Broad spectrum vitamin supplement or feed balancer?

[orangepony]

Currently feeding the boys the recommended rate of conditioning cubes (No. 4) and although they look ok they don't look as good I think they should given the quantity of feed they are given ( plus it is costing me a fortune!).

Friend has suggested a balancer such as topspec, blue chip or something called horse and pony direct everyday balancer?
I don't understand the difference between these and just feeding a vitamin supplement alongside straights (which is what I have previously done; but switched to concentrates for ease of storage at livery). Is one better than the others?

Can someone please enlighten me as to whether I am missing out on a super concept or whether I would be better just sticking with my expensive but consist feed bill as it is.

Many thanks

 

[Oberon]

Brand name is nothing - the ingredients and nutritional specs are the important thing, as is how the feed reacts with the individual horse

 

[MillionDollar]

I would personally feed a balancer as then you know they're getting everything they need, then you can top up with smaller amounts of other feed to the individual horse.

All of mine have Hi-Fi Molasses Free with 365 Complete and Speedibeet as the base. Then the one in work has Equi-Jewel and Topspec Turbo Flakes, and the others have 200g Micronized Linseed. Works well, reasonably priced and they all look fab

http://www.equineanswers.co.uk/prodpage.asp?ProdID=1

 

[TGM]

A vit/min supplement just provides vit/mins - usually in a powdered base. A balancer will also supply a source of protein plus a probiotic yeast. The theory is that the probiotic yeast can improve conditions in the gut allowing the horse to digest fibre more efficiently so improving condition. Most likely to show a noticeable effect if gut conditions have been compromised in some way ie by antibiotic treatment, stress, high grain diet etc.

 

[Scarlett]

I would personally feed a balancer as then you know they're getting everything they need, then you can top up with smaller amounts of other feed to the individual horse.

All of mine have Hi-Fi Molasses Free with 365 Complete and Speedibeet as the base. Then the one in work has Equi-Jewel and Topspec Turbo Flakes, and the others have 200g Micronized Linseed. Works well, reasonably priced and they all look fab

http://www.equineanswers.co.uk/prodpage.asp?ProdID=1

Ditto!

Hi-fi unmollassed (or plain oat straw if I can get it), 365 complete, Linseed and KeyFlow KeyPlus (rice bran) is a super base. I feed Speedibeet to the one who will eat it and doesnt need more energy and StayCool mix to the one that won't eat beet and needs more energy. Simple, cheap, effective.

365 Complete comes in powder form like a vit and mineral supplement but does have the ingredients of a balancer - all vits and minerals plus extra biotin, msm and both a pro and pre-biotic. It's considerably cheaper than a balancer though - a 4kg tub (£50) lasts me 3 months+ for 2 horses (16h TB's), so about £8 a month per horse. I've never seen a bagged balancer that costs as little as that, plus it's not full of fillers. My guys are also barefoot and their feet are superb.

 

[Fintan]

@ Orange Pony

It is more or less a battle about turn over. The horse is not really the point of interest, it is marketing what counts.

People tend to go the easy way, it is easier to remember a brand or to follow the herd instead of taking care about what a horse really needs.

Don`t know better words for this, it shold not sound harsh.

It is only like this, a horse has a requirement and this requirement will change with the weight and the work of the horse.

But a horse is a horse and will be a horse. And a horse is not interested in marketing, only in what it needs.

We have thousands of feed companies competing for turn over and if we would follow the biological requirements of the horse there is no need for thousands of products.

There is a need for the right product that does the job for 100% and not only somehow.

The best explanation for this is from this lady:

http://www.drkellon.com/whyisthissoimportant.html