feed balancers

[Sags_Deer]

so why feed them then? having spoken to various feed companies they say if you are feeding a good mix then your horse should be getting enough vits and minerals anyway, allen and page even have a probiotic in their mixes. does anyone have a good reason why they feed a balancer then. thanks

 

[Ferdinase514]

It's for horses and ponies that can't have the required amounts of mix/cubes for some reason i.e. laminitis, on box rest, but still need the Vitamins and minerals.

 

[Sags_Deer]

ok fair enough but what about feeding a lo cal mix instead then? sorry just curious thanks for your reply

 

[AmyMay]

AmyMay has never been fed a feed companies recommended amount of feed. Being a native it would simply have been too much for her.

So, I have always fed a good vitamin suppliment to compliment her diet to ensure that she was getting everything she needed.

 

[Ferdinase514]

I guess you could do that too.

Feed balancers generally can be fed in smaller amounts I think - usually a cupful so are preferable.

Finni had one last winter as he would have needed huge amounts of cubes to give him the right amounts of nutrients.

 

[SirenaXVI]

Echo everyone else, to get all the nutrients, would have to feed way too much mix, also I personally like to feed as much fibre as pos and keep cereal intake right down, a balancer lets me do this

 

[Sags_Deer]

okay good advice but does your horse get enough energy and protein from not much cereal intake, do you compete, i fully understand we are meant to feed fibre as that is a horses primary diet so therefore are we very wrong feeding mixes then.

 

[Ferdinase514]

Different horses need different types of feed, thats all.

The theory is that feeding a higher ratio of starch based products (e.g. energy mixes) vs. fibre is bad as the horses gut was not designed to process this type of diet.

Mixes are fed to give the horse energy, so is not wrong, as such but it should not form a high proportion of the diet.

Personally, I feed a high oil & fibre diet rather than starch as Finni gets colic.

 

[Sags_Deer]

so how about keeping weight on an old horse in the winter months then

 

[SirenaXVI]

Yes and yes - I do compete - BD elementary, my horse works really hard, I feed either Alpha A or Graze-on (they both have roughly the same energy levels as a 'cool' mix) and balancer, if I need extra energy, I add naked oats - in very small quantities - the balancer gives me the freedom to do that as I know that she is getting all the nutrients she needs - in winter I add speedibeet.

PS: Oats are actually the 'safest' cereal you can feed - lowest in starch and highest in fibre

 

[AmyMay]

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okay good advice but does your horse get enough energy and protein from not much cereal intake

[/ QUOTE ]
I think that this has as much to do with the 'art' of feeding - rather than the science. AmyMay as a native type didn't need much hard feed to keep condition on - too much would simply make her fat. However not enough meant she was a lazy old bag. If I really wanted a little more 'pop' I gave her conditioning mix. It was like rocket fuel for her - but obviously a feeding contradiction because ordinarly she would never, ever be fed a conditiong mix.

I think that with feeding you have feed what is best for the horse and the type of work it is in. And this comes from knowing the horse and how it feels during different stages of fitness etc, as well as what it's general condition looks like.

When hunting Amy would have oats in addition to her regular feed. I simply added more 'energy' to her feed, rather than give her loads more. That worked for us - but wouldn't necessarily work for others.

 

[SirenaXVI]

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so how about keeping weight on an old horse in the winter months then

[/ QUOTE ]

One of my horses is 27 years old, all she gets in winter is balancer, alfalfa and speedibeet plus adlib haylage

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
so how about keeping weight on an old horse in the winter months then


[/ QUOTE ]
I used to feed Freddy on spillers senior mix and he looked fantastic on it. He was TB - not particularly prone to weight loss, but certainly needed a good feed twice a day.

 

[Sags_Deer]

interesting comments so i guess we need to be feeding less mix and increase fibre in the form of good quality oats for energy then but we need good quality ones dont we, tiger oats perhaps

 

[the watcher]

I would concur with some of the others here, I avoid cereals, so never feed mixes of any ready made horse foot that includes cereal. My natives get alfa oil for condition and energy, speedibeet for moistening the feed and pink powder for vits and mins. In total it is less than a scoop a day in the bowl but keeps them at the right weight and energy levels. In winter I add Natural Glo in limited amounts, but basically up the fibre. I got most of my feeding tips from the endurance world where feeding for sustainable energy is a science

 

[ruscara]

A feed balancer such as Top Spec does not have just vitamins and minerals, but depending upon which one you use, can also include a pro/pre biotic, joint supplement and an additive to help hooves and coat. So if you are feeding a variety of supplements for different things, and vits and mins, the balancer can address all these in one. For my horse, I believe that a high fibre diet is what he needs, but sadly the Top Spec sent him loopy. I have not tried a different balancer, and have gone back to Hi Fi Lite, basic nuts, and a 16+ supplement.
The recommended amount of mix would have given him too much starch, and he doesn't need it.

 

[eekmon]

I feed my 29 yo TopSpec! Have done for about 3 years! Was reccomended by feed lady as it has pro-biotics to stimulate hind gut and help utilise vitamins and minerals also as my oldie has crap feet, it has 10mg of biotin (per serving)which is the reccomended amount for hoof suppliment for healthy horn growth! I love the stuff, so much so my horse is going to feature in their brochure or on their web site!