Baileys Balancers

fizzer

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I use the Stud Balancer for my youngster and as he is rising 3 he will soon be going onto the Lo-Cal type. Can not understand why its £5 more expensive.
 
Can,t answer your question regarding price but i have kept my mare on stud balancer as well as my yearling rather than have two different feeds. Her feet are as good as they have ever been so don,t won,t to change even though she is a riding horse again.
 
Do you perhaps have to feed substantially less of the LoCal?

According to Baileys website:-

BSB, fed to a 24month old horse, anticipated mature bodyweight 500-600kg, 900g a day

Lo Cal fed to a horse over 15hh, 675g a day.

So if your youngster falls into that size category it will need just over 2/3rd of the amount of Lo Cal comapred to BSB.
 
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I spoke to Baileys at Burghley and they said to carry on with stud balancer until they reach 3 ( according to breed). I am going to ask the question about price and if ok to carry on with stud balancer at the Your Horse Live Event.
 
Isn't the protein level in the Stud Balancer higher than the Lo Cal and 'normal' balancers? I haven't checked, but used to use the Stud Balancer when my lot were babies. When I carried on using it (also happened with D&H's Sure Grow) I found my horses' urine became too strong. Suggesting they were excreting excess protein as ammonia. Not good for the horse in the long term. Since switching early this year to the Low Cal version, the strong urine problem has resolved itself.

The additional cost is more than likely due to aditonal 'added-ingredients' that the Lo Cal and normal range of balancers have, but the Stud balancers dont.
 
Most of the event horses on the yard are fed stud balancer, but they are all 5+ and are fantastic on it :)

Quite, but I assume they are competition horses or ones in training to be? I looked at the Bailey's range of balancers: competition Performance balancer has 26% protein, Stud balancer has 32% protein and Lo Cal has 16% protein. Topspec range: competition Comprehensive balancer 25% protein, Lesuire balancer 23% protein, Anti-Lam balancer 11% protein. Equimins Advance balancer 12% protein.

Ultimately, for a general riding horse a balancer with 32% protein is too high. Particularly if alfalfa products are also fed. But even it they're not, I'd take notice that even the 'competition' level balancers dont include 32% protein. I'd also add, my horses looked great on the Stud balancer too. It was just the excess wet in the stables and strong ammonia smell that alerted me that a dietary change was in order. Once done, excess wet and smell greatly reduced.

Feeding an inappropriate balancer simply to save £5 per bag concerns me. The feed companies develop appropriate balancers to meet the demands of differing horses and feeding 'stud' food to a mature horse is unwise. Particularly just to save a Fiver.
 
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is it not 32% per kg though? My 12 YO gelding has stud balancer and I have to say its the best one I have tried and I have tried quite a few. Baileys said to me its fine to feed him that..he only has 500gm so the protein level is 16 %. There isnt anything that much different in the ingredients than any other balancer but its the only one that has helped with a dodgy tummy so Il be sticking with it. I know quite a few people on here use it...not just for breeding purposes.
 
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