Frequently Asked Questions
What is FeedXL?
FeedXL is online feeding and nutrition software based on the original "Equilize" horse nutrition software. Once you have subscribed, you simply tell FeedXL what your horse's specific details are, including its work load, whether it is an easy or hard keeper and if it has any nutrition related diseases and FeedXL will guide the development of a diet that will meet its nutrition needs perfectly. FeedXL is simple to use and accurate and allows you to subscribe online for as little as $15
When will FeedXL be available for use?
We are working on FeedXL as fast as we can and will hopefully have it available for you by the end of Octover 2008. This first release will be available to horse owners in Australia. We will be adding additional countries as we go along in response to your demands.
So that you can be one of the first to know when the Australian software is avaliable, or if you are from another country to let us know you would like software for use in your country, use the button below to enter your first name, an email address and your country, and we will email you as soon as your country's software is ready.
How do I subscribe to FeedXL?
Once FeedXL is ready to go, all you need to do is select the plan you wish to subscribe to and pay using Paypal, Visa or Mastercard. Payment is processed instantly and you will be sent an email straight away with your login details. Once you have that email, you are all set to go.
What kind of horses can I use FeedXL for?
FeedXL can be used to balance diets for every age, breed and size of horse from the pregnant and lactating mare through to the growing foal, weanling, yearling, and horses in light, moderate, heavy and very heavy work. FeedXL will also care for your spelling and retired horses.
Are the horse requirements based on the NRC Nutrient Requirements of Horses?
No.The requirements for some nutrients like energy and protein are based on the NRC recommendations. However, the mineral and vitamin requirements are based on recent research or field experience. To give the best results for your horse, most requirements for minerals and vitamins are elevated above those recommended by the NRC. The NRC themselves acknowledge that some of their recommendations are based on preventing classical deficiency symptoms and not on improving reproductive and athletic performance.
Will FeedXL help me to solve problems I am having with my horse?
Absolutely. So many problems we experience with our horses are a result of poor nutrition. Problems like weight loss, dull coats, brittle, shelly or diseased hooves, skin diseases, lameness, loss of appetite, bad behaviour, poor performance, windsucking, laminitis, colic, insulin resistance, bacterial infections, long recovery times after viral diseases like the Equine Influenza, diarrhoea and developmental problems in foals are ALL linked to diets that aren't meeting your horse's requirements. Using FeedXL and feeding balanced diets will get rid of these nutrition related problems.
Will FeedXL help me to formulate a diet for a horse with a specific nutrition-related disease like Cushing's Disease, Laminitis or Tying Up?
Yes! When you enter your horse's details you will be asked if your horse has any specific nutrition related diseases. FeedXL will then suggest feeds that are suitable for your horse and alter your horse's nutrient requirements where necessary.
Will FeedXL improve my horse's performance?
No matter how good your horse's diet is, you will never improve your horse's performance above its genetic ability, or above your ability as a rider. However, feeding an unbalanced diet will prevent your horses reaching their genetic potential, and many horses are fed an unbalanced diet. So using FeedXL will make sure your horse is given every opportunity to perform at its best!
Which feeds are available in FeedXL to use in my horse's diet?
Every major feed and supplement that provides detailed information on what is in the feed is available in FeedXL to use in your horse's diet. If there is a product that you want to use that isn't in FeedXL, you just need to ask us to put it in for you. The nice thing about having this online system is we can put it into the software for you straight away.
My horse is on pasture, will FeedXL take this into account when doing a diet?
Yes! We have put together extensive pasture data and even have photos to help you select the pasture most like the one your horse is grazing. FeedXL will even work out how much pasture your horses is eating for you. We do recommend you have your pasture analysed for a more accurate assessment of your horse's diet.
Does FeedXL take into account the different qualities of hay I might use?
Yes, when you select the hay you are using in your horse's diet you can then specify the quality. You will have prime, good, average, poor and weather damaged qualities to choose from.
I have a custom feed prepared for me. Can I use this in my FeedXL diets?
Yes, you can enter your own custom feeds into the database. Initially you will just email us with the details of the feed and we will enter it into your database for you.
Will FeedXL help me manage my horse's weight?
Yes! When entering your horse's details you will be asked if your horse is an easy, normal or hard keeper and whether you would like him/her to lose, maintain or gain weight. Using this information, FeedXL adjusts your horse's energy (calorie) requirement and helps you balance a diet according to your horse's weight management needs.
Will I save money on my feed bill by using FeedXL?
Overwhelmingly people who have used the older version of FeedXL, the Equilize software, have commented that the cost of feeding their horse goes down after balancing the diet properly. Feeding a well balanced diet means you won't feed unnecessary supplements or feeds and your horse will use the feed you do use more efficiently, meaning often you can feed less. While we can't promise it will cost you less, we do know you will get better results feeding a diet balanced in FeedXL!
How do I know which plan to choose?
You should choose a plan depending on the type of diet analysis you want (standard or comprehensive), the types of horses you have (breeding and growing horses; lightly ridden pleasure or pony club horses; or equestrian and racing horses) and the number of horses you would like to balance diets for. For those of you who have a few of everything and a lot of horses, we've created two all-inclusive Deluxe plans. Each type of plan is also available in a 1-day, 1-month or 1-year subscription. You can compare plans to select the one most suitable for your situation.
What happens if I don't resubscribe to the software?
Nothing! You are free to choose when and for how long you want to subscribe. However, if you don't resubscribe you will lose the saved horses and diets you have on the system. You will however still have the diets you created and saved to your computer.
If I subscribe to one plan can I change to another plan?
Yes. You can change which plan you are subscribed to when you are logged in to FeedXL. If you change to a plan that allows fewer horses, you will need to choose which horses you want to keep the information for. Unfortunately we can't refund any payment you have made so it's best to downgrade your plan at the end of your subscription period. If you upgrade to a more expensive plan you will pay the difference between your original plan and the new plan. The amount you pay will depend on the amount of time you have left remaining on your subscription.
Will FeedXL recommend diets for my horse?
On first release FeedXL won't recommend diets for your horses. However, FeedXL version 2 will be able to recommend a diet for your specific horse, formulated according to its requirements, your feeding preferences and the feeds you have available. We are really excited about being able to provide this function in future and we'll keep everyone informed about this and other improvements and new features to FeedXL.