Dr. Reed developed his supplements in the 1980’s to bridge the gap between the contents of the hay being produced and nutritional needs of his and his client’s horses. For over 30 years, these equine supplements have been available to horse owners across British Columbia. With such a lengthy number of years of use by horsepeople, one knows one is making a difference!
During the development stages of our products, value for cost was of paramount concern. Our product must meet our client demands for quality and price. Today, this remains important to us. Professionals in animal nutrition have pointed to the “excellent dollar value” of our products. We like that!
We are sometimes asked:
Are the ingredients in Dr. Reed’s organic? Are they synthetic or natural?
Shelagh Niblock, PAS, Equine Nutritional Consultant and advisor on our products, answers those questions:
Both have a combination of “synthetic” and “natural” ingredients. I will explain what is in each product and why it’s there.
FORMULA 1 contains selenium yeast and sodium selenite so we have both organic and inorganic sources of Selenium. The other minerals are inorganic in origin. The vitamins (A, D, E and a multitude of Bs) are synthetic vitamins commonly used in making most vitamin supplements for both livestock and humans. The reasons for using synthetic sources are stability and shelf life. Natural sources such as d-alpha-tocopherol (natural Vit E) and carotene (the natural precursor to Vit A) are less stable when stored for any length of time – so shelf life cannot be guaranteed when they are used. This product is formulated to meet National Research Council minimum equine nutrient requirements for adult horses. All NRC requirements are determined using inorganic (synthetic) sources, so using these ingredients is by far the most reliable way to manufacture a good product.
FORMULA 2 PELLETS contain both organic or “complexed” minerals and inorganic minerals. The trace minerals selenium, copper, zinc and manganese are provided in complexed and inorganic forms. The reason for providing these in both forms is to maximize the uptake the equine gut. Formula 2 contains the same sources of all vitamins as Formula 1. There really isn’t an equine product in Canada that can supplement your horse’s diet with natural Vitamin E, but one could safely add d-alpha-tocopherol human grade gel caps from a drug store. These pellets more than meet NRC minimums for trace minerals and fat soluble vitamins.
If you wish to discuss these questions furthur, Shelagh Niblock may be reached at 604-302-8283.
