FAQ

Feed

• Q. Where is your feed made?

  All our feed is blended and bagged in Abbotsford, British Columbia.

• Q. Are you a locally owned company?

  Yes, we have been a local & family owned company since our humble beginnings in 1968.

• Q. What ingredients do you use in your feeds?

  All of our ingredient lists can be viewed by visiting the ingredient page for each feed we make, on our website.

• Q. Do you have any GMO-free feeds?

  YES! Our Chatterbox Premium Poultry line is all made from GMO-free grains.

• Q. What is the feed rate for the Harmony Complete Supplement Pellets?

  The feed rate is recommended as 2 cups per horse. That means one bag of Harmony Complete Supplement Pellet will feed your horse for 2 months.

• Q. Can I mix and match Harmony feeds?

  YES! Feeding Harmony Premium Equine Feed allows you the flexibility to either feed one of our complete feeds or mix and match with others, depending on the needs of your horse. All of our products have the same nutritious vitamin and mineral pack, allowing you to mix and match feeds or compliment your horse’s diet with a partial ration of complete feed and top up with Harmony Complete Supplement Pellets.

• Q. Do you add any hormones to your feeds?

  Never! All of our products are free of added hormones.

• Q. How do you decide what goes into a feed?

  We have an incredible team of talented and knowlegeable in-house nutritionists, who formulate all of our Ritchie-Smith feeds, including Chatterbox Premium Poultry and Harmony Premium Equine feeds with specific focus on palatability, performance and quality.

• Q. Can I buy your feed online?

  While we currently do not offer online purchasing, we will be available in your local country retail store in the coming weeks and months. Be sure to ask your favourite store to carry the Ritchie Smith line of feeds.

• Q. Can I pick up directly from your mill or warehouse?

  We are available exclusively through our retail partners.  Be sure to check our where to buy page on our website to find a store near you.

• Q. Do you offer support if I have questions about the feed or my animals?

  YES! Please email us at hello@ritchiesmith.com with any questions you might have and one of our experts will be happy to help you.

• Q. Why doesn’t Harmony carry extruded feed?

  Many extruded feeds use lower quality (cheaper) oils and the extrusion process helps to hide these inferior oil qualities. Harmony uses high quality flaxseed oil in all its feeds that results in more nutritious feed overall. 

• Q. Does the Harmony feed program address Selenium deficiencies experienced on Vancouver Island? 

  Yes! The Harmony line delivers 2mg of Selenium per full serving and 2000 IU Vitamin E. It is critical to understand that Vitamin E and Selenium work in tandem. Some competing supplement products have high selenium, but insufficient levels of Vitamin E to work as intended. Also, 50% of our Selenium is organic and is 100% bioavailable. For example, we had one case where a lady on the Island had a horse that suffered with clinical selenium deficiency. She fed our Harmony Senior feed and all signs of deficiencies are gone within 3 weeks. She is highlighted in our website and social media.

• Q. Why would I feed the Senior Pellets?

  They are designed for horses who require easily digestible feeds. Meaning that they will provide nutrients that are easily absorbed and utilized by the body. Senior horses, performance horses and broodmares all require these types of nutrients. So, although it is called “senior” – it’s an excellent choice for a variety of horse needs. It provides fibre, moderate starch/energy and is a great source of protein. All these building blocks are essential for seniors or performance horses.

• Q. My horse needs to gain weight. What should I feed?

  Harmony High fat pellets will provide the most energy of all of our feeds. The energy is coming from fat so it won’t make your horse “hot”. This feed is considered safe for metabolic horses due to its very low sugar and starch content, making it an ideal choice for any horse needing to gain weight. 

• Q. My horse needs more energy under saddle. What should I feed?

  Harmony Sweet Feed, Senior Pellets or the Maintenance Pellets would help with activity under saddle. The Sweet Feed and Senior Pellets would provide the most energy, followed by the Maintenance. 

• Q.  I have young, growing horses. What should I feed?

  Providing ample free choice, quality hay is the best option to provide the most calories and protein for growing horses. We don’t want to encourage horses to grow their bones too quickly, by consuming too much energy. If your hay quality it sufficient for good growth rates, then supplementing vitamins/minerals with our Harmony Complete Supplement Pellet is the way to go. If your hay quality is low, then our Maintenance Pellet is a great choice to provide added energy and protein for your growing horses’ needs.

• Q. I have a horse that has a metabolic concern and is overweight. What should I feed?

  The Harmony Complete Supplement Pellet is the best option for this type of horse. Feed rates are recommended based on bodyweight. Average feed rate is 2 cups per day. 

• Q. My hay supply is limited, what would help extend my forage?

  Harmony High Fibre Pellets would be a good choice in this scenario. They are a low NSC pellet and can be fed up to 2.5kg per day. If that is not enough, supplement with soaked hay cubes or additional beet pulp to provide your horse with more forage.

• Q. I’m tired of soaking beet pulp and worried it will go bad on the hot summer days (or freeze in winter). What can I do instead?

  The Harmony High Fibre Pellets as a source of extra fibre for your horse. They are hassle free, can be fed dry and they are tasty for your horse! They already contain hoof supplements, a gut health supplement, and immune and metabolism support – so no need to add anything extra to them. They’re great for horses who tend to be more sensitive, they are very low NSC, and won’t contribute to making your horse “hot”. 

• Q. Why does Harmony have generally lower feeding rates?

  The primary base of the horse diet should be forage. From hay, pasture, cubes, etc. Feeds should be supplementary and the average horse does not need to consume a large volume of grain. Our feeds are specifically formulated to approach feeding from a fiber-first approach, and all our feeds supply some fermentable fiber to assist with hind gut health.  When comparing to other brands, its important to consider their feeding rates as compared to Harmony, and also the digestible/absorbable nutrients delivered within the lower feeding rates of Harmony.  Harmony excels on this basis.

• Q. Do Harmony Feeds support in ulcer prevention?

  Yes! We have a reduced starch load approach across our entire lineup of feeds, to assist in keeping ulcers at bay. New scientific data suggest that total starch fed per meal should be kept to a minimum. All of our formulas will meet these criteria if they are fed the total volume split into 2 daily feedings. We are committed to gut health and have selected specific nutrients for assisting in gut health.  
  
  Our included gut health pack is not only focused on ulcer prevention, but we have chosen specific amino acids to aid in repairing the gut barrier/lining. We have also added prebiotics and additional fermentable fibre to assist in hind gut health. 

• Q. What does Harmony support hoof health?

  We have added high levels of trace minerals in a balanced approach, with no added iron, to aid in hoof growth and strength. High levels of specific hoof building amino acids have also been added. 

• Q. How does Harmony support the immune system and metabolism?

  We have added high levels of vitamin E, 50% from natural sources to assist with immune system function and muscle repair.

• Q. I am feeding a broodmare and/or foal; what should I feed?

  With their high protein content, our Senior Pellets are an ideal choice for both broodmares and foals assuming there are no metabolic issues. For more details and example feed plans click HERE.

  If there are metabolic concerns or you have any questions about how to best feed your broodmare or foal, please reach out and our equine nutritionists will be happy to work with you.

• Q. Why are there less products in the Harmony line than some other equine feed lines?

  Focus on quality ingredients and what horses and their owner’s value the most. All our nutritious ingredients are clearly listed on our website and product brochures so that horse owners can be 100% confident they know what is in the feeds.

  Flexibility – Recognition that many horse owners like to mix and match feeds in order to tailor the feed program to the individual horse. Harmony is a simplified and consolidated line up with premium levels of essential minerals and vitamins which allows for this flexible and customized feeding style. 
  
  Education – With a consolidated and refined product line, retail experts and consumers can more easily learn about the products, our proprietary OptiBlend Whole Health system and determine what best addresses their needs.  

• Q. How do I know when my feed was bagged? And how long do I have to use it?

  You can find the bagging date in our lot number down the side of our bag tags. The number starts with a P followed by the year, month and day. Example: P20230217-00765 was bagged on February 17^th of 2023. We recommend feed be sold by our dealers within 3 months of bagging and fed out within 6 months. Some feeds with higher levels of molasses may spoil sooner.

  All feed products manufactured by Ritchie-Smith Feeds are stabilized using a blend of organic acids. With no nutritional value and no health risk to animals, they are added to reduce the proliferation of natural organisms that potentially decrease the shelf life of your feed.