Balancer or Conditioning Cubes?

[Damnation]

I have a 15.2TB mare who is in work approx 4-5 times a week either schooling, lunging or hacking.
She is looking good weight wise but I would like to get more condition and topline onto her.
She is fed 1 feed a day of 1 scoop molichop herbie and 1 scoop alfa beet.
She is on 4 day turnout on what is best described as swamp/mud fields. When she is in she is on ad lib hayledge.
Now I was going to put her onto Baileys Topline Conditioning Cubes but then someone mentioned TopSpec balancer. Now the balancer idea attracts me because she is on next to no grass and the TopSpec contains all of the nutrients that she would need. Now to ride she has been a bit lazy and lacking in sparkle and I am thinking that maybe she just isn't getting enough nutrients from her feed and obviously there is no nutrients in what is left of the little grass she is on.
What do you all think?
Izzi

 

[CrazyMare]

If she were mine, she'd be going onto TopSpec. OH's TB is on ALfaAOil, AlfaBeet and TS. He is full of energy, shiney and well.

 

[Damnation]

How much is a bag of Topspec, its quite expensive isn't it?

 

[TGM]

The Bailey's Topline Cubes are supplemented with vit/mins, so if you fed her the recommended amount for her size, it would meet her micronutrient needs, plus obviously supply lots of calories.

However, if you don't want to feed the cubes at the recommended rate, then you are better going for a balancer if you want to ensure she gets all her vit/mins.

 

[TarantuLove]

I love TS, but its just too expensive atm, the only reason Im not feeding it! The comp balancer helped to put weight on my boy but he got that little extra from the CoolCondition cubes they do, which dont contain any vits/mins and are designed to be fed with a TS balancer

 

[Meg2]

I'd go with the Bailey's No. 4 fed at the recommended rate. You will be sure she is getting all her mineral vits and calories. It has DE of 13.5 mj/kg yet is non heating for most horses. It will work out less expensive than Topspec.

 

[at work]

If I understand them properly a Balancer has the right nutrients to help to balance feed rations where there may not be enough (or all the right) nutrients but where there are enough calories already. Conditioning Cubes provide the correct nutrient but also provides lots of calories for energy (or fat) as well.

 

[PoppyAnderson]

TopSpec retails typically at about £40 but I just got it from a local feed merchant for £32.75! Cheapest I've ever seen it. Love the stuff.

 

[wonkey_donkey]

2 feeds a day would be much better than 1.

 

[Damnation]

Wonkey-Donkey: I know she should be on 2 feeds a day but the yard turns her out and they argue that they don't have time to wait around for her to eat breakfast before they turn her out..

She is looking good weight wise on 1 feed a day, but I just want to help get some topline onto her

Izzi x

 

[LEC]

I love Alfa A Oil think its amazing stuff. Will give you shine and condition. Combine that with some good quality conditioning cubes and I think you will see a difference.

I tried Winergy conditioning a couple of weeks ago and though my horse loved it just felt it was stupidly expensive.

 

[rlhnlk]

Alfa beet is fab for putting on weight as it is high in protein.

Balancers are expensive but you only feed a little.
Blue chip original recommended price is £37 i think (I pay 33) and you would feed 500gms a day- no more no less. This means a 20kg should last 40 days giving a cost of 93 pence a day.
According to the Baileys booklet a 15.2 horse in light work should get approx 2.2KG a day. This means a sack would last just 9 days. This means the sack has to be less than £8.45 for it to be cheaper than blue chip original at recommended price which may not be the case dependant on feed merchant. I have heard top spec is supposed to be cheaper than bluechip so prices would be adjusted accordingly.
Some balancers contain pro and pre biotics which can help your horse get the most from the rest of it's food which could help them gain weight.
Another option for added topshine is Baileys outshine for more info see their website on it as I can't be bothered to type the pro's and con's of it but similar cost per day to the bluechip I think.

 

[lirago]

I feed the new Topspec light balancer as my horse carrys plenty of weight but needed a little help with improving her topline since she has been on it she has never looked better despite having three months off due to injury she came back into work and it normally takes ages for her to muscle up but it came back so quickly this time only differnce is the topspec.
topspec light is the same as the other balancers just less calories for those who carry a few extra pounds it retails about £25 so lots cheaper too!

 

[MandyMoo]

baileys topline conditional cubes

perfect for my TB gelding who is a good weight and good doer, but just needs the topline and condition

works a charm

xx