How many supplements do you feed?

WelshD

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One pony gets none, the other gets a stack of them

I use those tiny tub trugs to make up a weeks worth at a time and just tip one in his twice daily feed
 

nikkimariet

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Double dose suppleaze gold
Maintenance dose lubrisyn
B-Well
Elite equine mega build

I think you have to be careful you're not feeding pointless supps, and too much of them.

I've got joint maintenance, joint lubricant, appetite and condition covered.

I cut out fenugreek powder as nothing changed when I took him off it. I cut out the elite equine compete as his feed is balanced and it's the condition/bulk he needs. I cut out the mag ox because it made no difference when I tried him without it.

I believe all the above DID help at one point, but he's progressed to a point with feed/well being/work that he no longer needs them.

I don't count his protexin acid ease as a supplement as it is an ulcer treatment more than anything else.

Thanks to Ulcergate III I'm syringing everything down but usually split evenly over feeds.
 
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I have two barefoot horses. They get 30ml of Linseed oil and 4 tablespoons of seaweed every day in their feed. I feed 2 cups of balancer per day also, as grazing isn't as good as it could be. In the time I have been feeding oil and seaweed, their feet have gone from strength to strength. Kevin Bacons daily hoof dressing helps too though.
 

Boysy

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Mag-Ox (my land is deficient in magnesium and their feet really show it if I stop)
Cinnamon - one lad is EMS/Insulin resistant and it has turned him around and the others can benefit from it in smaller doses as all good doers
Turmeric/Black Pepper for the arthritic mare, really see the difference with this with the Linseed
Linseed - for general overall health, trying double dose for the mare as she is possible EPSM

All mixed in with their Baileys Lo-Cal which has all the rest of the nutrients that they need, I dabble with others depending on season like Milk Thistle in Spring/Autumn, Nettles sometimes in summer, Gut Balancer occasionally if one is runny from nerves, UlcerEase if one is showing tummy sensitivity, double dose Agnus Castus if the mares seasons are winding her up.

I usually stay with natural rather than synthetic supplements as I've always seen the benefits of them easily and have a raft of notes to remind me what goes with what. But I do use the usuals like Danilon/Bute if needed for anything and am not a tree hugger by any means!
 

wench

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Have tried all sorts of things but had to stop with Myoplast due to the cost, but it worked.

Horse 1: mag ox. Appears to be working very well. Splash of oil. Lumin8 for a nice shiney coat (only just started to see if it works)

Horse 2: muscle builder, as needs help, lumin8, and a load of oil to help condition
 

ILuvCowparsely

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about 4 i think

But i refuse to have loads of pots in the feed room so measure out the quantities for a set amount of days ( usually 20) and mixed together and i use the appropriate measure and call it READY MIX much quicker and easier 1 measure of that and one milk thistle. rather than 1 of this 1 of that 1 of this 1 of that

the large treat post make good supplement ready mix pots
 
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Moomin1

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None. Most of them are a waste of money in my opinion. Horses never used to set eyes on supplements years back and yet they still lived just as long.
 

Samfin

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My two cobs and pony only get pink powder and garlic at the recommended servings but my old TB has had allsorts over the years, I used to give her supplements for her copd (or is it called ROA nowadays). But decided to try her living out instead and her condition improved nearly 100%, she hardly suffers now and is on nothing for it (although i rug her up like the Michelin man and I do bring her in if the weather is severe), I've also noticed her arthritis isn't as bad since she's been living out (I suppose because she's not standing still for hours on end and seizing up). If I do have to give supplements I try to use natural ingredients rather than shop bought mixtures. If her arthritis gets any worse I'm going to try serrapeptase as it's supposed to be wonderful for arthritis (my dog is on it for westie lung disease and I take it for my joint problems)
 

soapy

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I have had forage and haylage analysis done, and make up my own mineral/vitamin supplement as per nutritionist's instructions. I've been doing this since taking my horse barefoot 3 years ago. So far all is good!
 

Enfys

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Equi-vite.

If I stop (and I have - just to see) she is jumping out of her shoes, much more together when she's on it.

I don't think BOSS really count as supplements do they?
 

JennBags

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Balancer (Alltech Lifeforce)
Cortaflex
Cider vinegar
Linseed oil

Horses used to be considered veterans at 16, now that's the prime of their lives. My old boy was still being ridden shortly before his heart failed him at 29yo, which was pretty good going for a 17.1hh warmblood. I like to feed supplements that I know help their longevity and long term health.
 

Firewell

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Mine gets fed a balancer and 2 supplements. A joint supplement for maintenance (I take super strength joint supp for arthritis in my hands and it definitely makes a difference to my pain levels) and he gets a calmer high in magnesium. That's because the grass he is on is irrigated grass in a hot climate (fake watered grass) which has made the soil very high in potassium. The magnesium in the calmer helps counter that and I have found my horse much more forward going funnily enough on the calmer but in a focused off my leg way.
 

Goldenstar

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Three are on myoplast.
Four get a min and vit supplment
One gets the balancer that goes with his coarse mix ( he wont eat straights )
I use joint supplements on the older ones .
 

Holzdweaver

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I now feed Equimins Veteran Supp, Salt, tumeric and Linseed.

When the Veteran supp runs out im going to switch him onto Advance complete as i like the specs more. I used to feed a joint supplement but didnt notice any difference what so ever so tried tumeric on the off chance and he moves much more freely.
 

TGM

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One gets nothing, two just get balancers (if you count that as a supplement, rather than a concentrated feed), one gets electrolytes, joint supplement and Pink Powder.

As for the olden days, they might not have had commercial supplements available but they did use to add all sorts of things to the diet: bonemeal, eggs, stout etc.
 

milliepops

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Horses used to be considered veterans at 16, now that's the prime of their lives. My old boy was still being ridden shortly before his heart failed him at 29yo, which was pretty good going for a 17.1hh warmblood. I like to feed supplements that I know help their longevity and long term health.

^^ this - Millie is 19yo this year and I'm hoping she will continue to progress in her training - would have been pensioned off to hacking at this age when i first started riding!

Millie has a joint supplement, she's on suppleaze gold at the moment. I took her off it a few years ago and noticed a difference so have carried on- in the grand scheme of things it's really an inconsequential cost compared to the rest of horsey related spending.

Kira has agnus castus during the summer months to help with her seasons.

Both have a good balancer which seems to have all the general stuff covered, and a dollop of salt.
 

huskydamage

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Too many! I didn't bother with them when she was younger (apart from a balancer) but now she's older got arthritis and tied up before etc they are reactive supplements i guess! Started balancer again as well as she looking ropey this winter.
Pink senior
Cortaflex
Electrolytes (when needed)
My mum got me a magnesium calmer as she kept stressy shaking on rides and hunts. Ive been feeding that to see if it helps but i probably won't replace it when it runs out.
 

only_me

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Glad others feed lots as well!

Bill is currently on turmeric, joint stuff & a iron tonic which finishes in a couple of days. Then oil to mix together!

I like the idea of mixing them together in a pot for the week, but would that affect the turmeric working do you think?
 

Palindrome

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- micronised linseed (as much a food as a supplement)
- salt
will probably add yea-sacc and magox when the grass kicks off and perhaps switch to equivita when budget is not as tight as it is at the moment.
 

criso

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I make up my own to match the deficiencies in the forage so it looks more but it actually fewer elements than in a standard balancer. I make up a fortnight's worth of pots as I'm on livery so the ym just has to split each between 2 feeds

Minerals (Copper, Zinc, magox, Selenium)
Pro Biotic (usually yeasacc but sometimes branded one if I see a bargain)


Horse 1
Has a bone cyst in his shoulder gets a joint supplement - maxaflex but has been different in the past

Horse 2
Struggles to build up muscle
Spirulina (vet recommended myoplast so I tried spirulina which is the active ingredient) took him off it and he didn't do so well so started it again
Lysine

Add salt only if they've sweated significantly.
 

laura_nash

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I usually feed the basic Forage Plus balancer at half the recommended dose (based on forage analysis), and micronised linseed in the winter.

They haven't had any for three months though, they didn't lose enough weight this winter and all extra feed has been banned, even the fast fibre for the supplements. Haven't noticed a difference from not feeding linseed, but then the grass never really stopped growing this winter. I think their hoof quality has deteriorated a little from stopping the minerals, but at the moment the extra weight is more of a concern.

I'm another who (usually) has seasonal and short-term supplements too, like milk thistle after worming and a course of Global Herbs Restore after any illness.
 
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