The Horse

MAR 2018

The Horse:Your Guide To Equine Health Care provides monthly equine health care information to horse owners, breeders, veterinarians, barn/farm managers, trainer/riding instructors, and others involved in the hands-on care of the horse.

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48 TheHorse.com THE HORSE March 2018 grain to temperature and moisture in a steam chamber over time, before rolling it into a flake. Rolling involves using a rolling mill or crusher to smash grain into a much finer particle size. Grinding involves using a hammermill or roller mill to crush grains until they are small enough to pass through holes in screens to create a variety of particle sizes. Extrusion involves cooking grain under pressure with high-temperature steam for a short period before exposing the grain to cooler air, causing it to "pop." It is then pushed through a die, which gives it a unique form and shape resembling pet food kibble. Then ingredients get added into a mixer, either by people doing the mea- surements by hand or, as is more often the case, by computerized equipment, which helps ensure accuracy and tracks ingredients. Mixers vary in size based on the manufacturing plant and its production capacity. Some mills might only mix 1,000 pounds at once, while others mix tons of feed at a time. Liquids, such as oil for added fat or molasses for flavor, can be incorporated at different phases of mixing or sprayed on the feed right before bagging, says Thunes. After mixing, the feed might be bagged or placed in a bin to be added to a tex- tured (a blend of ingredients in various forms) feed or shipped in bulk to a large horse operation. At the end of the manufacturing pro- cess, many feed mills save several bags for quality control. They record the lot's number and manufacture date so they can refer to those bags if a problem arises after sale. In Summary With the variety of industry regulations and the feed manufacturers' quality con- trol methods, horse owners can trust that great effort has been made to ensure the safety and quality of their horses' feed. "While feed manufacturing processes may seem somewhat secretive and mys- terious to most horse owners, if owners are ever curious or have concerns about how their feed is made I encourage them to reach out to their feed company's sales representative or nutritionist," says Thunes. "Most companies are very willing to answer customer questions and deal with any concerns they may have." h NUTRITION TREAT YOUR HORSE RIGHT • 'Low Sugar - Low Starch' • All-Natural Forage-Based Treats • Resealable bags for Freshness • Horses Love the Taste! DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE FOR YOUR HORSE OR FIND A STANDLEE DEALER AT STANDLEEFORAGE.COM Proud sponsor of: LINDA SHERRILL Each feed bag label includes a lot number that producers can refer to for quality control.

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