Product FAQs

Sainfoin Forage Products

Q: How do I feed the Sainfoin Forage Pellet?

A: Sainfoin is a legume just like Alfalfa but way better for your horse. You would feed this like a hay pellet or hay cube.

Q: How much of the Sainfoin Forage Pellet do I feed per day? 

A: Start your horse at 1 pound per day. If you want to improve topline or have an older horse that needs a little extra, it’s super easy to adjust feeding rates. It is just a hay pellet so increase if you see fit. Feed as little or as much as you want. For an average horse in light to moderate work, start at 1-2 lbs per day. If the horse is a hard working show horse, feed 3-4 lbs per day. 

Example: I have a client that feeds 1 cup a day as a base for her Spirulina Chia supplement and I have a 5* eventer who gets 4-5 lbs a day. It really depends on the horse and their activity level/nutritional needs.

Q: Is the Sainfoin Forage Pellet a hay replacement?

A: Sainfoin can be a hay replacement but you would want to supplement lb per lb of what you are feeding for hay. Horses should get 1-2% of their body weight per day of forage. At StableFeed we strongly believe in a forage first diet for every horse.

Q: Is the Seasons Biome Blend a ration balancer?

A: Our seasons feed is a complete and balanced feed. When feeding 2-4 lbs a day the horse will get all of its needed vitamins and minerals in a readily bioavailable form. You can get rid of a ration balancer you are feeding and replace it with the seasons feed.

Q: How much of the Seasons Biome Blend do I feed?

A. The recommended feeding ratio is 2-4lbs per day. In that 2-4lbs per day your horse will get all of its required vitamins and minerals. Our feed is 76.4% digestible nutrition where most feeds fall under the 46% digestibility, so you can feed less and your horse is able to absorb more/utilize more.

Q: Do I need to soak any of the sainfoin forage products?

A. We recommend adding water to any type of pellet to avoid choke.. You don’t need to soak it for 2 hours like alfalfa pellets because we do not use any binding agents in the pellet. The pellets break down extremely quickly so adding a couple cups of water to the bucket and then feeding right away is enough.

Q: What if my Seasons Biome Blend bag doesn't make the season? (ie, you have the fall blend during winter)

A. We do not stock all four seasons and the products is designed to gently move your horse from one mix to the next on your own timeline. This means if you still have some of the fall blend to feed in January, thats okay!

Q: What is the shelf life of your sainfoin forage products?

A. 6 month- We recommend (especially in the spring/summer months) that people only get 1-2 months worth sent to them. We do not add any preservatives and since we make the feed almost once a month tell them we want them to get the most fresh product possible when they order. We don’t want people ordering 3-4 months worth. 

Chia Products

Q: Loose or Biscuit?

A: All of our formulations come in either loose or biscuit. If you're debating between the two, we generally recommend the loose form over the biscuit for texture, ease of storage, feeding to picky eaters, and it perfect for hot and humid climates. That being said our biscuit has a pill dimple that can be quite handy! You cannot go wrong with either!

Q: Why use a chia based food?

A. Because we use a chia base ALL of our products provide support for: Skin, Hair, Gut, Bone and Hoof

Q: Which product is best for hooves?

A: Every product provides your horse with bioavailable protein and Omega 3’s to support healthy hoof growth. We suggest our Carrot Chia formulation because Vitamin A supports metabolization of keratin, the main protein constituent of strong hoof horn. 

Q: How long will it take for me to see results?

A. That depends on what you are trying to achieve and which product you are using.

 For hoof and coat on all products:

• For the hoof, your farrier will feel the difference after the first trim cycle.  You will see the new "chia line" when it appears at about three months.
• For the coat, individual results vary with each horse, but most owners report being able to feel a difference within 10 days on the product. The shine begins to show through shortly thereafter.  

For Spirulina: 

• Hives:  24-36 hours 
• Fungal infections: 48 hours to 7 days
• Scratches: 48 hours to 7 days
• Upper respiratory issues: We strongly recommend consulting with your veterinarian before attempting to taper a horse off steroids and onto this product.  

For Papaya:

• The mucosal properties of the chia and the papaya activate immediately upon ingestion.   

For Prickly Pear: 

• It takes 10 days to 2 weeks for a body to respond to changes like those we are seeking with Prickly Pear. The disappearance of fat deposits is a gradual process that can take months depending on the body score of the horse.  Glucose regulation is supported after the initial 2 week period.  

Q: Can I feed your chia products to my Cushings horse?

A. Yes, please do!  All of our products provide horses with a quality, digestible protein, 19 of 22 amino acids and a 3/1 balance of Omega 3’s to 6’s while keeping the ESC and Starch levels below 9.  

Q: Is one formula better for my IR horse than another?

A. There is significant data to support the claim that Prickly Pear cactus promotes proper glucose and lipid regulation, which is why we created and offer that product for horses that need support for metabolic processes.    

Q: I tried feeding spirulina to my horse before and he wouldn’t eat it. What makes this different?

A. We recognize that straight spirulina is unpalatable to some horses. We purposefully combine chia with +16UMF Manuka honey to create a sweet and synergistic combination that allows us to use a lower dose of spirulina for amplified results.   

Q: Help! My horse won’t eat the biscuit!

A. Chia has a unique texture so it may take some time for a horse to realize that this is food. Having said that, there are horses who do not like the mucosal properties of this miraculous little seed so every product is offered in both the biscuit and loose form. Email us at sales@stablefeed.com and we will arrange to swap the unused portion of your product for the same thing in loose form.   

Q: Is it alright to continue to feed my other supplements to my horse if I give him this? He gets a hoof supplement, a gut supplement and a joint supplement. 

A. Yes. You may want to look at the nutrition labels on your other supplements and compare them to our page on chia basics. We have many clients who replace their current hoof and gastric support supplements with one of our formulations. They get great results and it saves them money.   

Q: Can I leave these out in my barn?

A. Yes you can. However, we recommend the loose version of these products for regions of the country with high heat and humidity. When dried down the loose version is extremely stable and has a long shelf life as long as it is kept dry. We dry the biscuit to less than 6% moisture and include a natural preservative in the formulation but we still recommend climate controlled storage during cycles of high heat and humidity to retain shelf life. If you DO have a problem with any of our products we will gladly replace it or issue you a refund.  

Q: Can I just feed chia and get the same results?

A. I’m not sure what kind of results you are looking for but chia seeds are a high value addition to any equine feed program and will improve the overall health of your horse however you will not see the same functional changes in your horse as you will feeding our supplements.