There’s a myth out there, perpetuated among some horse owners and forum regulars, that SUCCEED can be duplicated in the kitchen inexpensively in bulk using off-the-shelf ingredients. Proponents suggest that it’s possible to read the ingredients on our label, select the active ones that make a difference, and concoct your own formula for a fraction of the price. One currently popular make-it-yourself formula consists of oat flour and sometimes L-glutamine.
But much like fine winemaking, producing SUCCEED is more complicated than simply mixing together the right ingredients. Here are four reasons that attempts to duplicate fall way short.
#1: Nutrient Content of Base Ingredients Varies Widely
The base ingredients of SUCCEED Digestive Conditioning Program, as listed on the label, are oat flour, oat oil, irradiated dried yeast, L-glutamine, and L-threonine. But the real benefits for equine digestive health come from specific components that are derived from these feed ingredients:
- beta glucan in oat flour,
- polar lipids in oat oil,
- and MOS in irradiated dried yeast.
The nutrient content the each of these ingredients can vary widely based on the type, where it was grown, and how it was processed. Not all oat flour has the same concentration of beta glucan, not all oat oil has the same concentration of polar lipids, and so on.
Oat flour purchased at Whole Foods or on Amazon won’t have near the concentration of beta glucan (which is beneficial for a healthy immune system, moderates the release of sugars into the bloodstream, and helps to normalize the transit time of feed in digestion) as compared with the oat flour that is used in SUCCEED. We use a type of oat with a thicker hull, less starch and more bran, which is where beta glucan is found. The flour is manufactured using a production process that retains more of the beta glucan and much less starch.
The right grape is key in winemaking because different types of grapes are affected differently by the climate, the soil, etc., which is why wine is big in some places (like France or California) and not others (say Japan or England). Grapes grow, and have the right characteristics, in certain places. The same is true for the ingredients in SUCCEED. Each is carefully sourced for utmost quality and higher concentrations of the beneficial constituent nutrients.
The label on a grocery store product may say it’s the same ingredient, but it indicates nothing about the constituent nutrients within those ingredients – and those are what really matter.
#2: Quality of the Ingredients
Again, not all ingredients are created equal. Where ingredients are derived, how they are made, and how they are stored – for starters – all have a significant impact on their nutritional value.
The best wine starts with the best grapes, not only from the right regions but from the best vineyards within those regions.
The same is true for the oats and other ingredients used in SUCCEED. We use human food grade ingredients in SUCCEED, which require a higher level of purity and quality. This makes them more expensive, but is also necessary to ensure a consistently good result.
#3: Production Methods Make a Difference
Getting to a final product is about how, and how well, everything is mixed and prepared. Better wines are consistently produced by the best wine makers – they have good equipment, good, time-tested methods, and pure skill for making the best wine. Good grape make for good wine, but in the hands of an expert can result in the truly exceptional.
SUCCEED is not just about throwing the ingredients into a bowl. We utilize proprietary methods, ensuring that even the order in which the ingredients are combined has been perfected. We also carefully control the levels of heat, moisture and time so they are consistent time after time.
#4: The Entire Recipe is Necessary for the Right Result
You wouldn’t expect a Bordeaux to be the same if you left out the Cabernet Franc, even if it’s only 30 percent of the final blend. It has a purpose, and the wine is different without it.
So it goes with SUCCEED – every ingredient plays a role. Just mixing oat flour and L-glutamine doesn’t give you the benefits because you’re missing the important role of the oat oil and the yeast, and the synergistic effect of all of them together.
Also, keep in mind that SUCCEED wasn’t created after a few hours of online research. It has been extensively researched, tested, and trialed internally and independently for effectiveness and safety over the course of a decade in collaboration with veterinarians, equine vet hospitals, universities, equine nutritionists, and more.
It has been used effectively by serious horse people with thousands of horses, many of them our own. Check out our Success Stories to read about the many ways SUCCEED has been beneficial to wellness, behavior, and performance – for professionals, amateurs, and leisure horses alike.
It’s a myth that SUCCEED can be duplicated effectively from simply recreating the ingredients list with off-the-shelf products. Read our What Goes In series to learn more about how supplement labeling works and what makes the ingredients in SUCCEED different.
