Why Benchmark Perfect Mash®? Benchmark’s Nutrition team had a mission to create a new and innovative feed that would provide a balanced equine diet with high levels of essential nutrients but without relying on grains and grain bi-products. By utilising the benefits of super fibres from soy hulls the team were able to create a truly remarkable new feed that ticks the nutritional boxes for many of our equine friends. Highly palatable, Benchmark Perfect Mash® is rich in natural antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and electrolytes – and importantly, despite being a great conditioning feed, it is genuinely non-heating, making it a logical choice for many horse owners. Supporting Digestive Good Health In yet another innovative move, our nutritionists took advantage of the hind gut digestibility of the super fibres in Perfect Mash® to deliver serious amounts of pre and pro-biotics, supporting the gut microbiome and microbiota (gut flora) population. In an industry first for Australia, we have added Melofeed®, a natural source of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. (SOD) As the name suggests, Melofeed® is extracted from melon fruit pulp and juice. The benefits of SOD are well proven and are documented on our website. What’s so great about super fibres? Apart from water, fibre is the most important component of a horse’s natural diet. Fibre is digested by fermentation in the horse’s hind gut or caecum, unlocking energy rich short chain volatile fatty acids, the horse’s natural energy source. The digestion of fibre sources such as pasture, hay and chaff are about 40-60% efficient, meaning that about 40- 60% of all fibre is either not digested, or only partially digested and ultimately passes as waste in the horse’s manure. By comparison super fibres, such as the soy hulls in the Benchmark Perfect Mash® are about 75-80% digestible, meaning that much less is passed as waste and importantly more nutritional benefit is gained from each kg of super fibres fed. Super fibres also stimulate fermentation, helping to protect the delicate microbiota (micro flora) balance in the hind gut. These are also the same microbes responsible for producing most of the horse’s B and K vitamins which are so vital for the healthy daily functioning of the horse.
