Balancers advice

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jennifer83

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I want to start my 19 year old cob on a balancer. The question is which one ? I have read so many websites and i think I'm more confused? I think a light one would be more suitable as he's a little tubby, But which make?
Please can you tell me the breed of horse you have, what improvements if any a balancer has made to your horse. Which make you use and why?

Many thanks
 
Topspec all the way for me!! I find since using this the horse has never looked better and I've been able to dump the joint supplements and oils.
 
My tb x is on the D&H ultimate balancer i put him on it shortly after i got him. He had been very thin, poor with no topline at all. I wanted a balancer that was really an all rounder to make sure he was getting the most from the grass and food i was giving him, and within a couple of weeks he really seemed to bloom, his coat was shiny, his eye bright, he started to put on weight, and muscle (although it must be said that his work load was steadily increasing too at the same time). After a few months (into summer) i cut his hard feed right back, and he is just getting the balancer in a bit of alfa a- i'l start to feed a bit more coming into winter- but to be honest he's looking great at the minute, and i really do believe the balancer helps them get the most out of what they are grazing.

I have recently been recommended the Equilibra 500 balancer...and comparing the ingredients on my little excel spreadsheet (yep im a total geek:o) it is by far the one that contains the most vits and minerals, plus biotin and omega 3 oiis....so i am considering switching him over to it....so if anyone has any experience of using this one i'd be very interested...
 
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hi!

i have my 19year old good doer IDxtb on topspec leisure time balance. she's been on it a year now and that is all she has except basic chaff and hay even in the depths of winter. i think its about 28quid a bag and lasts about 6weeks when using 2 cups a day (standard for 500kg horse). i spoke to topspec reps at a show last year and they were really helpful so i would recommend ringing their feedline or other feedlines for other brands, i find talking to someone is easier than reading everything!
good luck x
 
I have a traditional cob. Big heffalump of a chap, very good doer and 19 years old.
I use Baileys no 14 (lo cal) balancer (with Fibergy and a handful of fast fibre) as that was what he had in his old home!
I've never used a balancer before but am now a convert. He looks, and feels, fabulous. He gets a cup (2 of their measures) per day and I'll increase to 2 cups once the winter really sets in. In the 4 months I've had him, I've spent just £45 on feed and I know he's had a good full range of vits and mins. Had I given him a full ration of a fibre based feed, it would easily be triple that and he would have a more expanded waistline!
Oh, he also gets linseed (for coat and joints) and I've just started on biotin as I want to keep his hair as strong as possible over the winter!
 
I have a 8 year old 16h appaloosa moron, he has been on topspec lite for 8 weeks ish and seems to have more stamina, looks very well in self and has more energy, coat also seems nice and shiney - he is a very good doer and is on just the balancer and will stay on this hopefully through winter along with adlib hay or haylage. We are doing fun rides, schooling, hacking, odd bit xc schooling !

topspec lite is £25 per bag which lasts just over one month and looks a bit like pony nuts so can be fed on own. As said - helpline v good. Never fed a balancer before but was always aware I wasnt feeding enoug feed to give full requireents vit and mins
 
I use equilibria 500 with both of mine and it is brill (they have balancer and straw chaff and that is it). They both have amazingly shiny coats (even the one who was clipped yesterday) with dapples and a really healthy eye.

They are both very sane but with attitude, have built muscle and the most noticeable change has been in one of mine who used to run first ask questions later and now with a mix of the feed and trust he asks then runs if necessary.

I have tried lots of balancers prior to this one and can honestly say this is the best by far.

Hope this helps.
 
I have just started my old girl on the senior pink powder aso I don't want to actually feed her any more than she gets but wanted the top up , will let you knows how well get on as it is quite a new product

For some reason I gawped at the price of tbe other senior balancer s per bag bht a little tub that cost the same seemed ok
 
Another Top-spec recomindation here as well, my older horse is in their senior balancer and other horse is on the comp balancer, both also feed the cool condtion cubes, as our hunting and want to keep their weight up. Their helpline is very useful.
 
I use D+H Suregrow for my TB to help her put on weight. She is looking gorgeous on it and its only 14hh quid a bag :)
My cob US on lo
 
I feed my two on Spillers Original Balancer with a little bit of Mollichaff Extra, grazing is really good where we are and haylage too, so I only feed small (recommended) amounts. Ones an Arab and the other is a TB X ID. Both look fab, and the Balancer I've chosen gives them both all they need.

I have also used TopSpec Stud balancers in the past and they were also good.

You can phone up any of them and have a good chat about their feeds and they will offer you advice on what you could feed yours, sometimes its a good idea to get a second opinion.
 
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A lot depends on what you are expecting to achieve by feeding a balancer and also what is already in your horse's current diet. Things that vary between different balancers will be things like starch/sugar levels, amount of protein, levels of vit/mins, inclusion of joint/hoof supplements etc.

If your horse gets plenty of good quality forage (good grazing in summer and good quality haylage in winter) then the need for vit/mins will probably be less than a horse on poor grazing and soaked hay.

Sugar/starch levels are important to know if your horse is a fizzy type or prone to laminitis, in which you want to keep the sugar/starch levels as low as possible.

The protein level necessary will depend on the current protein levels in the rest of the diet - again good quality forage will need less 'boosting' than poor forage or a soaked hay diet.

Hope this helps a little to explain the differences between the various balancers on the market.
 
My 18 year old good doer cob gets Baileys Lo-Cal. It costs me £25 and lasts him 2 months (2xcoffee mugs per day). He used to be quite a 'dandruffy' horse but since being on the balancer his coat is fantastic. My farrier has also noticed a vast improvement in his hooves as well. I can honestly say he in the best condition he has ever been in.
 
I have my older mare (who has had concussive lami) on Spillers lite balancer for about 2 months now (she was previously on the Top-Spec Anti-Lam which was very good, just a lot more expensive!), she looks great on it, and my farrier commented that he noticed a difference in her feet too, if thats the balancer i dont know, but i'm very happy with it, and its a cost effective balancer too (was on offer at £15 per bag last time i got one)
 
My lad is in Frickers Lo-Cal balancer. I started him on it as most of the yard use Frickers feeds and they are delivered every other week, I am extreamly impressed after nearly 2 months on it my lads coat has never been so shiney! He's kept his weight beautifully, he's not silly (most other feeds except expensive no molasses feeds send him loopy!) and it's very reasonibly priced! I pay £15 for a 20kg bag which lasts me well over a month with him only needed a cup full a day (split between 2 meals mixed with veteran chaff..he's only 10 but veteran chaff is lowest molasses chaff available that isn't dry and hard).

Don't see why I'd change him to anything else now, I've gone from spending over £40 a month on hard feeds to under £20 AND he's extreamly well on it!! :D
 
I have a 22 year old ISH. He had started to lose a little condition over the last year or so. General diet is plenty of haylage, Veteran Chaff and Speedibeet and I have put him on Saracen Feeds Biolife 2000. Picked up another bag yesterday, which cost £22.70 and he gets one mug per day. This bag will last me a couple of months and I will increase to 2 mugs per day if I feel hhe needs it.

I had actually run out for about 4 days (as I have to order it in and hadn't allowed sufficient time) and I could tell the difference in him - lack of sparkle. I really do rate this balancer, though I have not tried all, by any stretch of the imagination.

It's about finding the one that works for your horse. I have also tried Top Spec Balancer and found no real difference. However, I added in the Top Spec conditioning flakes and was very impressed with the improvement in his coat.

Hope this helps a little.
 
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