Horizon dog food
October 29, 2010
Filed under Dog Food Reviews, Horizon Legacy
Horizon Dog Food
Horizon dog food formulas is manufactured and marketed by Horizon Pet Nutrition, a family-owned company based in Saskatchewan. The makers of Horizon Complete and Legacy dog food claim the use of only the best available local ingredients using their own state-of-the-art manufacturing facility which enables them to have control of their inputs or ingredients and products.
Horizon Pet Nutrition has come up with three lines of premium dog food formulas—Amicus, Complete, and Legacy.
Amicus is the newest dog food formula line from Horizon. It is marketed as a superior grain-free kibble diet tailored for small breeds of dogs.
Horizon Complete is an optimum-balanced formula which combines human grade ingredients, essential supplements and antioxidants. There are five Legacy Complete lines available in the market. Four meet AAFCO adult nutrient profiles and one for growth.
Horizon Legacy is a grain-free pet food formula based on a raw diet philosophy. It is a super premium blend of fresh, human grade meats combined with vitamin- and mineral-rich fruits and vegetables, and supplements designed to meet a dog’s nutritional needs. The two Horizon Legacy product lines meet the AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
Unlike other grain-free dog food formulas, Horizon dog food products claim to have no fillers and potatoes as a carbohydrate source.
The main ingredients of Amicus dog food formulas include fresh human-grade turkey, chicken, salmon, and farm fresh eggs.
Horizon Complete Formulas contain chicken meal, whole grain barley, whole grain oats, and chicken. It also contains alfalfa meal, omega fatty acids, yucca schidegera, probiotics, prebiotics, and chelated minerals.
Horizon Legacy’s major ingredients include chicken, salmon, turkey, eggs, and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables like pineapple, blueberries and cranberries. .
It can be seen that the first few ingredients of each Horizon dog food line include protein-rich ingredients. Fresh sources of meat, that Horizon claims to be of human grade, are wholesome sources of good quality meat-based protein. The disadvantage of using fresh meat sources is the amount of water it contains. During processing, water evaporates leaving only a small portion of the meat in the formulation. On the other hand, chicken meal, turkey meal, and salmon meal are better sources of protein because these are considered meat concentrates containing almost 300% more protein than fresh meat sources. One important disadvantage with meat meals is that they are usually sourced from meat products which have been deemed unfit for human food. Thus a meat meal may contain non-wholesome ingredients including bones, tendons, entrails, and other parts of an animal’s carcass which cannot be used for human food.
Horizon dog food formulas also incorporate plant-based sources of essential nutrients including peas and flaxseed. These plant-based ingredients are also good sources of fiber that can enhance the digestion and elimination process. Flaxseed is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Pea starch is used as a natural binder for kibble. Pea fiber is a rich source of both soluble and non-soluble digestible fiber which is extracted from pea hulls. Aside from the beneficial effects of the fibers, Pea Fiber is added to increase the bulk. Pea, whether incorporated as starch or fiber, can also add to the total protein content of the feed.
Flaxseed is considered as one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids and soluble fiber. One thing to bear in mind with flaxseeds is that they should be ground first before incorporating in the feed to ensure digestibility.
Chicken fat is a product of rendering. It is high in linoleic acid which is an essential omega-6 fatty acid.
Like any other premium dog food formulas, Horizon coats their kibbles with probiotics which are applied after processing. This practice ensures the presence of beneficial bacteria which can boost digestive and immune system functions.
Chelated minerals have also been added to enhance absorption and utilization in the body.
There are many positive feedbacks from dog owners who have given Horizon dog food formulas to their dogs. They single out the absence of fillers and the use of high quality ingredients with grain-free formulas. Dog owners also remark on Horizon’s palatability compared to high-quality dog food formulas. The only downside with Horizon dog food formulas, as stated by many dog owners, is the price which is more expensive compared to popular dog food brands in the market.
Overall, we believe that Horizon is one of the best dog food brands available and give this dog food our highest endorsement.
Please visit the links listed below for Horizon dog food reviews by formula.
Have a comment or question about our Horizon dog food review? Want to share your experiences with others? We welcome your comments!
Horizon Dog Food Review
Horizon Legacy Dog Food Recipes:
- Horizon Legacy Puppy Dog Food – Updated Formula and Review (10/29/10)
- Horizon Legacy Adult Dog Food
Horizon Complete Dog Food Recipes:
- Horizon Complete Puppy Dog Food
- Horizon Complete Adult Dog Food
- Horizon Complete Senior Dog Food
- Horizon Complete Large Breed Adult Dog Food
Horizon Dog Food Consumer Rating
| Title | Votes | Rating | Review |
| Horizon Complete Large Breed Adult | 3 | 8.3 | -1.0 |
| Horizon Complete Large Breed Puppy | 4 | 5.5 | -1.0 |
| Horizon Complete Senior | 0 | 0 | -1.0 |
| Horizon Legacy Adult Dog Food | 63 | 7.5 | -1.0 |
| Horizon Legacy Puppy Dog Food | 44 | 8.2 | -1.0 |
| Horizon dog food | 98 | 7.4 | -1.0 |
Hey Jess thanks for the info I bookmarked that page so I can get a better look at it later.
I just read over the ingredients. I think it is a fine food. Certainly better than most.
But I still think that Orijen and Evo have a better ingredients list. Plus they have a complete Nutrient Analysis posted everywhere for everyone to see.
Until there is a better kibble than Orijen or until I can’t get it anymore….(or until somehow it gets screwed up, which has happened to many dog food companies), I’m going to stick with Orijen and the occasional raw.
Oh I agree, Orijen is my main food, but I know my dog likes a new taste now and then. So now you have 4 different manufactures that produce thier own product.
I like Horizon because of the lack of potato. The pea makes it a little lower glycemic … great for diabetic dogs.
one of the few grainless foods without potato. a good choice for older arthritic seniors, since grains can be inflammatory as can potato (but only for dogs who are sensitive to the alkaloids in potato).
I really like this food – well actually my dogs do, but I like the ingredients list.
I think it’s a great food to rotate with Innova EVO, Orijen and the Acana Provincial (grain-free) line.
I get it from petfooddirect.com.
My dogs can be picky, but they seem to love this one consistently.
I feed Legacy dog food to my show dogs and their skin and coats look great. I like the Peas. I get mine from http://www.pupnpalsnatural.com
Horizon legacy works great on my dogs, plus they are not like all the other so called great companies that change their ingredients every so often. Orijen is also a new product that changed their ingrdients at least 2-3 times. Gave my dogs a lot of gas by the end. But they are doing great on Horizon. Also Canadian.
I have no idea what planet your from but the only thing Orijen has done is removed an ingredient. And my dog has NO GAS NONE ZERO on Orijen. By the way these guys have changed their ingredient list recently, look on the bag then look here it is different. And yes I like this food.
are you canadian or american. Here in canada Orijen changed their formulas at least 2-3 time one was to come to the american market and AAFCO did not like some of their ingredients. They also lower the protein and put more potato. Here in Canada they still didn’t change all their bags to the new formula. Trust me I fed Orijen when it first came out, that is when they had a great formula, not saying it is not still good, but they did decrease the quality a bit. Also Orijen is quite expensive here in Canada, Horizon is cheaper for the same quality. Horizon I just started feeding, all I know is that they changed the wording of their ingredients to meet AAFCO standards. I do like their formula better than Orijen and it feeds well. They also do not use old packaging and they list the real ingredients on the bag. Maybe you are one of the lucky ones that your dog does not have gas on Orijen, but a lot of people are having my difficulty and most cannot keep a good weight on their dogs. On Horizon my dog wost a bit of extra weight on Horizon (which he needed) without having to change his portion size. Why don’t you go on the Orijen site to see if they explained why they changed the ingredients 2-3 time. They don’t say anything about it, only if you catch it off their bags, which they do not update. Horizon explains themselves quite well on their site. I like a company that has nothing to hide. This is my opinion. So Jess I am from Canada where these products started from and I have talked to both companies and know their history quite well.
Are you american or canadian. Here is Canada Orijen has changed their formula 2-3 times, one was to get into the american market and AAFCO did not like some of their ingredients. I used to feed my dog Orijen from the start so I know very well they did change the ingredients. I just started feeding Horizon Legacy and they changed the wording of their ingredients to meet AAFCO requirements. Unlike Orijen, they explain themselves quite well on their website and they actually list their real ingredients on the bags, do not use old packaging like Orijen. So we actually know what we are getting in the bag this time around. Well Jess maybe you are one the lucky ones that did not have gas, but a lot of dogs do on Orijen, look aroung and you will see, I am not the only one with this problem. Also here in Canada Orijen is quite expensive, Horizon legacy is cheaper for same quality. I like Horizon Legacy ingredients more and trust them better. I like a company that has nothing to hide. So Jess, I am not from another planet but from Canada, where these companies started and know both of these companies quite well and their history.
LOL, your funny. I have old bags of Orijen!!!! I keep some just for this reason annnd I buy large bags then break them down into smaller bags then refirgerate in an old refirgerator I have in the basement. The only thing I have found is they removed corn silk. That is a LOOOONG eay from changing the formula. What coubtry I am from has nothing to do with anything, Geez…
Please leave some facts instead of your opinion. And I know many people who feed O
LOL, your funny. I have old bags of Orijen!!!! I keep some just for this reason annnd I buy large bags then break them down into smaller bags then refirgerate them in an old refirgerator I have in the basement. The only thing I have found is they removed corn silk. That is a LOOOONG way from changing the formula. What country I am from has nothing to do with anything, Geez…USA
Please leave some facts instead of your opinion. And I know many people who feed Orijen and NONE have a problem with gas, none. Please leave facts with links. Horizon is a very underrated food but for some reason DFA took if it off their review site. And Horizon is the one changing their formula… Salmon!!!!!
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
I have no idea whats doing on but Horizon does not even include Legacy on their site anymore. As I said before DFA does not have a review for Legacy anymore and it used to be a 6 star…”"”el”"”,,,you know so much, whats going on??? I have a feeling they dropped it. I just love it when people come here talking like they know everything about dog food, but in reality they know nothing..
http://www.horizonpetnutrition.com/
HAHAHAHAHA You think you are an expert because you go on dog food analysis. Than everyone is an expert. HAHAHA You give so much BS you make me laugh. I thought you said you liked Horizon now you do not because we said something about your Orijen. Sorry Orijen web blogger, Orijen is a MAGICAL food. it does make a difference where you live because they changed the ingredients once to enter the US market. You guys have AAFCO, they have to go by the regulations of AFFCO. Do you actually know anything about dog food. DFA sometimes does not always update their site on time, but they will for all the experts like you. HAHAHA. Their site was down for a while. I think on another forum you said that DHA is not the bible of dog food and now you are quoting them. Are there different JESS on this site.
Anyways you can see the rest of my comments on the Orijen forum. Horizon site has been down and they are adding on none grain fish diet to their line. And also few others. It is still better than Orijen.
It seems like you do not know what you are talking about. I just met the people from Horizon about a month ago. Jess you are to be laughed at. Let me guess your story, you had a dog that had all kinds of problems and you vowed to be an expert on dog food. Bla Bla Bla I heard this story one too many times, it does not make you an expert. Meeting up with the people of the company does. You make me LAUGH Jess when you start meeting up these people of the companies and visiting their facilities, then call yourself an expert. Dog Food Analysis does not make you an expert. Although it it a good base.