Barn Switched Feeds...Need Advice Please

Thank for your replies, too! Yes, I did find out that both of the feeds are from the same manufacturer. The Carney's one is made specifically for the Carney's Feed Mill here, which is the BO's supplier. And the Carney's feed to me is not what I would consider a sweet feed, it's all just dry pellets (looks like rabbit feed). And then the Tribute is the manufacturer's brand name feed, and according to their website it's supposed to be low in sugars and starches. No such thing is listed on the Carney feed.

One of the biggest issues I have with the pellets is that they do list "grain by products" as being the ingredients and no specifics, which from what I've learned means that if say corn is cheaper one week they'll throw that in, and then if oats are cheaper or more readily available the next week then they'll throw those in. So their diet in reality could be constantly changing without knowing it.

Neither one of my horses I would say have really changed much or done bad on this feed, but if one is better than the other I would prefer they have the better one, especially since I'm paying more for it anyway. Overall I would say my biggest issue is with how the BO switched the feeds with no warning or reason and then just increased board to support this more expensive feed, without my horses best interests being considered at all and me not being consulted at all.

So if "sweet feeds" are considered bad and "grains based feeds" are bad, what do you all prefer? What are a few examples of a good, balanced feed? What specific ingredients do you look for?

Upon reading the tags, the one product is grain by products which is exactly what, the chaffe ? Lower protien and higher fat is a better choice.
Hay should NEVER have thorns or stickers.. NEVER.... I cannot stress that enough.
Thrush - caused from dirty feet. Dirty pens. Not from feed. Founder would be caused from feed.
Any feed made with Hay listed as the first ingredient is usually the best feed in my opinion. I do not buy a product with animal by product listed on the label.
Grass hay is fine for horses. 14% protein is excellent for Horses. You can push to 17% but that would be the Max amt for a horse. ANything over that can be dangerous. You also must consider the TDN (total digestable nutrient) in the feed. I would need to recheck the % on this, but I think ?? 24 % is the max. You should talk to the owner to find out the exact reason for the feed changes. If you do not get a reasonable answer as to why the feed change, and are not happy, You should find a diff place to board.

Two things....

Chronic thrush infections can indeed be related to diet

Excess protein is excreted by the horse in its urine.

I would not worry about the feed change so long as my horses kept their bloom and held their weight appropriately and the boarding situation was ideal otherwise.

The costs of hay and any kind of feed has gone up significantly lately so I would venture that THAT is the likely reason your board has went up. My horses costs have went up drastically in the last year alone due to fuel costs and the cost to make hay. The barn owner has to reflect those costs and probably changed feeds trying to get the most bang for the buck if its a smart Barn owner.

Excess protein in the diet can have serious side effects including bladder and kidney stones, IR and Cushings disease, so it is important to make sure your horse is not getting too much protein for the level of growth or work he is doing.

When I am looking for a pelleted or extruded feed I like to see beet pulp, flax, soybean hull and rice bran listed as the main ingredients as these are all good sources of fat and energy for horses and will usually provide a good balance of fat and protein as well as being easier for the horse to digest. Grain based products are digested differently from forage or forage like sources and when fed in large amounts can contribute to severe hind gut issues, as well as aforementioned issues caused by feeding too much protein and NSCs.

If switching feeds is not possible, I personally would be inclined to have my horses taken completely off the pelleted feed and instead fed more hay.

Good luck!!