Nutrition FAQs

Please see our Nutrition Information for a detailed analysis on Standlee Premium Products.

Timothy grass forage would be a good choice, as the sugar level is low, when compared to other grass forages. Timothy grass forage profiles from laboratory analysis do not have wide variances when compared 1st cutting to 2nd cutting.

All horses are not created equal, so all horses can be fed different types of forages. Most veterinarians will usually recommend a type of grass forage. Timothy grass forage is generally the most popular western grown grass forage. Other popular varieties are Orchard grass, brome, Bermuda and coastal grass. Standlee offers two types of grass forage, Timothy and Orchard.

Forage is the most important ingredient in any horses diet no matter the breed, size, or activity of the horse, they all need forage! Forage is a source of all 5 essential nutrients: water, protein, energy, vitamins and minerals. Feed your horse Standlee Premium Products to assure that your horse gets the highest quality and nutrient-rich forage available.

The nutrient content of forage is determined by many different factors.

1. Type of forage: Alfalfa vs. Grass forages (detailed nutritional analysis of different forage types)
2. Growing conditions: Soil fertility, water, drying conditions.
   Standlee forage is grown in Southern Idaho. Geography, climate and nutrient-rich soils work together in Idaho to produce the nation’s best growing and drying conditions for forages.
3. Cutting: The nutrient content varies between the different cuttings. Timothy Grass forage has the most consistent nutrient content.
   Standlee Premium Products guarantees maximum and minimum nutritional values for all forages.
4. Stage of Maturity: The taller the plan the lower the nutrient value and more non-digestible fiber.
   At Standlee we allow Standlee forage to grow to the proper stage of maturity before cutting the plants to be able to provide the highest nutrient value to your horse(s).

Alfalfa forage is the forage with the highest protein content. The protein content of Standlee Premium Alfalfa is guaranteed to a minimum of 16%. Please see our nutrition information for more details on nutritional analyses and product rankings for protein, energy/calories and sugar.

No matter if baled, cubed, pelleted or chopped forage the nutrition value stays the same. Chopped products have a higher calorie content but not due to forage but because of additives, such as canola oil.

Standlee adds canola oil to its chopped forage products to eliminate dust in the package. Canola oil is also a great non-sugar safe source of calories for horses and a rich source of Omega-3, 6 and 9 fatty acids which are essential for skin and hair coat care as well as general health.

Concentrated Separator By-Product or CSB is a secondary molasses produced during the separation of sugars from normal sugar beet molasses. It contains most of the molasses components but is lower in sugar content than ordinary molasses. Sugar beet molasses undergoes a process in which approximately half of the sugar is removed, concentrating proteins and minerals to form CSB. Compared with Cane Molasses, CSB has more crude protein, ash, and moisture; but as stated less sugar content. There has been extensive research into the use of CSB in the feed industry with Molasses based diets and supplements with no adverse effects. Please ensure to consult your veterinarian or equine nutritionist before adding or changing your animal's diet.

Ash is the mineral portion of forage that remains after the complete burning of combustible material during laboratory analysis. The ash content in forage can come from both internal (what the plant is made of) and external (like dirt when forage is harvested) sources. While not a direct measurement of nutrient content in forage, ash is used to determine the total digestible nutrients (TDN) which is one way of determining the energy content in forage.

Compressing, grinding, pelleting, cubing and chopping does not change the digestibility of the forage. Premium quality forage is 50% or less digestible.

What forage to select is based on the specific horse’s requirements. Several criteria need to be considered: Age of horse, desired growth rate, activity, special needs and what else is being fed. The Standlee Forage Finder® is a helpful and easy tool to find the right forage for your horse.