Is there a balancer in course-mix form (rather than pellet)?

Spyda

Spyda

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Anyone know of any? Or of a tasty liquid based balancer, you could recommend?

I've a mare that is terribly finicky and wont eat the pelleted balancers - I've tried 'em all over the years.

I've got her on D&H Leisure Mix ATM but even at the 1.8kg daily amount (she's 620kg) - she's getting a bit plump now the spring grass is coming through. It would be brilliant to find something really palatable that will provide all she needs in less calories. I already add grated carrot and apple, and apple juice to pursuade her to eat the Leisure Mix as it is... and she hates sugar beet, cubes, chaffs, graze-on, mint, etc... so none of those help. And if I add any form of supplement to her feet she'll refuse to eat it. And I've tried loads :rolleyes:
 
Maybe she's telling you she doesn't need it! Try giving her free access to a mineral lick with added vits etc and she can take as she feels necessary.
 
Falcon Feeds do a coarse mix balancer i believe called Gold Cup- i believe you can buy it from them online too- have not tried it though, although have used their products for a while in the past which seemed good!

Spillers do a racing balancer that is a mix- if your horse is in hard work-
http://www.spillers-feeds.com/en-gb...-and-stockists/racing-feeds/oat-balancer-mix/

Sorry I'm not sure of any others!

ETA: Have just found this but not sure if it's a "balancer" as such

http://www.dodsonandhorrell.com/products/horse-ranges/balancer/competition-concentrate.html and this:http://www.spillers-feeds.com/en-gb...-stockists/cool-concentrate/Cool-Concentrate/ (have used it once in the past- smells lovely!)
 
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cm2581 said:
Maybe she's telling you she doesn't need it! Try giving her free access to a mineral lick with added vits etc and she can take as she feels necessary.
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Nah, it's not just that. She just doesn't care for any hard feed / chaffs but unfortunately doesn't eat enough hay/haylage ad-lib to maintain weight especially when she's in medium to hard work. She's always been the same. A real pain to tempt to eat up. She won't touch licks or salt blocks either (fussy moo). In winter it's a nightmare because we have to get the calories into her when she's hunting twice a week. It's just the spring/winter transition, when the grass is at the in-between stage, that we could do with something tempting that's got the full range of vits/mins to keep her in condition.
 
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Oooh thanks K27 - the Spiller's Cool Concentrate looks really promising (if she'll eat it!) but at a daily rate of only 550g I think that's do'able. Wonder if Spiller's do trial bags????
 
Spyda said:
Oooh thanks K27 - the Spiller's Cool Concentrate looks really promising (if she'll eat it!) but at a daily rate of only 550g I think that's do'able. Wonder if Spiller's do trial bags????
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Give them a call and see- I'm sure that they must have sample "trial" size bags that they can send out to you, they are very helpful usually so I'm sure they would!
 
legend said:
If the Spillers doesn't work out, I feed Saracen Biolife 2000 which is a balancer in mix form.

http://www.saracen-horse-feeds.co.uk/products/27198405/biolife-2000/
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Thanks... good to have more options. Do you know what the feeding rate for a 610 Kg horse would be? I can't find that on the website.

K27: Thanks too! I've just emailed them and asked for a sample. Fingers crossed they can supply me one. I've still got a couple of bags of Leisure Mix to use up so have time to wait to try some samples on her. :)
 
Spyda said:
Nah, it's not just that. She just doesn't care for any hard feed / chaffs but unfortunately doesn't eat enough hay/haylage ad-lib to maintain weight especially when she's in medium to hard work. She's always been the same. A real pain to tempt to eat up. She won't touch licks or salt blocks either (fussy moo). In winter it's a nightmare because we have to get the calories into her when she's hunting twice a week. It's just the spring/winter transition, when the grass is at the in-between stage, that we could do with something tempting that's got the full range of vits/mins to keep her in condition.
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You could try thunderbrook feeds as their base mix comes in a powdered form like linseed and you could add it to something wet that she likes? Otherwise isn't Vit B (brewers yeast) supposed to sharpen up the appetite? Or spearmint, or you could try a tiny portion of bran mash to mask the balancer? I just acquired an unhandled, very poor youngster who was very sniffy about bucket feeds & he has now really got the hang of it and has put on a surprising amount of condition in just 2 weeks being fed the above.
 
LCH611 said:
You could try thunderbrook feeds as their base mix comes in a powdered form like linseed and you could add it to something wet that she likes?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. Sadly I contacted Thunderbrook feeds yesterday to enquire about a sample bag but they don't do them. Said they only do 5kg 'trial' bags for £9.50. Yikes.... an expensive option.

Think I'll try the Spiller's Cool Concentrate as you only have to get a small amount into them daily. If she'll eat it, it would be good for autumn and spring use.

Thanks again for the suggestions :)
 
As well as their Bio Life Balancer Saracen do a feed called Shape Up - it's fed in tiny amounts but contains full vit/mins so may do the job
 
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