for its feed.
8. Cosequin
Cosequin is a brand that makes powder supplements for the joint health of the horse. It is one of the best brands for the joint health of the horse. It has glucosamine and chondroitin formulations. The nutrients are derived from soybean and avocados. It has active ingredients which support cartilage and joint movement. Horses used in work-related activities and travel for a long time need this feed the most.
9. Animed
Animed specially designed for hoofs of horses and has a perfect formula for it. It is water-soluble and has high levels of biotin present in it.
This supplement is rich in fats and carbohydrates, however, the specialty lies in its ability to mobilize hoof growth and improve its quality. This is an easy-to-feed supplement that comes with a scoop. Moreover, it is an important addition to your horse feed for a better coat and hoof.
10. Modesto Milling
This is an organic feed designed to complement the feed of all types of horses including all age groups. It is scientifically designed to provide a balanced diet to the horse. This brand has a wide range of organic feed supplements in the form of pellets that are easy to digest. You can find the range on their official website online as well as on Amazon and eBay.
Modesto Milling Horse plus is made of a perfect mix of organic oats, barley, whole grain, and much more. These organic ingredients make it highly recommended. It is an all-in-one feed. The feed has crude fat, crude protein, and crude fiber.
How to Choose the Right Horse Feed Brand?
First of all, assess your horse’s life stage, activity level, health issues, and feed budget. After that, decide the number of nutrients and supplements you can provide, within your budget. Then choose a brand that fulfills all the needs.
Listed below are some characteristics you should consider before deciding on a brand:
Versatility
It is essential to consider brands with diverse qualities and solid reviews. Especially if you are on a tight budget, it is important to look for a feed with all-rounder qualities; one that addresses horse, skin, and joint issues. The ingredients to look for are biotin, vitamins, and minerals.
Quality of Ingredients
Another important aspect to look out for is the quality of ingredients. Fresh and organic constituents will ensure your horse’s health is not compromised. Besides the generic ingredients listed above, look for the presence of specific oils, and lysine. Also, analyze if your horse needs the feed. Only horses which endure physical labor might need horse feed. Do thorough research on the ingredients to decide if these ingredients cater to the problem your horse has.
Testing and Certifications
It is also necessary to ensure that the feed brand is safe for consumption. Usually, on a brand’s website, there are thorough details of what the feed is tested on. Moreover, consult a veterinarian to confirm your horse’s deficiencies before you buy a feed.
Frequently Asked Questions
To further clarify any confusion, a series of FAQs is compiled below to remove any confusion you might have.
It is extremely easy to make your own horse feed. To do so, you just need to know the right formula. A fine combination is equal parts of beet pulp and oats which equals 94 + 1 amount of calcium and 9 + 41 phosphorus equivalents = 95:50 for a ratio of about 1.9:1.
Another is one part alfalfa and double parts oats = 147 + 2(1) calcium and 9 + 2(41) phosphorus equals to 149:91 for a ratio of about 1.64:1. The biggest advantage to making your own horse feed is that you only add the nutrients you know are healthy and needed by the horse. Not only is it healthy, but also low in cost and convenient to feed.
Some foods that are poisonous for horses include caffeine, potatoes, avocado, cauliflower, broccoli, fruits with pits (or stones), cabbage, bran products, rhubarb, meat products, bread, rolls, donuts, etc. Furthermore, other poisonous items include dairy products, chocolate, onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Avoid giving any of these to your horses, as it is extremely harmful to them and can make them fall sick or give them excruciating pain.
Horses have a neverending appetite and love to eat in small portions. Now, for an average person, a regular supply of horse feed can be really expensive. As an alternative, we recommend some fruits and vegetables for their consumption. One of them is carrots.
Carrots are rich in Vitamin A and C, and horse owners recommend them for strengthening the immune system. They can be given in shredded form, after being mixed with treats, or in their organic form. Although they are beneficial for horse health, they should be given in moderate amounts and always washed before they are served to the horse.
Horses readily eat sweet feed given to them. Owners make them from molasses, which are rich in glucose. They are rich in Vitamin E and sometimes, also contain oats, minerals, soybeans, and barley. This meal serves as a substitute for grains which makes it safe for consumption. The best quality of sweet feed is that it can be easily made, and is also cheap. However, its increased amounts can lead to high blood sugar which is dangerous. We recommend you to first give them to horses in little quantities.
Conclusion
Horse feed is essential to boost growth and nourishment in horses. Where you spend a lot on buying the best horse, maintaining it, and using it for strenuous tasks, it is also important to give it the extra nutrients that it needs. We hope this article will help you shortlist the best feed brand for your horse!
