Transitioning To Lupin Hulls
We are making some changes to our feed range that we are sure you’ll love.
The incredible success of the Benchmark Horse feed range over the past four years can in part be attributed to the contribution of highly fermentable super fibres in our rations. By trusting this amazing fibre to provide energy in the most natural way we have created feeds that are truly transformational for some horses. There have been countless reports of horses thriving on our feeds when they had struggled on traditional high starch, grain based feeds. You only have to scroll through the many posts on our community FB page to validate this.
While we couldn’t be happier with our feeds, we are always looking for ways to improve our feeds and importantly secure their long term sustainability.
What I mean by this statement is that we need to make sure that we can secure the raw materials we need to deliver the feeds that perform the way you expect them to, well into the future.
Over the next few weeks, we will be reducing our dependence on imported soy hulls across our feed range and introducing locally grown lupin hulls into our rations. Lupin hulls have much in common with soy hulls, both being low starch and sugar, highly fermentable fibres that stimulate the production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), the fats that are our horse’s natural energy supply.
Here are the facts
We value and respect the wider Benchmark family, and we pride ourselves on being open and transparent with you. To avoid any misunderstandings, I want to ensure that you all receive accurate information about these changes, directly from me.
Perfect Mash® and Super Fibre Mash®
- These two incredibly popular products will contain a 50:50 blend of lupin and soy hulls in their respectiveformulations. There are no other changes to the formulations.If you have any questions of are unsure about any aspect of this communication, please contact me personally.
- While you won’t see any changes in the performance of the feed, you may notice that your Perfect Mash® or Super Fibre Mash® takes an extra minute to soak down, or the pellet is a slightly different colour.
Benchmark Balancer Mash®
- Lupin Hulls will replace Soy Hulls 100% in this formulation, making the feed soy free.
Golden Oldies®, Cool AZ® & Invest®
- Lupin Hulls will replace Soy Hulls 100% in our three steam extruded feeds, making them all soy free.
- The small mill run (wheat by-product) addition in each feed will be removed and the barley content increased by the corresponding amount, making each feed totally free of mill run.
Achieve -Sport®
- Lupin Hulls will replace soy hulls 100%, making this feed soy free.
The nutritional differences, while minor, will be published in the downloadable product data sheets on our website, and in time new bags will include the changes to ingredients and nutritional analyses. There are no changes to feeding rates or to the application of any feed.
In the new formulation, the words ‘LUPIN HULL’ will be printed vertically on the front of every bag with the Best Before date.
If you have any questions of are unsure about any aspect of this communication, please contact me personally. If you are attending Equitana and have any questions, please ask any of the Benchmark team on our site 312.