Do Balancers Make Horses Go Nuts?

Brummyrat

Brummyrat

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 June 2008
Messages
895
Visit site
I only ask, because mine has! He's 20, Section D, in what I'd call medium work, schooling (medium level) four times a week in the evening, jumping/hacking at the weekend, doing the occasional dressage comp. Just lately his energy levels have dropped off a bit which isnt really like him, he's a bubbly person. He has Spillers competition mix, about two thirds of a scoop twice a day, handful of chaff, supplements and about a mug of soaked beet. So... I was talked into trying a balancer and bought Baileys No 19 just over a week ago and have added about two thirds of a mug to each feed, twice a day. He's turned into a lunatic. Im meant to be going out on Sunday but if last night is anything to go by then it'll be very entertaining indeed, I had to resort to shouting the movements out to him because he just wasn't listening to me and the canter across the diagonal was hilarious, I could see his star!!! Some 50 minutes later he still refused to relax so we kind of agreed to do a couple of ok 20m circles and pack it in for the night. Has this happened to anyone else using this product, he does get sharp in the winter but I had his "coat" on, also the dark makes him a bit silly but he hasn't been this hyper for years. Any thoughts would be appreciated, I know its sounding like its the balancer but on their website they say it doesnt heat excitable horses up?

Mandy x
 
Some things heat up some horses and not others...my section D x can go on instant energy and have no reaction. My young TB is on Balieys Lo-Cal and it does it's job with out heating her up at all but give her a pony nut and she is off this planet.

Just have to find out what does what for your horse. Surprised if the balancer has sent him loopy when he copes with Comp mix.

Might just be feeling really well. :D
 
Does the horse need condition? If not then I would go for the spillers (as you feed already) lite balancer - much cheaper than the baileys and has the same stuff in it.
 
The Baileys No 19 is a performance balancer, I wanted the Spillers version but it wasn't in stock at any of the local feed merchants and one told me Spillers was roughly the same product, same price so I opted for that. First time I've tried a balancer. The comp mix doesnt affect him, in fact for the first 14 years I had him I only fed him cool or leisure mix and he was really hyper on that, Allen and Page Quiet Anything sends him into orbit, the spillers comp I think has magnesium in it and its really settled him down. It was only when he lost his spark recently that I discussed the possibility of something extra and a number of people at the yard suggested I explore balancers. Yep he may just been feeling well, he did used to be like this a lot (on cool mix :)) but wondered if anyone had noticed a similar reaction.

You've gotta love oldies haven't you!!
 
Oh and Lochpearl, he doesnt need condition, just some "get up and go". Even though I do say so myself he's solid muscle at the moment, great coat and eager look on his face, like a horse half his age!
 
Not sure about the others, but I did see Spillers had an older horse one, I would imagine that the competition balancer would make him hyper.

In all honesty, if he is looking like you say he is then I wouldn't probably put anything extra in, maybe for extra spark some more competition mix? you could then just feed a vit and mineral supplement?

Try and source TGM out on here - she is amazing with feeds!!
 
Bless him!!!- I don't think that most Balancers have anything "heating" as such in them- I've not seen the ingredients of the Baileys Performance Balancer, so not sure exactly what cereals are included. The only thought I've had is that maybe he's been a bit flat, and the extra vits/mins he's getting from the Balancer are making him feel sparkly and well!, if you take him off it and he goes flat again, I suppose you could get his blood tested for any viruses/anaemia. It has also been quite cold though which just might be making him on his toes!

Having said that, I did try my youngster when on a particular general balancer for a very short period once, he turned into Mr Nasty and was virtually uncontrollable on it, took him off it and he reverted back to his usual sweet, laid back self- it was not a balancer made by Baileys, Spillers, or D&H- When I read the ingredients I found that it was over 50% Oats and had ingredients in it that just weren't suitable- I had given it to my others too, and one turned in to a bucking bronco on it!....

The Baileys Lo Cal Balancer is pretty safe stuff, or one of the Spillers ones .

Mine are on Pink Powder as a balancer for extra vits/mins and also as a probiotic and I swear by it, it doesn't make them go silly at all. Good luck with your dressage!
 
Yes! I put a similar post a few weeks ago and the feedback was they can effect some horses, though not really sure why.

First I tried Outshine and then this year I tried the Lo-Cal and it sent him into a paranoid spooky monster. I know it was that as I took him off it and he went back to normal then 6 months later I got fed up of seeing the half full bag of feed so put him back on it and had the exact same response :eek:
 
Oh thats interesting Clarew, I thought maybe it was the balancer as its the only thing thats different. This week he's been increasingly bonkers but last night was something else! I think I'll take the advice above and leave him off it and then maybe if I need extra buzz then give him a measured amount once a day rather than go for it like it says on the bag. Hey, I tried that with Allen & Page Quiet pencils, got sick of seeing the almost full bag so put him back on them, after four days he was bucking in his stable!!! Life would be boring if they were all the same :)
 
Have you Googled the product - I think these may be your culprit -
Ingredients
Grass Meal, Distillers' Grains, Wheatfeed, Micronised Soya, Dicalcium Phosphate, Molasses, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamins and Minerals,Sodium Chloride,Yea-Sacc1026 yeast culture, Lysine, DL-Methionine
 
Evelyn would you like to educate a very uneducated person! I rely on advice, from here or the internet but these days the pros and cons of certain feeds goes so over my head,it wasn't like that back in my day! Are these ingredients known "brain blowers" then?
 
Brummyrat said:
Evelyn would you like to educate a very uneducated person! I rely on advice, from here or the internet but these days the pros and cons of certain feeds goes so over my head,it wasn't like that back in my day! Are these ingredients known "brain blowers" then?
Click to expand...

Grass Meal, Distillers' Grains, Wheatfeed, are all likely to increase energy levels purely because they contains carbohydrates. Wheat especially so as it is a highly soluble carb.

Grass Meal as it's name suggests is made from spring grass, dried and ground to a powder consistancy - often used to help bind a pelleted feed. Distillers grains is what is left after the fermenting of barley for beer and other alcoholic drinks, Wheatfeed is probebly mostly bran but again this being wheat is not good for horses.

To be honest I do still feed (when I need to) as I did in the '60's and 70's - mine will get oats or barley - depending on their basic dimensions, meadow chaff, Linseed and sugarbeet. I personally don't have the money spare to pay the prices required for the processed feeds. Mine all have free access to a multi mineral block.

Hope this helps.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top