# Top Spec Ulsakind cubes.  Ingredients ??



## Notimetoride (21 January 2017)

Really odd but I can't find the actual ingredients anywhere on the Internet.  Why on earth is it so top secret ? Can't feed my horse alfalfa so does anyone know the ingredients ?


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## DirectorFury (21 January 2017)

Emailing TopSpec would be your best bet . I've just done a quick search of the major horsey FB groups and can't see the ingredients posted on there by anyone.


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## FfionWinnie (21 January 2017)

I avoid topspec for this very reason!


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## popsdosh (22 January 2017)

Just go into a feed supplier and check the label !


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## Tiddlypom (22 January 2017)

popsdosh said:



			Just go into a feed supplier and check the label !
		
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I did feed Ulsakind for a while, and I'm pretty sure that the Topspec labels just gives a % breakdown of protein, carbs and fats, plus quantities of vits and mins. I have since changed to feeding straights.


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## popsdosh (22 January 2017)

Tiddlypom said:



			I did feed Ulsakind for a while, and I'm pretty sure that the Topspec labels just gives a % breakdown of protein, carbs and fats, plus quantities of vits and mins. I have since changed to feeding straights.
		
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By law they have to list the ingredients !


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## Tiddlypom (22 January 2017)

Fair enough, I must not have read the label correctly .

The horses did well enough on them, but I only fed them soaked in tiny quantites as a carrier for vits and mins.


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## Notimetoride (22 January 2017)

I had to visit  the feed merchants to actually read the bag.  The ingredients are on the bag and there's nothing untoward so why on earth they aren't published on line ??   In the end I just went with bog standard pony nuts


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## HBB (22 January 2017)

FfionWinnie said:



			I avoid topspec for this very reason!
		
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That's why I avoid buying their products too, I can't be bothered struggling to find information. I recently emailed D&H for information, they gave me it but added the following.... "I would recommend looking at the job that you want the feed to do, rather than just the ingredients". Erm, no, I want to know what I am feeding my horses, thank you!
It's Pro Earth all the way for me!


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## Notimetoride (22 January 2017)

HBB said:



			That's why I avoid buying their products too, I can't be bothered struggling to find information. I recently emailed D&H for information, they gave me it but added the following.... "I would recommend looking at the job that you want the feed to do, rather than just the ingredients". Erm, no, I want to know what I am feeding my horses, thank you!
It's Pro Earth all the way for me!
		
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Eh??  That's just silly.   As for me, alfalfa sends my pony doollally so I just need to know if it is in anything I'm feeding - simple as that.  Some people do make things hard work don't they


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## Sukistokes2 (22 January 2017)

I was recently feeding top spec calm conditioner to my horse. I noticed after a while he was becoming more reactive. Like you OP I tried the find out what was in the conditioner, apart from what the top spec lady had said. No ingredients on bag, no ingredients on line, new bag went back to the shop. I suspect Alfalfa, even small amounts can make native horses fizzy. However, to be fair, up to a point it did its job and my horse looked great on it.


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## FfionWinnie (22 January 2017)

HBB said:



			That's why I avoid buying their products too, I can't be bothered struggling to find information. I recently emailed D&H for information, they gave me it but added the following.... "I would recommend looking at the job that you want the feed to do, rather than just the ingredients". Erm, no, I want to know what I am feeding my horses, thank you!
It's Pro Earth all the way for me!
		
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That is bizarre. I only feed straights now. Much simpler. Having a horse which needed an ultra low sugar and starch diet has taught me a lot about the crud they fill expensive "complete" feeds up with.


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## Elf On A Shelf (22 January 2017)

Bailey's don't list ingredients either but Saracen do.


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## popsdosh (22 January 2017)

Notimetoride said:



			I had to visit  the feed merchants to actually read the bag.  The ingredients are on the bag and there's nothing untoward so why on earth they aren't published on line ??   In the end I just went with bog standard pony nuts
		
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Most manufacturers like to keep flexibility in their formulation as a lot depends on the comparative cost of what goes in but by law they have to be on the bag label and in descending order of inclusion.


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## Tiddlypom (23 January 2017)

popsdosh said:



			Most manufacturers like to keep flexibility in their formulation as a lot depends on the comparative cost of what goes in but by law they have to be on the bag label and in descending order of inclusion.
		
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Which means that if, like the OP, you want to be sure that a particular ingredient such as Alfalfa is not present, you need to check the label of any compound feed each and every time you restock in case the formulation has been changed. A useful thing to know.


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## HBB (23 January 2017)

FfionWinnie said:



			That is bizarre. I only feed straights now. Much simpler. Having a horse which needed an ultra low sugar and starch diet has taught me a lot about the crud they fill expensive "complete" feeds up with.
		
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Like you, I feed straights, I like to keep it simple but one of their finishing products caught my eye.
I thought it was a really odd reply but wasn't surprised. Although D&H list ingredients on their website, I have found in the past that some are not in the right descending order of inclusion and some ingredients are not even mentioned. Very tricky if you have a horse that is sensitive to a certain ingredient and want to avoid it.


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## HBB (23 January 2017)

Notimetoride said:



			Really odd but I can't find the actual ingredients anywhere on the Internet.  Why on earth is it so top secret ? Can't feed my horse alfalfa so does anyone know the ingredients ?
		
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I found this list on another forum, it's a year old so not sure if there has been any changes to the ingredients...

High fibre oat by-product, linseed, dried beet pulp, soya extracted (GM) soya hulls, wheatfeed, full fat linseed, molasses, dicalcium phosphate, acid buffer, soya oil, sodium chloride, calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide.

The typical analysis of TopSpec UlsaKind is 5.75% oil, 13.5% protein, 20% fibre, DE 12 MJ/kg, 9% starch, 1.2% calcium, 0.4% sodium and 0.5% magnesium


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## Casey76 (23 January 2017)

EKW said:



			Bailey's don't list ingredients either but Saracen do.
		
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The ingredients for all Baileys foods are on the website.

(Baileys Ease and Excel:


COMPOSITION

Soya Bean Hulls, Oatfeed, Alfalfa Meal, Alfalfa & Green Oat Straw Chaff, Soya Oil, Distillers&#8217; Grains, Ground Beet Pulp, Micronised Wheat, Soya Bean Meal, Molasses, Micronised Soya Beans, Micronised Linseed, Wheatfeed, Vitamins and Minerals, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Chloride, Beta-Glucans (0.15g/kg), Magnesium Carbonate, Fructo-oligosaccharide (3g/kg)




ANALYTICAL CONSTITUENTS


DIGESTIBLE ENERGY  13 MJ/KG   
PROTEIN 13%   
OIL 10.5%    
FIBRE 18%   
ASH 8%   
STARCH 8%   
SUGAR 
)

which is the reason I won't feed a compound feed any more.


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## tallyho! (23 January 2017)

Why do feed companies like to bulk up with sweepings from feed mill floors? Who wants oat and wheat dust for a horse with ulcers?

OP, go back to straights if you're having problems. 99% of the time it's a compound feed thats caused it, and a compound mix of any sort from a big company like that won't resolve it. GM soya?!! FFS.

I would look up a reputable organic feed company and feed only what you need. 

Horses with EGUS need low carb high fibre and the chewing time is important since the saliva is a natural buffer to the acid so you want more fibre like hay for the horse to chew and produce. Not more carbs and indigestible fibre like the husks of grains which are irritating to the gut too. So you might want to cut out any feed for a while and just ensure there is plenty of good hay. If you need to add a vit n min supp then maybe just consider soaked hay cubes or unmollassed sugar beet and some micronised linseed and apple peel (lots of pectin - good for the gut).


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