Best vitamin and mineral supplement?

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AmberThePony

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Looking for a vit/min supplement for my 17yr old mare, currently working six days a week usually hack x4 and school x2, totals about 7.5 hours a week. She is currently having hay and a handful of pony nuts. Think she needs a little more oomph so was considering trying a supplement/ balancer, does anyone have any particular recommendations? She is a good doer
 
A powdered mix is always my go to. I look for high copper and zinc and no iron. I feed it with 40gms of salt and a big handful of linseed. I also add some vitamin e over winter or if the pony is on restricted grazing. You can get them from Progressive Earth, Equivita, Forage Plus and Equimins. Equimins do a pelleted one as well I think.

For anything eating ad lib hay I used the cheapest PE one. It works out about £12 a month. For anything restricted I use the better and more expensive ones. I notice a noticeable difference in feet and coat if I stop it, so its well worth it for me.
 
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I'm a bit boring and use Bailey's low cal for the 22 year old cushings mare and Top Spec balancer for the hunter. Also add a small amount of salt to feed, along with a salt lick in the stable. Top Spec has kept condition on the hunter throughout the winter. He came to me last summer looking very poor, with a dull coat and tendency to get minor infections and thrush. He's now, shiny, bright and fit but without any silliness. Over the years, I've played about with supplements and feeds, but always come back to these two products.,
 
After years of using all sorts of balancers pelleted and powders I now just use brewers yeast , Linseed and salt added to grass nuts and small amount of grass chaff. Have found this beneficial to all my horses, hooves and coat look amazing and they all have bags of energy.
 
Leo Walker said:
A powdered mix is always my go to. I look for high copper and zinc and no iron. I feed it with 40gms of salt and a big handful of linseed. I also add some vitamin e over winter or if the pony is on restricted grazing. You can get them from Progressive Earth, Equivita, Forage Plus and Equimins. Equimins do a pelleted one as well I think.

For anything eating ad lib hay I used the cheapest PE one. It works out about £12 a month. For anything restricted I use the better and more expensive ones. I notice a noticeable difference in feet and coat if I stop it, so its well worth it for me.
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This was my usual too although none of mine got on with Equimmins. PE are my usual "go to" and I've used Calm Healthy Horses (works on 1 but not the other) and Forage Plus for "special" cases.

Having said all that I'm feeding mine the General Well Being supp from Science Supplements and he's doing well on it. I stocked up when there was 20% off and it's working out the best cost wise.
 
Leo Walker said:
A powdered mix is always my go to. I look for high copper and zinc and no iron. I feed it with 40gms of salt and a big handful of linseed. I also add some vitamin e over winter or if the pony is on restricted grazing. You can get them from Progressive Earth, Equivita, Forage Plus and Equimins. Equimins do a pelleted one as well I think.

For anything eating ad lib hay I used the cheapest PE one. It works out about £12 a month. For anything restricted I use the better and more expensive ones. I notice a noticeable difference in feet and coat if I stop it, so its well worth it for me.
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This
The powdered supplements mentioned above are formulated to provide minerals needed that can be lacking in UK grazing so that horse can make full use of their nutrients. I personally would try such a supplement for two or three months before looking at any extra hard feed. Yep, you'll get ooomph ;)

I use Forageplus for the ridden pony and the compromised Cushings oldie. Mix in a handful (and I mean a handful) of soaked grassnuts, some extra Vit E and salt, and that's it - all the ponies get otherwise is grazing and low-sugar/high fibre forage.
 
AmberThePony said:
Looking for a vit/min supplement for my 17yr old mare, currently working six days a week usually hack x4 and school x2, totals about 7.5 hours a week. She is currently having hay and a handful of pony nuts. Think she needs a little more oomph so was considering trying a supplement/ balancer, does anyone have any particular recommendations? She is a good doer
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I have used Equivite since the early 80's , that is the only one I ever use. https://www.viovet.co.uk/Equivite-Original-for-Horses/c8686/
 
Thank you all for your responses it's been really helpful. I think I've narrowed it down to equivite, selenavite or topspec lite, just need to decide which seems best.
 
AmberThePony said:
Thank you all for your responses it's been really helpful. I think I've narrowed it down to equivite, selenavite or topspec lite, just need to decide which seems best.
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Make sure you look at the actual ingredients vs what the horse needs. Selenavite e dont seem to publish the ingredients anywhere, but from memory it contained things you dont really need to be feeding. I know a few years back a friend had problems with her horses feet from feeding it. The spec on equivite is appalling. You can get higher spec cheaper with the lowest spec from progressive earth. £12 as opposed to £25

If you want to feed something like Topspec then the spillers version is a much better spec and cheaper :)
 
Leo Walker said:
Make sure you look at the actual ingredients vs what the horse needs. Selenavite e dont seem to publish the ingredients anywhere, but from memory it contained things you dont really need to be feeding. I know a few years back a friend had problems with her horses feet from feeding it. The spec on equivite is appalling. You can get higher spec cheaper with the lowest spec from progressive earth. £12 as opposed to £25

If you want to feed something like Topspec then the spillers version is a much better spec and cheaper :)
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Ah ok that's good to know thank you, which particular balancer from PE would you recommend? I found the contents of selenavite here https://www.equineproducts-ukltd.com/product/selenavite-e-powder/
 
I'd definitely avid the selenavite. Added iron just isnt necessary for horses. And they show you the spec per kg but you only feed 50gms a day, so you arent feeding very much of anything with it.

I use the cheapest PE one normally, I think its called pro mineral. However I have just changed to equimins, as a result of this post actually and having a look at whats out there. Its got a really good spec and looks to be the most economical. It cost me £25 with free postage for a couple of months supply. The cheapest PE one works out about £16 a month now when you include postage. The spec on the Equimins is better as well.

So thanks for posting! I've not looked at supplements for a while and its a no brainer for me to pay less but get better quality :)
 
Leo Walker said:
I'd definitely avid the selenavite. Added iron just isnt necessary for horses. And they show you the spec per kg but you only feed 50gms a day, so you arent feeding very much of anything with it.

I use the cheapest PE one normally, I think its called pro mineral. However I have just changed to equimins, as a result of this post actually and having a look at whats out there. Its got a really good spec and looks to be the most economical. It cost me £25 with free postage for a couple of months supply. The cheapest PE one works out about £16 a month now when you include postage. The spec on the Equimins is better as well.

So thanks for posting! I've not looked at supplements for a while and its a no brainer for me to pay less but get better quality :)
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That sounds really good, what is the name of the supplement? I'm looking at equimins tip top powder
 
Ive just changed to this as well as a result of this post! Ours were on Agrobs balancer but read old post about Iron content which I wasnt aware of so have done some research & opted for the pelleted form of Equimins Advance.
 
I've used Prog Earth and it's brilliant but now using Forage Plus for my mare as needs more vit e. Others are on PE.

I've used equimins and Selenavite but iron too high as we live in a high iron area.
 
I like Progressive Earth but my fussy mate hates it. I rather like Spillers balancers (which she will eat) because although they have the obvious fillers, they're a reasonable spec without added iron.
 
equimins £25.50 for 30 to 40 days

PE lots of options, cheapest and lowest spec £18 plus postage of £5 highest spec £46 plus postage

FP There are a lot of options here and I'm not as familiar with this range, but they are the most expensive if I remember correctly, they show you costings here FP costing

I have previously fed the cheapest PE one but the cost has crept up and I've had a few issues with delivery, not ther fault, but very annoying none the less. So did a quick review the other day. Equimins is slighly more expensive but you get a much higher spec. I ordered and it arrived the next working day, texts to tell me a time it was coming etc, so I am really happy so far

The link to Selenavite e is further up in the comments. the fact it has iron in means its an immediate no go for me. Horses in the UK dont need supplementing with iron, and it affects the uptake of other minerals. It seems to be £20 ish plus delivery for 30 days, so no significant savings and a much poorer spec.

I hope that helps :)
 
AmberThePony said:
Looking for a vit/min supplement for my 17yr old mare, currently working six days a week usually hack x4 and school x2, totals about 7.5 hours a week. She is currently having hay and a handful of pony nuts. Think she needs a little more oomph so was considering trying a supplement/ balancer, does anyone have any particular recommendations? She is a good doer[/QUOTE

Best to look for vit supplement WITHOUT iron. Once ingested, the horse does not evacuate (unlike human) iron which gets stored into the liver. In turn, a high storage of iron compromises horses' health.
i agree with Leo Walker's posts.
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Don't forget things change and check suppliers' updated products.

I have found that over the years (maybe 30??) I go back and forth as companies adapt and change to the market. I don't believe in sticking with just one - I absolutely now KNOW FOR SURE soil affects grass minerals and you MUST MUST MUST test.

I read here people posting stories of how horses and ponies have been great one year and bad the next and it is all to do with what is going everywhere! The sky, the soil, the rain, the sun, the poo or no poo the plant life going on in your pasture, insects even... it's extremely complex keeping a horse sound in the UK.

When people say all horses need is grass these days I do not believe them. I worked many years ago on comp yards and yes these horses had good years etc then they had issues and disappeared.... usually feet first... then other things then... dead. I used to think that maybe energy + output = sound horse but it just isn't that simple.

Sorry - I am obsessing. There again, I am obsessed.
 
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