We asked Dodson and Horrell four questions about the Autarky range of dog food, now available from Efeed, here’s what they said.

What is the idea behind Autarky?

We believe that consistent, quality feeding throughout your dog’s life will help to enhance health and wellbeing and therefore quality of life.  With this in mind our unique recipes have been carefully formulated by one of the UK’s leading canine nutritionists using a holistic approach to provide natural goodness for a happy, healthy dog.

What kind of dog is it suitable for?

 Autarky has been formulated to provide optimum levels of nutrition for working dogs to ensure that they receive everything they need to maintain peak physical performance and condition.   Our range has been formulated to provide key nutrients throughout the dog’s life and consists of three life stages: Puppy/Junior, Adult and Mature/Lite.

What makes it different from other dog food?

 Here at Autarky we believe that providing your dog with the best dog food shouldn’t have to cost the earth so we manufacture premium quality recipes, using only the finest ingredients at an affordable price.

What are the key features of Autarky?

 Our recipes are manufactured in the UK using only the finest, natural ingredients, including tasty salmon, delicious chicken and a combination of beneficial herbs.

 All of recipes in our range are free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.

 Each Autarky recipe is wheat gluten and soya free making them hypoallergenic and we only work to fixed formulations to ensure ultimate consistency.

 We source all of our raw materials from non GM origins and they are grown or reared to our specific standards and requirements.

 The whole Autarky range has been based on the same ingredients making it easier to move on to the next one as the dog reaches each life stage.
 
 

Whilst supplementing the horse’s diet with garlic is a simple task, some feeds actually contain garlic, removing the need to add anything extra. In this feed focus, we see which feeds available through Efeed.co.uk contain garlic…and we find out a bit more about them.

Dodson & Horrell- Pasture Cubes- Ideal for the leisure horse.
Good quality cubed ration ideal for maintaining condition and health for horses and ponies in light to medium work. Contains a combination of high quality natural ingredients carefully selected to avoid excitability. Fully supplemented Pasture Cubes are cost effective and ideal for owners feeding horses and ponies outside.
Pasture Cubes also have added mint and garlic. They are renowned for their nutritional properties such as aiding digestion and promoting a healthy respiratory system, as well as tasting great.

Allen & Page- Herbal Quiet Mix- Keeping steady whilst looking good
Herbal Quiet Mix is based on the original Quiet Mix, with all the additional benefits of added alfalfa and carefully selected premium grade herbs, including mint, garlic, rosemary, sage, thyme, nettle and cloves. Herbal Quiet Mix is also suitable for horses that are resting, working lightly or ridden occasionally.

Red Mills- Hi-Oil Racehorse Cooked Mix
High oil energy feed for horses in training and hard work with high protein for muscle development, full range of vitamins and minerals and added garlic and mint.

Dodson & Horrell- Pasture Mix- The ultimate all round mix
Pasture Mix is an attractive muesli, comprising of a mixture of micronised cereals and grass fibre pellets, blended with D&H’s unique syrup. The micronised cereals provide highly digestible starch, minimising digestive upsets and excitability. Carrots are added to enhance flavour as well as garlic and mint, which are renowned for their respiratory and digestive properties. Accurate levels of vitamins, minerals and salts are supplemented to help ensure that deficiencies do not occur. Sparkle without fizz. Promotes condition and maintains calmness. Contains added herbs.

Allen & Page- Hacking Mix- Not for just hacking
A medium energy muesli mix, with real mint and garlic. Includes probiotics and prebiotics for a healthy balance of gut flora.With higher levels of oil and fibre, Hacking Mix is the ideal choice for active leisure horses or novice competition horses, doing 1-1.5 hours a day of regular hacking, schooling or competing at riding club level. Hacking Mix is also useful for youngsters who no longer need a specific youngstock feed but do require a balanced diet with enough protein and energy for growth and condition.

Dengie has launched a fab new fibre feed, Healthy Tummy. Here, we speak to the company’s senior nutritionist, Katie Williams, to find out a bit more. We ask her five questions...

 

Q: Why did you create Healthy Tummy?

Healthy Tummy was designed to support gut health, particularly as research shows that about 40 per cent of leisure horses, 60 per cent of competition horses and 90 per cent of racehorses could be affected by Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome.

Fibre helps to protect the horse’s sensitive stomach lining from acid in two ways. It acts quite literally as a physical barrier once in the stomach, while chewing the fibre produces saliva which neutralises the acid.

I created Healthy Tummy using a base of alfalfa alongside the latest ingredients known to promote gastric health so that riders can enjoy spending time with their horses – doing all the fun, exciting stuff – without having to worry about compromising their wellbeing.

Q: What kind of horse is Healthy Tummy aimed at?

The feed is aimed at all horses and ponies whether they are involved in international competition or hacking round the fields at home. Stress involved in eventing or racing with its high intensity of work, is easy to appreciate, but sometimes less obvious causes of stress can cause problems. Horses in pain, or those that have lost a stable or paddock companion can all suffer varying amounts of stress, leading to problems such as gastric ulcers and loose droppings. As Healthy Tummy has been formulated to be sympathetic to the digestive system, it is ideal for horses in work or those at rest – even those on box rest.


Q: Is it a complete feed or is a balancer required?

Healthy Tummy is a nutritionally complete feed containing all the vitamins and minerals required by a horse or pony at rest or in light work. There is no need to add any mix, cubes or supplements when fed at the recommended levels.

Horses in moderate and hard work should be fed Healthy Tummy alongside feeds such as Alfa-Beet to meet the increased energy demands of harder work. Healthy Tummy can also be fed alongside mixes and cubes to counteract the effects of using cereal-based feeds.

Q: What are the key features of Healthy Tummy?

Healthy Tummy is made from alfalfa which is low in sugar and starch and is also a natural buffer to acidity. It includes Protexin In-Feed Formula combining prebiotics and live yeast to help promote a healthy microbial population vital for fibre digestion. A unique blend of herbs believed to be powerful antioxidants – including ginger, oregano and cinnamon – is added to enhance palatability.

It features a full range of B vitamins such as biotin, to promote great coat and hoof condition and additional levels of calcium and magnesium to maintain optimal levels of acidity in the gut.

Healthy Tummy is free from molasses, artificial flavourings and preservatives. It is given a light coating of soya oil, which provides slow-release energy and exceptional coat shine.

Q: Do you have any case studies?

Healthy Tummy is currently taking part in several Tried & Tested reviews organised by a number of equestrian magazines. We have also introduced Healthy Tummy to our own case studies, such as Ruby, a riding school horse with a tendency to be quite a stressy individual. She had previously been diagnosed with gastric ulcers and treated. Ruby’s owner agreed to feed Healthy Tummy to help avoid any recurrence and was so impressed with the horse’s improved behaviour that she has opted to make this her regular daily ration.

Fred and Rowena Cook of Equine Management & Training, have spent many years handling, training and rehabilitating horses, with a special emphasis on the retraining of racehorses. They now feed Healthy Tummy to horses in their care – many of whom arrive with gastric ulcers. “Healthy Tummy has really simplified our feeding regime,” says Rowena. “We see horses being given all sorts of supplements for digestive upsets, but this feed contains everything a horse needs and is perfect for our busy yard. Plus, the tasty herbs ensure that they always lick their feed bowls clean!”