FEEDING TIP #2 - DENGIE GOOD DOER
Available to buy at most feed stores I should imagine. Official website is here (x). We bought ours at Summer Fresh in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, details here (x). Alternatively, type in your postcode here (x) and have Dengie find your nearest stockist.
Well, Dengie Good Doer is possibly more of a God send than the Shires Greedy Feeder Hay nets. This feed is absolutely fantastic and I highly doubt I will ever stop using it.
If your horse is prone to gaining weight or you are looking for something to bulk out the feed, then Good Doer is absolutely ideal. It has very few calories and so can be fed in larger amounts than normal feeds, so your horse feels like it's got a good amount of feed. It provides approximately 7MJ/kg of slow release energy so your horse won't be bouncing off the walls after a good feed. Good Doer can also be fed as a partial or full hay replacer.
Good Doer is also completely non-heating. It has zero cereals and is a "blend of alfalfa and quality soft straw lightly coated with molasses and contains spearmint oil" (x). My pony (14hh, prone to weight gain) and his friend (14.3 and very, very prone to weight gain and can get fizzy on the smallest amount of sugar. Cereals are a no go for him.) have been having this for around one year now, and it is so nice to be able to give them a larger feed than they would have on a normal feed. There have been no changes in energy levels that we have noticed and the only difference is that they have not put on as much weight as usual!
While it may not be the tastiest of horse feeds, Good Doer with speedibeet, a few carrots and possibly a small handful of mix on top creates a lovely dinner or breakfast for your horse. A crucial point to remember, however, is that if feeding Good Doer in smaller amounts then your horse may end up lacking in the nutrients and minerals it needs. If this is the case, using a balancer supplement may be needed in order for your horse to get these.
A minor issue me and my friend have experienced with Good Doer is that her horse seems to have "the squits", where his poo is very runny and watery. While this may not be due to the Good Doer, this has been going on while he has been fed it. The owners are currently trying to figure out what is going on, and I will update when we know more. I reiterate, this may not be due to Good Doer. It may just be a coincidence and so do not be put off by this. My pony has not experienced any digestive problems or "poo problems" while on Good Doer.
The customer service with Dengie is faultless. While feeding my pony, I discovered a large "stump" of compressed good doer. After phoning up Dengie and asking what it could be, they were exceptionally helpful and sent out an envelope and sample bag for us to send them this "stump". They analysed it and sent us the results and were very helpful all the way. When my friend phoned up regarding her horse's "squits", they were equally helpful. I could not fault any experiences I have had with them.
Overall this feed is brilliant. My pony enjoys a larger meal that he can really tuck into before it has all disappeared. Dengie are also a fantastic company and I would highly recommend them to any horse owner.