Purina Strategy Healthy Edge

Purina Strategy Healthy Edge

12.5% Protein - 8.0% Fat - 18% Fiber
19% NSC [7% Sugar, 12% Starch]
1,300 kcal/ lb
Ingredients: Wheat middlings, dehydrated alfalfa meal, ground soybean hulls, cane molasses, dried beet pulp, ground rice hulls, soybean oil, ground corn, stabilized rice bran, vegetable oil, dehulled soybean meal, flaxseed -partial listing-

Non Structural Carbohydrate (NSC); used to describe the sugar and starch content of the feed, the digestible carbohydrates. Horses with lamanitis, founder, metabolic, etc require a low starch low sugar diet. 11% NSC and below is recommended for that population of horses. While full working performance horses should have 22% NSC or below as to not cause any digestive upset or unwanted 'hotness' that is usually associated with some grain. To put this in perspective, corn has a 73% NSC with the glycemic index of 100. Corn is basically straight sugar and starch, very bad on the horse's body.

Ethanol soluble Carbohydrates (ESC) is composed of the simple sugars glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Water soluble Carbohydrates (WSC) is glucose, fructose, sucrose and fructans. If you take the WSC minus the ESC then you get the fructan content. Fructan is digested in the hind gut, too releases endotoxins in the bloodstream which is a cause of lamnitis. Simple sugars (glucose, fructose, and sucrose) are digested in the foregut and raise insulin levels. Too much can be a contributing factor towards laminitis.

Starch is needed to build muscle glycogen stores and provide the explosive energy needed during training and competitions. Though too much starch can be a bad thing, contributing to the pH disturbance in the hindgut that causes released toxins and ulcers. There are different forms of starch, for example there is corn starch and oat starch. Corn is 70% starch and a majority of it passes through the foregut undigested and digests in the hindgut. This is where you run into problems, and can actually GIVE your horse ulcers. Oat is 50% starch and a majority is digested in the foregut, so it is gentler and healthier on the digestive system. Though as a whole, it's important to be conscious of the starch content in a horse's grain, especially if they aren't performance horses.

Ingredient Dissection:

Wheat Middlings || Wheat Middlings offer properties of the wheat grain though with considerably less starch. At a 14% protein, wheat middlings offer more digestible energy than legume hay. Ground Extruded Whole Soybeans || An extremely high quality protein [36%], fat [18%], and decent fiber [6%], soybeans are a superior ingredient. Under high temperatures & pressure, the anti-nutritional factors are destroyed and turned the soy into a high digestible nutrient.

Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal || Approximately 19% protein and 28% fiber, with low sugar [4.5%], starch [3.3%], higher amounts of minerals [mainly calcium, but also magnesium, potassium, sulfur, iron, cobalt, manganese, and zinc], and proper amino acids. Though like all legume, protein content varies on the variables of harvest; can vary from 17% to 25%. Alfalfa has a low carbohydrate content though “The energy content of alfalfa…” “…should not be underestimated (Bruce et al., 2008).”

Soybean Hulls || Approximately 13% protein and 38% fiber, with low sugar [1.6%] and starch [5.5%]5 with an amino acid profile. A premium grain will always choose soybean products over cottonseed products, which has considerably less amino acids [building blocks of protein] and a toxin gossypol. Higher in digestible energy compared to other hull products, is similar to alfalfa in energy content.6 Is also on equal grounds with beet pulp; considered a ‘super fiber’.

Molasses || Molasses is a type of sugar that is used as a binding ingredient and to increase the feed’s palatability. Most pelleted feeds do not contain enough molasses to make a significant difference in the NSC. Molasses actually contains calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium.
Beet Pulp || Beet pulp is a ‘super fiber’ and has nearly as much digestible energy and calories as oats, with considerably lower NSC [Non-Structural Carbohydrates; sugar + starch content] at 12% [versus oats 54%]. Due to lack of lignin in the fiber, it is very easy for the horse to digest. 7 Contains approximately 900 to 1,200 calories per pound.

Ground Rice Hulls || contains mostly insoluble dietary fiber, this is a low calories, low protein, high carb, low sugar, low fat, horse feed ingredient. Though containing about 10,000 CFU of microorganisms may effect the yeast in the grain.

Soybean Oil || Contains 248 calories and 28g of fat per ounce with 51.5mcg of Vitamin K and 2.3mg of Vitamin E. Has about a 1:7 Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratio14; additional effects for skin and coat in addition to blood pressure regulation. The 2nd best oil, beat only by Flaxseed Oil. Pellets are known for using oil to aid in binding the pellets together.

Ground Corn || Approximately 8% protein, 4% fat, 3% fiber, and 72% starch. “Most of the starch (72%) from whole or cracked corn is not digested in the foregut and proceeds to the hindgut where it is rapidly fermented. That process results in the production of lactic acid, which messes with the hindgut pH and kills many beneficial fiber-digesting bacteria. Dying bacteria release toxins, and the result can be a horse with colic and/or laminitis resulting in founder. For these reasons, corn should be processed for all horses.” Corn and sugar both have has a glycemic index of 100. This is the reason behind ‘hot’ or hyper horses that are fed corn.

Rice Bran || 20% Fat & 1,200 calories per pound [.45kg]; “Raw rice bran has a very short shelf life due to its high fat content and a potent lipase enzyme, which immediately begins to break down the fat once the bran is separated from the rice kernel. To prevent rice bran from becoming rancid, it must undergo a stabilization process. Stabilization subjects the rice bran to heat and pressure which inactivate the lipase enzyme without destroying the nutritional value of the rice bran.” “In addition, fat in rice bran contains gamma oryzanol which has been suggested to have muscle building properties in horses.” “A potential problem with many rice brans is that they contain more phosphorus than calcium. This may create an imbalance in rations that use grass hay as their primary forage source.” Rice bran is not fortified with vitamins and minerals, though adds additional fat and calories.

Vegetable Oil || Added as a binder to the grain and also to influence the omega content. This is considered a 'low quality' ingredient since ANY vegetable oil can be used under this category. Vague ingredients are poor ingredients. Oils are high in fat, high in calories, and produce a cool energy.
Dehulled Soybean Meal || Soybean meal is the most important protein source available for use in farm animal feed. “Representing two-thirds of the total world output of protein feedstuffs.” Protein content ranging from 43% to 53%, contains high amounts of lysine, tryptophane, threonine and isoleucine.

Flaxseed || High in Omega-3 [anti-inflammatory that increases skin and coat condition] and low in Omega-6 [essential in the diet; in large quantities causes inflammation]. Contains vitamins [Vitamin K, Folate, Choline] and minerals [Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium], but no starch or sugar