Feed Balancers

Do you generally hold or have someone hold your horse for the vet?

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Janette

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Star is now out at grass through the day and looking well. In a fortnight or so, I'm hoping that she'll be out 24/7
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I plan to reduce the amount of hard feed she is currently getting (Baileys horse and pony cubes) to one feed a day. Should I top up with a feed balancer because she won't be getting the recommended daily ration?
Despite being a coloured native, she is not a particularly good doer. I found this out last year when I put her on Lo-cal and chaff. She very slowly dropped a bit of weight over the summer.

So - the point.

Do I really need the feed balancer or am I just falling prey to the advertising?
If so which one would you recommend?
 
If you know she drops weight anyway and she is doing alright on the cubes at the minute, well why not just alter the amount of cubes she has as and when necessary. If you are aiming to give her only 1 feed a day when she's out, why not just amalgamate both feeds (double up) so she is getting the same amount; you will just have to give her much more time to digest it. You'll obviously have to adjust the amounts according to her weight and effectiveness of your grass so use a weigh tape each week and keep records unless you are experienced enough to be able to do it by eye.
You say she is a native then she should be able to maintain herself at grass; she only needs a feed if she is in regular or hard work. There should be all the natural vitamins and minerals she needs in grass and herbage; natives aren't (or shouldn't be) bred to need the extras that are found in manufactured feeds IMO unless they are in hard work.
Hope that helps and I'm sure you'll get better advice later. Alternatively, ring the Bailey's helpline, they have been brilliant in the past for me.
 
If you are still considering a balancer we use Saracen Stamm 30 on a few of ours, one is a very good doer and just has stamm & a little alfa A, the others have it in conjunction with either a growth feed for the babies or a high fat feed (Equijewel) for the those that need a little help to keep their condition. We have found it very useful and flexible, we have 8 out of 10 at home on it as part of their rations.
 
I feed Low cal and I think its great stuff, Ralph blooms on it. My welsh D Fly was fed on it as well, and went from a mad demon pony to calm(er) pony
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Great feed stuff for good doers
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Thankyou for your help.

Because spring grass has as many calories (apparently) as conditioning mix, I've gone down the Lo cal/Alfa route, and then if she starts to drop condition, I can top her up with a bit of Baileys No 2.

As I said, despite her being a 'coloured dales', she is not a good dooer and a bit of a stresshead/worrier! She needs monitoring to keep her just right. I think she'd starve to death in the wild
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I feed lo-cal alongside Baileys outshine and find that combination works well. I add half a scoop of No4 in winter. At my yard they all live out and only get one feed a day. This is the least bulky way I find and mine has improved on it no end.
 
TopSpec every time Janette!!!!

ETA - OH's poor doer TB is putting on weight on grass, TopSpecc, Alfa A Oil, and Alfabeet.
 
My Hann x TB has Blue Chip, & has had it for several years. It suits him & does the job. Other balancers may have a simlar effect on him but I believe 'If it aint broke, don't fix it' so I'm sticking with Blue Chip.
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Im a fan of Baileys lo cal! Must be good as have had wins at best condition classes. My youngster looks fab in the stuff and gives him all the vit an minerals he needs even when growing. recommend the stuff highly worth every penny
 
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