Too sweet

I read “Making the Switch to Senior Feeds” (Hands On, EQUUS 439) with interest. I run a small rescue in rural Idaho, and I have several permanent senior residents, so I buy large quantities of senior feed. But out here where I live, the choices of brands are limited, and most of them are dripping with molasses. I finally found two brands that were not, but they are hard to get here because most farm stores are too small to be able to meet the four-ton minimum requirement.

We all know that excess sugar can cause serious health problems for horses, so I don’t understand why these feeds are formulated this way. My 39-year-old Arabian mare was recently sick and diagnosed with ulcers, probably caused by a change to a molassescoated feed while my other brand was not available. As soon as I was able to get a pallet of the good feed, she was much better. My veterinarian says that most senior feeds are like that but, yes, the less-sweetened ones are better. S. Lemaire Harrison, Idaho