A good balancer for barefooters

I think a lot depends on the current condition of the feet, I see someone recommended Equimins Advance, but when I was building up my horse from poor condition [neglect], I was recommended to use Original as it is better for the gut, so I bought a big tub of original and mixed it with Hoof Pro, at first I used half recommended Hoof Pro and half Original.
I looked at all the costs of the readily available minerals, and decided there was no way to avoid 45p per day, and 50p for the rest [chaff, s/beet/linseed] but also when I looked at recommended amounts of bagged feeds, it worked more expensive.
The relative costs of the minerals are the same for the horse owner as for the feed manufacturer, and buying cheaper mixes or feeding less than recommended is cutting back on the minerals.
I also know that the sugar beet contains minerals, but we don't know how much and they are certainly not balanced for horse requirements.

Mollasses Free Chaff £0.10
Mollases Free Beet £0.25
Linseed Meal[100gm] £0.15
Hoof Pro £0.25
Benevit Original £0.20
MgO 0.9kg £12 5 £0.05
Salt
TOTAL £1.00 per day
Light work, good condition.
This was my cheapest option, though I think some people can buy non molassed s/beet cheaper [I pay £13.00] and linseed meal [£30.00]
It only takes one vet callout to ramp up the cost, and my strategy was to avoid callouts, and keep horse in good condition.
Remember the savings: ....... £1.00 per day for shoes.
Long term health: for the individual horse it can't really be measured, but most people who decide to go barefoot and still use the horses for recreational purposes will be aware of the benefits.
Safety: anyone who has gone down on slippery tarmac, will feel a lot happier with an unshod horse.
 
My horse has been barefoot since Jan 2011 and since I started feeding forage plus winter hoof health 4 months ago his stubborn toe cracks have completely disappeared and his hoof boots are gathering dust. Prior to starting FP I mixed my own minerals based on forage analysis but I stopped because every 6 months we get a new batch of different hay.

My YO is so impressed she's not only feeding it to her own horses but all our full liveries as well at a cost of £250 every 4 weeks.
 
MrsD123 said:
I think a lot depends on the current condition of the feet, I see someone recommended Equimins Advance, but when I was building up my horse from poor condition [neglect], I was recommended to use Original as it is better for the gut, so I bought a big tub of original and mixed it with Hoof Pro, at first I used half recommended Hoof Pro and half Original.
I looked at all the costs of the readily available minerals, and decided there was no way to avoid 45p per day, and 50p for the rest [chaff, s/beet/linseed] but also when I looked at recommended amounts of bagged feeds, it worked more expensive.
The relative costs of the minerals are the same for the horse owner as for the feed manufacturer, and buying cheaper mixes or feeding less than recommended is cutting back on the minerals.
I also know that the sugar beet contains minerals, but we don't know how much and they are certainly not balanced for horse requirements.

Mollasses Free Chaff £0.10
Mollases Free Beet £0.25
Linseed Meal[100gm] £0.15
Hoof Pro £0.25
Benevit Original £0.20
MgO 0.9kg £12 5 £0.05
Salt
TOTAL £1.00 per day
Light work, good condition.
This was my cheapest option, though I think some people can buy non molassed s/beet cheaper [I pay £13.00] and linseed meal [£30.00]
It only takes one vet callout to ramp up the cost, and my strategy was to avoid callouts, and keep horse in good condition.
Remember the savings: ....... £1.00 per day for shoes.
Long term health: for the individual horse it can't really be measured, but most people who decide to go barefoot and still use the horses for recreational purposes will be aware of the benefits.
Safety: anyone who has gone down on slippery tarmac, will feel a lot happier with an unshod horse.
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You are so right the benefits of decent minerals far outweigh the costs. I see it daily not just in my own horse but the many horses of all shapes and sizes that I look after. From simple things like no longer itchy (big thing for the horse), reduced mud fever/thrush (mine doesn't seem to get these any more) sounder, vastly improved hoof quality, faster wound healing, better depth of coat colour for some, and best of all, happier horses.

I've saved more in vets bills than I have ever spent on minerals and quality ingredients like the micronised linseed. Which BTW depending on where you live can be purchased more cheaply from GJTitmuss. They have a website.
 
Yes, I always pride myself that my horses are the best looking [condition wise], and look the best at all times of the year. Since I went off the cereal and added molasses type standard diet, on to the "barefoot" diet, no more mud fever , no itchyness and better coat colour.
Probably calmer: I used to feed Feedmark Steady-up for calmness, but it works out too expensive to feed long term. I think the magnesium helps in various aspects.
 
Also - have jsut purchased some treat balls for my two for entertainment in at night ni the stable - can anyone recommend some barefoot friendly treats/cubes to put in them?!
 
mischamoo said:
Why is iron and manganese a problem LP - sorry for my ignorance.
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Few horses are short of iron in this country, iron overload is much more of a problem. Excess iron is implicated in the development of Insulin Resistance. Iron also inhibits the absorption of other vital minerals such as copper and zinc, both are vital and forage in the UK tends to be short of both.


Diet related iron deficiency has never been described in the horse except in foals. Instead, because iron is so abundant in the equine diet, iron overload and iron interference with the absorption of the other trace minerals is much more likely. Iron is also unique in that the horse does not have a pathway for easily excreting it. Once inside the body, iron is there to stay except for tiny amounts lost in sweat and sloughed cells.

I don't know enough about manganese but I am aware that Manganese is a poorly understood mineral, both in horses and humans. Reports of deficiencies are extremely rare. Minerals need to be in a broad balance with each other (there are published ratios) and with copper and zinc generally being in short supply (and manganese not) and these needing to be in balance it is unhelpful to add further manganese to the diet unless you know it it needed.
 
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