Best (cost effective) feed balancer

[mhorses]

Like many people I’m really struggling financially at the moment and looking ways to cut down on my outgoings.
Thankfully I have the horses at home and bought an entire winters worth of hay in July and their rugs etc are all ready for the horses coming in - as the fields are getting pretty bad here.
What would people recommend as a cost effective feed balancer either a feed/supplement or lick? I’m worried my usual hard feed bill will be much more than I can afford.
The horses are all good doers have ad-lib hay and constant access to Himalayan salt lick.

 

[Squeak]

I've recommended this a few times on here:

Gwf Nutrition OneCup for Horses | Feed Supplement | VioVet.co.uk

It's about £11 for the month and I don't think I've found anything cheaper and my horses have done well on it.

If yours are good doers, do you need to be giving them anything more than a balancer for a feed if you're worried about costs? Btw the one mentioned above is pellets and so doesn't really need to be mixed with anything to be fed, you give about a handful a day.

 

[MarvelVillis]

I was just going to recommend the OneCup (I think I saw it recommend by you Squeak a few months ago).

 

[teddy_]

I have heard good things about the Heygates Equi-Balancer .

 

[orangepony]

I can recommend the Gain Opti-Care balancer which is cost effective, I think I pay around £23 for a 25kg sack and it is pelleted for ease of feeding.

 

[tda]

Tbh, I'd just try them without a balancer, don't forget there are vits and mins in hay and grass

 

[Highmileagecob]

I've used Equilibra for years. Same manufacturer as One Cup, and lasts for ages.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Tbh, I'd just try them without a balancer, don't forget there are vits and mins in hay and grass

I've given up on balancers. My old lad, now 27 retired wb 17.1 who I have had for nearly 20 years has never had a balancer as it wasn't a thing a few years ago, he is a picture of health on grass nuts, grass chaff and hay!!

 

[Sossigpoker]

Or if you'd rather avoid GM , soya and fillers,.instead of the GF OneCup , try the Lincoln All Essential supplement. Once my current balancer runs out , that's what mine will go onto.

 

[Chianti]

Equine Answers 365 Complete - seems to have good ingredients at a reasonable price. I'm going to give it a try when my Benevite from Feedmark runs out.

Composition: Dicalcium Phosphate, Micronized Linseed, Calcium Carbonate, MSM, Linseed Oil, Magnesium AAC, Chrome Yeast, Vitamins, Minerals, Trace Elements, Organically Bound Minerals, Saccharomyces Cerivisae, Inulin, Fructooligosaccharide Prebiotics, Pro-biotics, Brewers Yeast.

 

[tda]

What is Diacalcium Phosphate ?
Had a look https://basicequinenutrition.ca/product/dicalcium-phosphate-pure/

 

[lynz88]

I've dabbled with the idea of equine answers but I've always passed it over because they never list the nutrition so I can't compare it to anything

 

[windswoo]

I use Heygates just because I've got two fatties but the one is on inflacam, so need to give her a small amount of feed. My lad then gets in a huff if I don't give him something too.
They don't get the full amount as they don't need it.
OP if your horses are good doer's and will be having hay and a salt lick you probably don't need any hard feed.
You can always add a balancer if you feel that you need to later in the winter

 

[Chianti]

I've dabbled with the idea of equine answers but I've always passed it over because they never list the nutrition so I can't compare it to anything

Hope this makes sense. I'm not great at cpoy/paste! if you email them they do reply - but it can take a while and might need chasing.

A complementary feeding stuff for equines, to be mixed with the daily feed as directed. Additives/kg

Vitamins
Biotin 3a880 200mg Vitamin A 3a672a 480,000 iu Vitamin E 3a700 15,000 iu Vitamin B2 750 mg Vitamin B12 2.75 mg Vitamin B6 3a381 600 mg/ Vitamin C 3a300 11,500mg Vitamin D3 E671 100,000iu Vitamin K 3a710 500mg Calcium DP 3a841 1300mg Folic Acid 3a316 500mg Niacin 3a314 1600 mg Choline Chl 3a890 11,500 mg

Amino Acids
L-Lysine 3.2.3 50,000mg DL Methionine 3c301 12,000mg

Constituents
Crude Protein 11% Crude Olis and Fats 5%

Crude Ash 16% Crude Fibre 2.5% Moisture 7.4%

Magnesium 13,000mg/kg Phosphorous 2.6% Sodium 3.5%

Nutritional Additives

Calcium Iodate 3b202 100mg

Copper AAC 3b406 4000mg Copper SP 3b405 15,000mg Sodium Selenite E8 500mg

Selenised Yeast 3b8.11 600mg

Zinc AAC 3b606 5,000mg Zinc Chelate 3b6.10 12,500mg Zinc Oxide 3b603 3750mg

Zootechnical Additives

Saccharomyces Cerevisae 2CNCM 1-1077 4a1711 60x10 cfu 9

Composition: Dicalcium Phosphate, Micronized Linseed, Calcium Carbonate, MSM, Linseed Oil, Magnesium AAC, Chrome Yeast, Vitamins, Minerals, Trace Elements, Organically Bound Minerals, Saccharomyces Cerivisae, Inulin, Fructooligosaccharide Prebiotics, Pro-biotics, Brewers Yeast

 

[lynz88]

Thank you Chianti!! Will do the x-compare today. Do you know what the feed rates are by chance?

 

[criso]

Progressive earth do a couple of budget options which just replace the minerals usually missing in uk forage.

It's difficult to compare as none of ones listed give levels of active ingredient in the daily dose.

For example ingredients Chianti posted gives per kg and you'd need to know how much the daily dose weighs to work out what you are getting.

Pro balance basic
1. 8kg £18.99 lasts 45 days at 2 scoops per day. 42p per day

https://progressive-earth.com/produ...ient-minerals-vitamins-amino-acids-in-forage/

Pro mineral
1.8kg £14.99 lasts 56 days at 1 scoop per day. 26p per day

https://progressive-earth.com/product/pro-mineral-a-fundamental-equine-mineral-forage-balancer/

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

Mine is currently on equimins complete advance. I'm contemplating taking her off because I need to reduce costs. The grass she is on is fertilised each year and the hay is good quality so I'm trying to convince myself she'll be OK without. Only problem is she's on the most work she's ever been in her life so I feel like now is the wrong time to be taking vitamins away from her!

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I like the Baileys lo cal for Faran but he’s a good doer.

 

[Chianti]

Thank you Chianti!! Will do the x-compare today. Do you know what the feed rates are by chance?

They do reply to email queries but aren't that fast!

Small Ponies:
Feed 15-25g per day in normal feed
Horses 14-16 hands:
Feed 20-40g per day in normal feed.
Horses 16-18 hands:
Feed 30-50g per day in normal feed.
1 level scoop is approx 10g