TopSpec - sending horses a bit loopy

[Stenners]

Has anyone heard this? I've heard this a few times now - have just got a new horse and he's on the TopSpec Lite Balancer (which I have fed my previous mare with no issues) and someone said "you didn't choose TopSpec did you?"!!

He's a super sensitive, nervy guy so don't want anything that's going to add to this!

What balancers/chaffs do you all recommend? He's currently in very very light work and turned out 24/7, grass is coming through and he has some hay twice a day.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

I wouldn’t feed Topspec, if I remember right most of their balancers don’t have much vitamins/minerals in and mostly fillers which can have that effect.

Forage plus and Equimins Complete are good balancers IMO. Maybe some basic chaff so he can have a handful and the balancer

 

[Pinkvboots]

The balancer and top line nuts sent my Arab's stupid I don't feed anything made by them anymore.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Top Spec is notorious for this.

Cut him right down to grass and hay for a bit. As it is, the spring grass is coming through and that’s enough to make many horses loopy with the spring sillies.

 

[Stenners]

it. As it is, the spring grass is coming through and that’s enough to make many horses loopy with the

Top Spec is notorious for this.

Cut him right down to grass and hay for a bit. As it is, the spring grass is coming through and that’s enough to make many horses loopy with the spring sillies.

Oh really? Since I've got him (3 weeks ago) he's been super cold backed (wasn't at all the first couple of rides) and generally tense and anxious under saddle. He is know to be a little like this as he's a super sensitive guy (spoken to old owners) but didn't know if the feed may contribute? He's super on the ground and very chilled.

 

[paddy555]

Top Spec is notorious for this.

I found that out. Having fed TS I took my normally well behaved haflinger out for a ride. I soon got off in sheer terror, he was loopy, totally irrational. Thought I would lead him home which I did with him on his hind legs. A few days off TS and back to normal. An experience not to be repeated.

I feed equimins Advanced complete and have no problems with that and with Mollichaff molasses free chaff.

Presumably you tried him and he wasn't cold backed and tense/anxious. If he was OK then, having got rid of the TS I would look to your grass. If he is tense and unhappy ridden he may simply be finding the grass is making his gut sensitive and on a super sensitive horse producing the problem riding.
The grass has changed a LOT in the last couple of weeks.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Just search on the forum…sends a lot of horses bonkers. Happened with us too loads more energy on their low energy balancer here too…

We had a rep out on the yard who weighed all the horses and advised on which balancers and chaffs etc…most switched but 3 months later most had changed back to other brands. I’m sure it’s great for some but I’d never use it again!

 

[Stenners]

I found that out. Having fed TS I took my normally well behaved haflinger out for a ride. I soon got off in sheer terror, he was loopy, totally irrational. Thought I would lead him home which I did with him on his hind legs. A few days off TS and back to normal. An experience not to be repeated.

I feed equimins Advanced complete and have no problems with that and with Mollichaff molasses free chaff.

Presumably you tried him and he wasn't cold backed and tense/anxious. If he was OK then, having got rid of the TS I would look to your grass. If he is tense and unhappy ridden he may simply be finding the grass is making his gut sensitive and on a super sensitive horse producing the problem riding.
The grass has changed a LOT in the last couple of weeks.

No he wasn't like it when I tried him and previous owners said he can do it occasionally but usually when something hurting like a saddle or something not quite right as hes uber sensitive but not consistent enough to be called cold backed. He's known to occasionally be tense and anxious (takes confidence from his rider) He's had a new saddle fitted. Physio said his muscles are very sore and tight (he wasn't in a lot of work and then in lots of work a few weeks at sales livery) so he's just having a few weeks to be a horse as he's a bit weak behind too. I just wondered if the food could contribute to this at all.

 

[Stenners]

What balancers/chaffs do you recommend that don't contain alfalfa, soya hulls etc (that I can understand can contribute to things like this). So many contain alfalfa!

 

[HelenBack]

I'm another one whose horse went absolutely loopy on Top Spec and a friend's pony did as well. This was years ago now but both reverted to their normal selves when we stopped feeding then. I feed a Baileys balancer now but I think that does have alfalfa in. Have you looked at the Spillers ones? They have a range so there might be one in there that's suitable. Otherwise there's the powdered ones like Forage Plus and Progressive Earth but if course then it's a question of whether your horse will eat them or not (mine wouldn't).

 

[ElectricChampagne]

Yep, fed mine on it once years ago (never again) and the calm one went bananas and the batty one went ballistic.
We had a rep on the livery yard I was in at the time and we went with their advice on what to feed. Most of the yard went scatty on it.
Wasn't a good look.

Back on their old feed and back to normal. Won't touch the stuff now.

 

[AppyLover1996]

My lad is currently on TopSpec UlsaKind cubes and they've had the opposite effect - they've sent him so calm that he's gone ridiculously dead to my leg and now earned the nickname Donkey! Had a full workup and scope cause I was paraniod about ulcers, but it came back clear. Spoke to the vets and apparently as well as sending horses bonkers, they can also do the opposite....

TopSpec is one of those feeds that I shall be avoiding like the proverbial plague now sadly - it seems quite a few people have had some sort of issue. My friend's BFG who you'd happily pop dear old gammy on board for a ride went bonkers to the extent that he was promptly removed from the herd environment as he was a danger to horse and human (he was bolting around, rearing and running on back legs, reversing at speed into anything with a pulse and hell bent on playing tag with teeth!), left to get his hijinks out (at 18.2 they were bloody impressive!) and swiftly removed from the TopSpec diet. 3 days later back to a complete dope and the lovable teddy bear we all loved.

 

[Stenners]

I'm another one whose horse went absolutely loopy on Top Spec and a friend's pony did as well. This was years ago now but both reverted to their normal selves when we stopped feeding then. I feed a Baileys balancer now but I think that does have alfalfa in. Have you looked at the Spillers ones? They have a range so there might be one in there that's suitable. Otherwise there's the powdered ones like Forage Plus and Progressive Earth but if course then it's a question of whether your horse will eat them or not (mine wouldn't).

I have fed Spillers before and heard good things about their balancers - I have no idea if he can or can't have alafafa but i've seen this doesn't help some so just wondered so may try the Light and Lean balancer or give them a call and see what they suggest and figure out what chaff! Was thinking maybe Dengie MEadow Grass? All chaffs look to have alafafa in!

 

[Jambarissa]

What balancers/chaffs do you recommend that don't contain alfalfa, soya hulls etc (that I can understand can contribute to things like this). So many contain alfalfa!

In terms of chaff some of the mollichop ones are OK, thunderbrook, agrobs, simple systems, I think the grass ones like ready grass. I prefer to soak hay cobs from thunderbrook or Baileys.

Balancers try to find a powder since cubes have fillers and binders - forage plus, equivita, equimins.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

What balancers/chaffs do you recommend that don't contain alfalfa, soya hulls etc (that I can understand can contribute to things like this). So many contain alfalfa!

Any plain grass chaff should be fine. I like Emerald Green.

We currently feed Agrobs Wiesencobs, wet but not too wet!

 

[criso]

For a grass chaff Emerald Green Grasstastic is good and palatabe or I've fed Dengie Meadowgrass with Herbs.

Or any of the Agrobs range though that can be more difficult to source.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I feed emerald green grass tastic a tiny bit of unmolassed sugar beet and was feeding pro balance from progressive earth but they just wasn't eating it, so I've just started feeding spillers balancer it's the green on I think its the basic one, ive also fed the speedy mash and high fibre nuts to mine in the spillers range and mine are fine on them.

I like the balancers as they don't add iron to any of them I don't think.

 

[Stenners]

I feed emerald green grass tastic a tiny bit of unmolassed sugar beet and was feeding pro balance from progressive earth but they just wasn't eating it, so I've just started feeding spillers balancer it's the green on I think its the basic one, ive also fed the speedy mash and high fibre nuts to mine in the spillers range and mine are fine on them.

I like the balancers as they don't add iron to any of them I don't think.

I'm definitely going down the Spillers route I think for a balancer! Emerald Green is really hard to get in my area so I might try the Meadow Grass with Herbs.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I'm definitely going down the Spillers route I think for a balancer! Emerald Green is really hard to get in my area so I might try the Meadow Grass with Herbs.

Or I have used graze on that's just chopped grass but the Dengie ones are fine have used them as well before.

 

[Stenners]

Or I have used graze on that's just chopped grass but the Dengie ones are fine have used them as well before.

Thank you! He may well be fine on a normal chaff - I guess I could change to another chaff and balancer and see if he's better just with it not being TopSpec at all - I'm just not sure!

 

[criso]

Or I have used graze on that's just chopped grass but the Dengie ones are fine have used them as well before.

Mr Fussy wasn't so keen on Graze on or Readigrass though he eats Grasstastic.

Dengie does Just Grass as well as a pellet form but the Meadow Grass with herbs won the palatability test. There's nothing terrible in there, chopped grass, grass pellets, oil and some herbs and if you're trying to hide a balancer that can be helpful

 

[Bobthecob15]

We switched to Pure feeds pure fibre balance and really like it, it’s a complete feed too so no need to add anything. It’s pricier than some £24 a bag but the bag is only 15kg….but it’s all in one so quite cost effective. If you email them they can put together a feeding plan for you. It’s not available everywhere we order it online https://www.purefeed.com/free-expert-diet-plan/

 

[Caol Ila]

Tried Hermosa on Top Spec when she was 3. It sent her loopy. My old horse was on it for years with no bother but I changed her to Forageplus when I pulled her back shoes.

Both my horses are on Progressive Earth balancer. Plus a whole lot of herbs and whatever I can put that stuff in that they’ll actually eat. For Hermosa, that’s Bailey’s fibre pellets and for Fin, it’s Dengie Just Grass and a handful of pony nuts.

It’s been really hard to find something they like that will hide the balancer.

 

[2 Dragons]

Both of mine are on Progressive Earth pro-veteran balancer and Mollichaff light. Ruby goes loopy on most pelleted balancer, including Top Spec and Caps won't eat anything with alfalfa. Ruby is not at all fussy, but I had to introduce the balancer very slowly to Caps, starting with a pinch.

 

[spotty_pony2]

I fed Topspec lite to three horses for about ten years and I must say I never had any issues with them being bonkers. They were all quite forward thinking horses but never unmanageable. Since learning it is full of fillers though, I have switched to Spillers.

 

[Needtoretire]

I use Top Spec Senior Lite which has the joint support in it. Not had any issues with it in the 12 months I have used it, but it does have soya in it and the horse has had, could still have ulcers. What could I use instead of Top Spec that is easier on the gut please. Horse is veteran and needs joint support, prone to gas colic too. Balancer needs to be feed at optimum level as no other hard feed given or needed.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

My three are on top spec lite balancer and have been for years…the vet hospital in Glasgow were feeding it to my poorly mare and I stuck with it…never noticed any loopy behaviour.

 

[lannerch]

I wouldn’t feed Topspec, if I remember right most of their balancers don’t have much vitamins/minerals in and mostly fillers which can have that effect.

Forage plus and Equimins Complete are good balancers IMO. Maybe some basic chaff so he can have a handful and the balancer

I’m not sure where you heard that top spec does not contain many vitamins or minerals from as it’s quite the opposite in recommended feeding quantities it actually contains a wider range and in greater quantities than most other balancers .

Vikki Fowler - Veterinary Equine Dental Technician

As requested frequently with my starch and sugars post, I have compiled the information on balancers. Something that has come up often during my research has been how many owners don’t understand...

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[m1stify]

I have fed top spec lite & senior lite balancer for 14 years with no issues and horse has done very well on it.

 

[Dave's Mam]

Dave's had TopSpec Lite for years. Yes he's spooky, but he was no less spooky when not fed it.