Does he need supplements? Advice please

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PeachesD113

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Hello all,

As a relatively new horse owner I am looking for some advice regarding the need for supplements. I've tried researching but there is so much out there I don't even know where to start!

He's a large shire cross cob type. He is unshod and I would like to keep him this way but not sure if I need to supplement his diet as the farrier says his feet are great. He's in light work.

Currently gets daily turnout with good grazing, two large hay nets at night and one meal of a scoop of mollichaff calm and 1/4 scoop of spillers lite and lean balancer. I did give him garlic during the summer to help with flies.

He's looking well and I have no issues with his condition (except that he does suffer with sallanders and mallanders). Is there any benefit to adding to his current diet? Or should I just be happy that his feet and coat seem to be fine without anything extra? He is a very itchy horse and had read that brewers yeast could help and is good for feet.

Cheese and biscuits (sod the diet!) for all who read this far!
 
The balancer should provide his daily vit and min requirements, to help his skin and feet remain in good condition look at feeding micronised linseed or oil, garlic can cause gastric issues, make itchy skin worse and is not proved to be beneficial against flies, to my mind it does more harm than good.
Some brewers yeast may help his skin and will be of more benefit for itching than garlic so worth a try, often trial and error is needed to find what works for the individual but keep things simple, if he looks well, has good feet and you are happy don't make feeding too complicated, they can thrive on a forage diet with nothing added.
 
Thank you very much. I was hoping you would reply as you always have very sensible advice! I think I will get some brewers yeast and see how we go.
 
Are you feeding the Splilers balancer at their recommended daily amounts? I found it easier with my 2 draft types to get a powder balancer to mix into their tiny bucket feeds (Forage plus) because pellet balancers have to be fed in enormous quantities when they are 600 & 800 kg.

My itchy one with feathers gets 1/4 cup micronised linseed in his feed which I think helps. Otherwise they are just on topchop zero & a little kwik beet to make it palatable. Hay & grazing are the bulk of what they eat and they do fine on that.

I did try Copra which they both loved but I don't think the boy horse was any less itchy on it. If it looks like he's really having a go at his feathers in the summer then I feed piriton for a few days otherwise he rips himself open rubbing on the fence or with his teeth. Never found a supplement that stops it sadly.
 
Thanks for the advice. I've got a weight tape today so will be able to check that I'm feeding enough of the balancer. It doesn't feel like I'm feeding him loads of it so I may be completely off with my ad hoc feed measurements!
I think I'll also try the micronised linseed and see if it makes him put on any weight (which I obviously don't want!)
I really just want to make sure that his feet stay good and if I can help with his coat and general condition then all the better!
 
My cob's itchiness is in direct proportion to the level of sugar in his diet, even extra sugar in the grass can be the culprit. Magnesium oxide helps him, but taking away the sugar is the best solution.

If he's already sound on difficult surfaces without shoes then no need to change the diet for that.

I feed a forage plus balancer at half the recommended dose following grazing analysis, with sometimes some micronized linseed in winter if he's not too fat. Forage plus have a very good website for researching supplements, minerals, vitamins etc. A lot depends on the grass and hay you are feeding, that is the main component of the diet and if its good (good for horses I mean) then he may not need anything more.
 
A balancer IS a supplement. If the horse looks good, has a good coat and feet and is well muscled and in good flesh, then whatever it is you are feeding him is obviously doing the job so why change/add anything?

Honestly, feed companies have done such a number on horse owners that they seem to have completely lost any powers of reasoning: IME the average non-TB leisure horse in light work generally does not need anything other than clean hay/haylage with possibly a mineral salt block.
 
Cortez that is exactly what I'm afraid of! What is actually beneficial and what is just hype. I think I'm going to try some of what's been suggested and see if I notice any benefits and if not put it down to increasing my horse experience!
Thank you all for taking the time to give your advice
 
Cortez said:
A balancer IS a supplement. If the horse looks good, has a good coat and feet and is well muscled and in good flesh, then whatever it is you are feeding him is obviously doing the job so why change/add anything?

Honestly, feed companies have done such a number on horse owners that they seem to have completely lost any powers of reasoning: IME the average non-TB leisure horse in light work generally does not need anything other than clean hay/haylage with possibly a mineral salt block.
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Yep, absolutely. If it ain't broke, etc. A shire/cob type can get by with less quality feed than what you're giving him. If he's looking so good, it sounds like you've hit the sweet spot.
 
If he's in good condition and you're happy with how he is currently I don't think you need to change anything! I don't think balancers need to be fed in large amounts, the opposite in fact. For my 550kg horse I only need to feed 2 mugs topspec lite per day. But it's worth checking you're feeding roughly the correct quantity. You could probably find a better chaff i.e. Lower sugar / starch. Not sure on the analysis of mollychaff but I imagine something like dengie hifi could be lower, but if he's happy I wouldn't worry! If you want to try brewers yeast / linseed for itching then go ahead but if you don't see an improvement I wouldn't waste the money :-) as others have said, forage and balancer (even just forage for that matter) is more than adequate for most!
 
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