feed balancers...

[kombikids]

what exactly do they do?
my chap is on nuts and hi fi as he got very fit and we had to keep the energy levels down but with winter coming up we have limited grass so i was considering one of these. Hes a chunky 16.3hh who needs a lot to keep weight on him.He also has unlimited hay and garlic and formula for feet- would balancers mean that i could do away with supplements?

 

[Puppy]

I use balancers for my horses.

Topspec senior for my older girl, and lo-cal balancer for my chubby girl and they certainly don't need other supplements and hold condition better as a result

I would say they certainly boost foot growth too

I'm a big fan of them

 

[Louby]

I feed one too, Top spec last winter but had to change to low cal this summer. I feed it because I dont feed enough hard feed so at least I know hes getting the nutrients etc he should.

 

[carys220]

''Blue Chip Original’s primary aim is to help the efficiency of the digestive system by creating and maintaining the optimum condition in which the vitally important microbial population in the gut can thrive.''

 

[cellie]

Top spec fan for my tb.Now going to switch my new horse to it as she needs topline condition and no fizz.

 

[Skhosu]

Dont think they're worth it at all tbh. A big con and think most owners are probably feeding all the incorrect things for their individual anyway/have no idea about whether their horses diet is correct so lob some 'balancer' is regardless of what else it is getting fed!!

 

[ihatework]

In general I think they are a big money spinner for feed companies (read con) designed to make horse owners feels better.
If you want to go down that route then I'd feed D&H suregrow which is virtually identical in composition to their ultimate balancer at a fraction of the price ....

 

[S_N]

Was about to say exactly that B&J!!

 

[lannerch]

Except that if you feed as recommended dobson and horrell suregrow is recommended you feed at over twice the amound of dobson and horrell ultimate, resulting in D& H ultimate being the cheapest price per day.

However you can get suplements that are half the price of the majority of balancers with very similar compositions that was just a bad example.

balancers usually have pre or probiotic cultures in them which some of the supplements don't which are meant to help utalise the food most efficiently, also they are designed so they can be fed by themselves to balance a forage diet.

 

[RachelB]

Formula 4 Feet is a "balancer" anyway, that's what my girl is on. All balancers do IMO is reassure the owner that their horse is getting the "right" nutrients. F4F also does my horse's feet the world of good so I'm a happy owner!

 

[carys220]

I totally disagree with the people who say they are a waste of money. I have used Blue Chip for a number of years and have seen a massive improvement in all of my horses.

We feed it all winter and it prepares them for the Spring/Summer. My Shettie, who gets lami from smelling grass has had no signs of it for the last 4 years, the farrier says this is down to her gut using the food more efficiently i.e. Blue Chip doing it's job! My Fell Pony lost loads of condition at the beginning of winter, this is when we started using it, 2 months later she was the picture of health with a shiny winter coat.
My NF had really, really bad feet when we got her, couldn't hold a shoe for more than a week! They have now dramatically improved and grow twice as fast!

How can you deny the proven success stories, I don't know about any other balancer but I know about Blue Chip and I think the people who say they are a con have obviously never used them!!

 

[Puzzles]

Balancers are the same as broad spectrum vitamin adn mineral supplements, only with a protein base. That is the truth of it.

Balancers are really important if you are not feeding the recomended volume of feed to your horse, as he will be lacking in many nutrients which could have negative short and long term effects on your horse, such as poor coat and hooves etc.

The nutritonists know what they are talking about - perhaps try some research?