Best feed balancer?

[Caz]

I know this has been debated before but I just wondered which feed balancer people think is best? There are so many on the market now and they all seem to have different ingredients so maybe some are better for certain things.

I was thinking of feeding my pony one. He is currently off work til at least March with a leg injury he got in May this year so he's just living out and obviously not doing any work. But I want him to keep his condition and health so that when I do bring him back into work (well hopefully) he'll be of a good weight and won't have lost a huge amount of topline etc.

Previously I had him on Blue Chip a few years ago because he had a respiratory infection and lost a little condition and the Blue Chip includes herbs etc for the respiratory system. I wouldn't say he changed an awful lot on this but then again, I probably only had him on it for a few months.

While looking after another horse this weekend who is on the D&H Ultimate Balancer I noticed that has things like MSM which is obviously good for joints. And also I know a lot of people rave about Top Spec.

So does anyone have any advice on which would be best for him? And what else I would feed with it. He's a 14.1hh New Forest pony and is currently just getting pasture mix and Alfa A (which I'm phasing out and changing to Hi-Fi since he's not in work now) with garlic, Oilovite, Devil's Relief and NAF Respiraze at the moment while he has a cough. Is there anything that would help with most of that without having to feed all these seperate supplements?

Thank you.

Caz

 

[KatB]

Topspec is fab, for mobility probs, feed that with hifi and cod liver oil. Really is very good stuff, my boy has a (clipped) coat like glass from being on topspec, sooooo shiny!!

 

[clipclop]

Top Spec without a shadow of a doubt. Tried the others and none of them touched Top Spec.

 

[FMM]

Top Spec - fantastic stuff

 

[spaniel]

ditto!

 

[BBs]

Hi Caz

I feed D&H Feed Balancer and Bertie has it along with Winston. I find it really good and Bertie looks really good on it. I used to feed pure MSN powder to Bertie when he was in full competition and it was excellent.
However with your boy D&H Ultimate feedbalancer would work well on him I am sure - alot of the competition horses at our yard are fed it and they all look good on it.

 

[mandy4727]

Which Top Spec. Is it just Top Spec Feed Balancer. Or is it Ultimate Finish (who does that one) Sorry to sound a bit thick!!!

 

[mandy4727]

Sorry folks. Answered my own questions by looking on their website. Any idea on price or roughly if you can't say exactly. Looking to feed it to my 38 year old veteran is ribby and is a very fussy eater. What would I mix it with. Sorry to pinch someone elses thread!!!. He can't tolerate sugary feeds like sugar beet as gets the sloppy poos!!!!!

 

[JAK]

I feed my EXTREMELY fussy veteran on Top Spec balancer & he LOVES it! (Smells nice, bit like bananas or something! LOL)
Also has Spillers Happy Hoof (chaff with pony nut bits in), Creature Comforts Alfalfa Gold (alfalfa & oil) & Allen & Page Cooling Pencils (minty flavoured).
All yummy, all high fibre. Sure some would think that was a funny diet, ie no actual 'hard feed' but so far, he looks very good on it & no sloppy poos!
'Course, he also has hay & haylage, so is a 'super high fibre' diet! LOL

Oh & balancer is about 30 quid (I think!) but lasts a good while!

 

[mandy4727]

Thank you. Great information there for me. Tried Happy Hoof. Won't eat it!!!. At the moment he is on D and H 16+. He eats it all but you can tell he doesn't really enjoy it. Do you know what I mean. His face just doesnt look like he is enjoying it. But when you look at it. There are very large bits in it which seem strange in a veteran mix cos not all of them have all their teeth!! Mine does so it isn't that. But he loves bran. He wolfs it down. But don't feed it anymore. Will give the top spec a go as going to feed merchants next week to stock up for Xmas. Thanks again.

 

[idefixbis]

I feed D & H ultimate balancer. I find it really good but it is quite expensive.

 

[alastair]

Because you have a native pony,I strongly suggest you consider using Bailiey's Lo-Cal Balancer. It is designed to be fed when you are perhaps not feeding large amounts of concentrates. Ideal for native good-doers that you don't want to founder.

 

[jackpalfreyman]

i ahve found that top-spec feed balancer has worked wonders on my boy

 

[druid]

Ditto

 

[Walder]

i agree i have been feeding baileys low cal balancer to my 14.3 welsh sec D - she is very forward going and a good doer - have found it very good - and her coat shines too!!!