Vitamin Supplement v Feed Balancer

[Cloud9]

My cob is not looking too good this year in his coat - he is a good doer, he lives out in the summer, is on restricted grazing and if fed one scoop of lucie stalks, plus garlic,Pro Feet and Magnitude. He can be very spooky (mainly when out on his own) but I feed magnitude as heard it helps with headshaking. He also has one pad of hay am/pm to stop him going though his fencing!! I feel lucie stalks as it has no additives (molasses)- mainly for his spookiness.

However cause he is looking shabby I am wondering whether to feed a general vitamin supplement or a feed balancer. Any tips. I have never fed a feed balancer. Was wondering about Top Spec Lite? Just don't want to overdo it as he seems to go loopy on any additives now.

Off to farm now will check back later for any advice!!

 

[Rache]

I changed to top spec with really good results and it has saved me money as feeding lower amounts which means the bag lasts for ages, plus i dont need to feed any supplements anymore, brill more money saved. Havent used it over the winter but hopefully all i will need to add is grass nuts. I feed it with a scoop of chaff and apples i dont need to use any other mixes or anything. A bag cost me £35 by the way

 

[spotty_pony]

I would definitely recommend Baileys Lo-Cal Balancer. All of my horses are fed it and they all look fab! It is suitable for good doers and Laminitics so you wouldn't have to worry about it making him fatter.

 

[Cloud9]

Thanks to you both for replying - think I am going to try a bag. I could stop giving him his hoof supplement then I suppose. The one in particular I was looking at was Top Spec Lite and its about 30 quid a bag with delivery. Just hoping it does not make him spooky!!

 

[Durham]

I have never found that TopSpec makes natives spooky. We use TS Comprehensive and feed the balancer to our Welsh cob - who is in at least medium work with an hour's dressage schooling daily (he is based in a GP dressage yard) and goes out competing at dresssage or ODEs/jumping and occasionally showing at weekends - and to our two year old. Our other native, a Highland who has had laminitis in the past, gets TopSpec comprehensive balancer in the winter and switches to their vitamins and minerals when the grass is good as we watch his weight very carefully. Both our ridden ponies hot up on cubes/mix/anything with molasses and can get spooky or silly but we find that TopSpec plus loads of turnout is a good regime. We add Omega oil for coats - amount according to weight/coat quality. They are all very shiny but the youngster in particular held onto her coat a long time this year and the oil really helped. TopSpec is adjusted so that they can absorb oil without needing extra vitamins but I think you'll find that other good balancers are too - their advice lines will tell you. We feed either HiFi lite or TopSpec chop (which I prefer but cannot always get) plus unmolassed speedibeet if they need extra energy for work, but that's it apart from hay.
We use comprehensive as they don't need anything extra for hoof support.
Hope this is helpful and you get on well

 

[Cloud9]

Thanks Durham - thats great to hear - I don't compete or anything - just a happy hack plus fun rides - I don't want him hotting up!! Just want him looking nicer - our grass is quite good too which is why I wondered if he might just benefit from a vit supplement rather than a feed balancer. Don;t want to waste cash on feed if no need if you know what I mean - not that I can't afford it - he is better fed etc than me!!!!

 

[Durham]

I'd probably go for TopSpec vits and mins plus Omega oil in your case!

 

[vicksey]

sounds just like my cob this time last year.

I put him on dengie balancer (now on low cal and probably rate them very similar) HI FI Good doer / lite and a good dollop of sun flower oil.

His coat is gleaming and he's looking great, very forward going but not silly.

Must admit I dont put my horse on any type of nuts, tend to keep it to a lite chaff and balancer and find this works well.

 

[peanut]

I can't recommend Top Spec highly enough - I use Comprehensive in the winter and Anti-Lam in the spring/summer. I've used Leisure Time and Lite in the past - I think it's Leisure Time that doesn't contain the complete RDA of biotin.

I only need to buy chaff to go with it (just a handful in the summer, if any) and add Speedibeet in winter, and I have a shiny, fit and calm horse.

 

[Cloud9]

Thanks - well that has satisfied my worries!!! I have rung their nutrition line - very busy and am waiting for them to call me back about which of their balancers is best - although am almost certain it will the the Lite one.

 

[Chumsmum]

I love Bailey's Lo Cal Balancer.

If he happy with his lucie stalks have you looked at Simple Systems Total Eclipse? It's got the linseed for his coat plus brewers yeast to chill him out, you may be able to drop the Magnitude? Not sure if suitable for a good-doer or how much it costs though you would have to check.

Happy Shopping

 

[Reform]

I use TopSpec Anti-Lam and Comprehensive. My pony is very nervous and I've changed his feed to TopSpec Anti-Lam (he's not laminitic but a very good doer), TopSpec Top Chop Lite and TopSpec Fibre Plus Cubes. Since I've changed him onto TopSpec feeds he is very much calmer and lots of people are commenting on it.

 

[Cloud9]

I use TopSpec Anti-Lam and Comprehensive. My pony is very nervous and I've changed his feed to TopSpec Anti-Lam (he's not laminitic but a very good doer), TopSpec Top Chop Lite and TopSpec Fibre Plus Cubes. Since I've changed him onto TopSpec feeds he is very much calmer and lots of people are commenting on it.

Thanks EJWC -thats really good to hear - I have ordered my bag of Topspec Lite and once my chaf has gone was thinking of changing over to TopChop Lite too so that is very encouraging.

 

[samuelhorse]

Another vote for top Spec LIte!