Best value feed balancers? And best value conditioning feeds?

[RachelFerd]

I'm just looking at monthly budgets and wondering if I'm chucking money around on feed for no good reason. Currently on TopSpec, not wedded to it. Horses are both TB types working hard - has anyone done any recent analysis of best value feed, based on nutritional content? I seem to remember some interesting spreadsheets circulating before...

1 horse is a poor doer, the other is a fairly good doer but does need a decent amount of energy. Need to be on fairly similar feeding routines due to practicalities at livery, and limited storage space.

 

[Goldenstar]

I have settled on using Gain opti care , I was a forage plus person but it was so expensive and I had to feed my horses nice things to make them eat it and unlike you I am always in weight reduction mode .
The first horse I had on the Gain was described by a friend as looking like a wet whippet I fed him on the Opti care and Gain Freedom mix and good haylege he looked great on that but we change other things as well like lots of turnout and more hacking

Now having horses who need feeding is a distant memory I spend my whole life trying to not feed them while they don’t notice .

 

[AdorableAlice]

Opti care is good value for money for all types not being fed at levels to get all the vits/mins they need. It was under £20 a 20kg bag the last time I bought it but I bet it isn't now.

 

[TPO]

Baileys ease and excel is a complete feed


GWF One Cup is tthe cheapest balancer but I can't advise on analysis.



When I did my spreadsheet E&E worked out cheapest and "best" for conditioning feed.



I currently feed it at low qualities with Progressive Earth Pro Balance plus to top up the vit/mis

 

[Patterdale]

I use a field lick. After MUCH research I use Dallas Keith Hoof and Hide. It had everything they need, including Biotin.

I first did it as an experiment at the start of last winter. Chucked the hard feed in favour of these licks and top quality forage. The results have been amazing - the horses (ranging from native weanlings to 15.2 sports horse in work) look just as good as they did before, I have no stressful feed times in the field with associated injury risk, I have saved hundreds if not thousands by now, and I also save so much time not making up/buying/giving feeds. And I’m not a slave to feed time.

One bucket lasts 3-4 horses roughly a month. They get through it faster in old or drought weather, and barely touch it in spring.

I have nothing to do with the company whatsoever, but I just genuinely cannot believe how much time and money I used to waste on gimmicky feeds, when I’m getting the same results now.

 

[millitiger]

Not sure on balancers but linseed is amazing value for money for condition.

 

[MNMyShiningStars]

I am interested in any advice on this as well, as am finding I am spending a small fortune on hard feed monthly for my herd. I am going to look into the lick, for the retired few at least.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Not sure on balancers but linseed is amazing value for money for condition.

This just add it to what you are feeding I use it alongside progressive earth pro balance with grass chaff and unmolassed sugar beet, I tend not to feed bags of complete feed I think they are expensive and some are not that great.

I can't feed top spec it sends my Arab's nuts but I know alot of people feed it and like it, so if your happy with it just add the linseed.

 

[RachelFerd]

This just add it to what you are feeding I use it alongside progressive earth pro balance with grass chaff and unmolassed sugar beet, I tend not to feed bags of complete feed I think they are expensive and some are not that great.

I can't feed top spec it sends my Arab's nuts but I know alot of people feed it and like it, so if your happy with it just add the linseed.

I'm already feeding TopSpec linseed mash alongside balancer and cool condition cubes - so I'm not quite sure that adding more would be sensible/balanced (and also, just making it more expensive...)

 

[Ouch05]

Meadow grass nuts, dengie no molasses and Equine Answers 365 for my TB in winter he also gets Vit e and oily herbs, I feed the same to my WB. First winter on this combo and he looks amazing.

has to be ulcer friendly which is my top priority

 

[criso]

I'm already feeding TopSpec linseed mash alongside balancer and cool condition cubes - so I'm not quite sure that adding more would be sensible/balanced (and also, just making it more expensive...)

I would say possibly cheaper way of feeding linseed instead not as well. Just looked at the top spec mash and linseed isn't the biggest ingredients, soya hulls are. It's also got grass and beet pulp in it. (And other things). It has a mineral premix.

So on the plus side it's already balanced, on the down side, you may be paying more for the expertise going into this and if you have a good doer, you may not feed enough to get the RDA.

I prefer to feed mainly straights and mineral balancer separately as it means depending on the time of year and type of horse, I can alter the amount of feed but keep balancer the same but that's my personal approach.

Good cost effective feeds that i like for keeping costs down though not all at once: emerald green Grasstastic, trident equibeet unmolassed sugarbeet (long soak), straight own brand oats, charnwood linseed and coolstsnce Copra for extra weight.

 

[Squeak]

After pulling my hair out over feed for my tb for the last couple of years and spending an absolute fortune I completely stripped it back and simplified it for this winter and he's thrived. He gets 3/4 scoop soaked, unmolassed sugarbeet and one large handful of grass chop as a base feed morning and evening with a balancer, joint supplement, oily herbs, and a cup of linseed split between the two. As we swapped on to poorer quality hay a month ago I also added in a lunch of half a scoop of grass nuts that were soaked to make up about a scoop.

He's never looked as good and it's costing me hardly anything. He's now eventing fit and been ticking over jumping BS during the winter and not felt like he's needed more energy but if he needs a bit more then I'll add in some tiger oats from GWF or copra.

 

[Hallo2012]

could you try a base of grass nuts (simple systems red or blue?) with linseed added to I and Oats,barley or maize to S? whatever gives the most GOGOGO to him.

Linseed has made the biggest diff so far to sprout.

balancer wise i swapped to forageplus and was impressed but doubt its the most cost effective BUT with one on soaked hay at least i know he's getting everything he needs.

i found this mixing straights easiest with one fatty and one skinny but obv my volumes are smaller by virtue of 13hh V 16.2hh so depends if the grass nut base would work.

 

[RachelFerd]

could you try a base of grass nuts (simple systems red or blue?) with linseed added to I and Oats,barley or maize to S? whatever gives the most GOGOGO to him.

Linseed has made the biggest diff so far to sprout.

balancer wise i swapped to forageplus and was impressed but doubt its the most cost effective BUT with one on soaked hay at least i know he's getting everything he needs.

i found this mixing straights easiest with one fatty and one skinny but obv my volumes are smaller by virtue of 13hh V 16.2hh so depends if the grass nut base would work.

SS too much of a pain to get delivered here! I've made some spreadsheets and going to trial Baileys No 24 (E&E cubes) and looking at switching to either the GAIN balancer, or baileys no 19, both of which considerably beat the price of the TopSpec.

Tempted to keep on with the linseed mash for now, but might experiment with switching it out for just linseed.

 

[Elno]

Do you have a forage analysis? Otherwise it is impossible to recommend a balancer.

 

[teddy_]

Not 100% relevant, but I have recently conducted a simple nutritional analysis of the various stud / youngstock mix offerings across several 'big brands'. So far (and by very simple measure (i.e. lowest starch, sugar and highest fibre, protein)) Connolly's Red Mills seems to be a winner - they're absolutely not the cheapest, but seem to be popular with a lot of pros.

I found one of my horses looked amazing on TopSpec and the other didn't.

ETA: have you tried feeding straights? Bailey's produce really lovely oats that IME make them gleam. Another product I fed to a poor doer who had worm damage were the D&H barley rings - not ideal if your horses are stabled a lot as the high protein % can make them stock up, but they helped this horse gain condition way more than any conditioning cube.

 

[claracanter]

A lot of these complete feeds are expensive enough without feeding the amount you’re supposed to feed them and I find they don’t do what they say on the tin. Keep it simple. High fibre cubes or grassnuts are great.You can get grassnuts from many different suppliers, doesn’t have to be SS. Add some oil or micronised linseed for weight gain/ condition and a good quality chaff and it’s quite easy to up or down the amounts depending on what’s necessary. Maybe a balancer too.

 

[Widgeon]

I use a field lick. After MUCH research I use Dallas Keith Hoof and Hide. It had everything they need, including Biotin.

This is very interesting - I might give this a go. Mine is on a diet of soaked hay, straw, and minimal grass (otherwise his insulin levels go through the roof) but he's very, very "flat" and I'm a bit worried that he's missing out on all the nutrients I'm soaking out of his hay. £35 for a 12.5kg tub seems very good value.

If you don't mind - do you have any notes from your research and any chance you could send a screen grab of them? I've been looking at Forage Plus etc but I can't justify the spend at the moment.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I'm already feeding TopSpec linseed mash alongside balancer and cool condition cubes - so I'm not quite sure that adding more would be sensible/balanced (and also, just making it more expensive...)

Yeah in that no point unless you drop the linseed mash the micronised might work our cheaper ?

 

[Patterdale]

This is very interesting - I might give this a go. Mine is on a diet of soaked hay, straw, and minimal grass (otherwise his insulin levels go through the roof) but he's very, very "flat" and I'm a bit worried that he's missing out on all the nutrients I'm soaking out of his hay. £35 for a 12.5kg tub seems very good value.

If you don't mind - do you have any notes from your research and any chance you could send a screen grab of them? I've been looking at Forage Plus etc but I can't justify the spend at the moment.

I have a spreadsheet

I’m out and about now but I’ll post it later!

 

[Widgeon]

I have a spreadsheet

I’m out and about now but I’ll post it later!

I'm so excited

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Someone did a comparison on a spreadsheet, best and cheapest was Equimins complete balancer. I feed that. I have to say, she does look extremely well since feeding it!

 

[HollyWoozle]

Bit late to the thread but I did some maths and Equimins Tip Top worked out best value general vit/min and is well-reviewed. Having said that, ours are retired and receive it since our grazing is very poor, but they are all in good form.

 

[Sossigpoker]

If you are feeding the recommended amount of a complete feed , you won't need a balancer on top. Also feeding a powdered multi vitamin is cheaper than a balancer.
I don't use any TopSpec products as they're feeds are based on poor quality and cheap ingredients yet they charge a premium.

 

[MummyEms]

Someone did a comparison on a spreadsheet, best and cheapest was Equimins complete balancer. I feed that. I have to say, she does look extremely well since feeding it!

We also feed equimins complete balancer.
As well as linseed mash and pink mash