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Pelleted Grain Ration (PGR) -- Cost Effective?
J. Sinner
Q. How cost-effective is our PELLETED GRAIN RATION? My retail customers seem to think it is pretty spendy compared to other mixed feeds out there.
A. Cost is relative to results! If you ever try the PELLETED GRAIN RATION, you will never feed anything else again. First of all, it is the cleanest feed you are going to find out there. Although there are not enough certified organic sources of grain around to use that exclusively, we do check the grains for pesticides and herbicides, nitrates, and other toxins. Just having a clean, chemical-free feed does amazing things for horses, because they are so susceptible to chemical toxins. For instance, a couple of years ago, I had a mare break out in huge hives and fling herself on the ground itching within a few minutes of eating about a pound of the rolled barley I had just dragged home from the feed store. I have seen feed store employees spraying toxic pesticides on and around bags of feed to get rid of insects, and don't think it doesn't go right through the woven plastic bags! Even bleaches such as methyl mercury, and fumigants used in the storage bins and mills can have tremendous adverse effects on animals. We at Dynamite® use only diatomaceous earth for pest control in our mills, and no chemical-fortified feeds or those with urea are produced on our site, in order to avoid potential cross contamination. Our whole milling process goes thru a visual inspection by 6 to 7 people; dust and broken grains are removed by a special vacuum process before pelleting begins, so you are assured of full value for your dollar. Our commitment to buy direct from our growers and to avoid GMO grains means unparalleled quality.
As far as amounts to feed, the directions are based on high-performance requirements, i.e. race-horses. Most of us feed only minuscule amounts - anywhere from 1 to 2 cups up to a couple of pounds is usually all that the horse requires. Lou Paolo feeds it exclusively in her dressage barn, and says even a 16.2 hand gelding in hard training requires only 4 1/2# daily to maintain condition. Some of our Distributors who are active in riding to the hounds use only a couple of pounds daily, on their horses in rigorous conditioning. At this level, you will want to top dress a little extra PLUS(tm) or DYNAMITE®, maybe at half the usual levels. Even on the race track, horses that were eating 18-20# of Canadian oats do great on 8# or so of the Pelleted Grain Ration. Because it is a pelleted ration, it is digested very efficiently. Our Tevis Cup and Outlaw Trail Endurance Champions Potato Richardson and Beverly Gray use Dynamite Pelleted Grain Ration exclusively.
So you need to be the judge of the cost effectiveness. One of our Distributors had the state champion 2 year old colt and 2 year old filly on the track this year using the feed, and kicked fanny in a good share of the stakes in the region. Bet he thinks it is cost effective! If shipping is an issue, buy the DYNAMITE PLUS(tm), the HES PELLETS(tm), and use locally-available corn, oats and barley without molasses to mix your own version of the feed. To give you an idea of the ratio: to 17# of corn, oats and barley, (equal amounts by weight) add 3# of HES PELLETS(tm), and then feed the desired amount of this mix with top dressed PLUS(tm) or regular DYNAMITE® to condition. You may also wish to add some MIRACLE CLAY(tm) which is used as a pellet binder in the PGR, since that product has detoxifying properties. The PGR is also an awesome mare and foal ration, and does wonders for senior horses, too!
The last point to consider, is that our mix is always the same. The majority of manufacturers use "least cost" formulations: that is, they will use more of whatever grain is cheaper on the commodities market that week. Sorry, you just cannot condition a horse on feed that fluctuates like that! You have Jim's pledge: we will never use "least cost" Our formulas are the same always. We have total control over the PGR, start to finish, in our own mills (the only chemical free mill in the country, by the way!). We will also never apologize for the cost of quality - an increasingly educated and sophisticated marketplace will gladly pay for optimum results! And, horsemen and women who are dedicated to optimum health can always become Dynamite® Distributors and earn money sharing the feed while providing their friends and their area with the best holistic grain ration in the world!
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