Textured feeds were often referred to as 'sweet feed' due to the molasses, and many still refer to textured feeds as sweet feed, even though today’s versions often contain significantly less molasses than in the past. | Photo: iStock

Q:  What is the difference between textured and pelleted feed, and is one better than the other?

A: The terms “textured” and “pelleted” refer to the form in which the feed comes. Pelleted feed is, as the name suggests, feed that comes in the form of a pellet, whereas in a textured feed the majority of ingredients are in a loose form. However, many textured feeds include pellets, which often contain the added vitamins and minerals in the diet.

Textured Feeds: Simple Ingredients, Simple Technology

Textured feeds were the original commercial feed mixes because they traditionally required little in the way of technology to mix together readily available grains and other ingredients, such as molasses. They were often referred to as “sweet feed” due to the molasses, and many still refer to textured feeds as sweet feed, even though today’s versions often contain significantly less molasses than in the past. In fact, some of today’s so-called “sweet feeds” are safe to feed to horses with metabolic disorders