Hi-Fi Lite vs. Alpha-A Lite

[martini55]

Does anyone know what the main differences between these products are? All I can decipher from the website is that Alpha-A lite has more protein and oil, but less fibre. Is it simply a case of Alpha-A lite being made from only alfalfa and Hi-fi from straw and alfalfa? Or is there more to it?

I am looking at trying to get more condition and muscle on my horse and so, along with exercise, I've been looking at changing her diet. The problem lies in the fact that she is generally a good-doer and is recovering from laminitis. I don't want to feed anything with cereals in it, and it has to be low in starch and sugars (preferably free from mollasses). So it's tricky. She's currently fed 9kg of soaked hay, 200g of speedi-beet (plus supplemets- F4F, Magox, salt,yea-sacc, cortaflex). I'm going to be adding Flax oil into her diet but was thinking she'd be needing something more.

[MelanieD]

Alfa-a lite seems to be all alfalfa without any straw at all, Hifi Lite is mostly straw with a little bit of alfalfa. Alfa-a lite should be good for gaining weight without feeding cereals as long as she's not one of the horses that are sensitive to alfalfa. Alfa-a oil is good for weight gain, has some oil in as well as vitamin e and selenium to go with the oil and has oil instead of mollasses so should have even less sugary stuff than alfa-a lite.

[Joyscarer]

http://www.dengie.com/pages/products/fibre-feed/fibre-feed-finder.php

At the bottom of this page it says that alpha a lite is suitable for those prone to laminitis too although I suspect you have already found that page :D

[Mehitabel]

i spoke to the nutritionists at topspec becaus petal was dropping weight alarmingly in the summer. she was on happy hoof, it was suggested to swap her onto alfa-a lite as it has higher protein and is generally more nutritious. petal is a slightly different case as she is pregnant, but for muscle gain protein is what you want, so it could be the answer for you as well. petal is certainly looking good on it. the lite is just that is has a sugar-free coating - normal alfa-a has molasses.

[puzzles]

Hi-Fi Lite is diluted with oat straw whereas Alfa-Lite is, as already said, higher in protein and more alfalfa-based.
It is also 1.5MJ higher in energy.

xx