Vitamins/minerals

RubysGold

RubysGold

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My two horses have gained too much weight this summer (my mare especially is very overweight right now)

This winter (every year really) I have to be strict on their diet. The usual, soaked hay and straw, and whatever grass they can find when out through the day. I do have to feed my mare as she has turmeric and danilon and is doing so much better on it.

Now, the thing Im unsure of is deficiencies in their diet? Does anyone have any suggestions of what mineral/vitamins I may need to add to the diet?
Do I feed a balancer, or is there a lick they could have (with no/little sugar content)
 
I am always fighting a battle with Ebonys weight, in the past I gave her a small amount of good doer and due to the small amount she was getting she was lacking in all the Vit Mins that she needed, so after speaking to the feed merchant I have now changed her to Baileys No 14 low cal balancer, for her size she is allowed 3 mugs a day, so I give one morning and evening feed and then put the other mug in her treat ball so it takes her longer to eat it. I do the same as you with the hay etc and have now been using the balancer for the last two years and along with everything else it has helped her, and now she is getting the correct amount of everything that she requires Hope this helps .
 
I'd go for an all round balancer. Baileys No14 Low Cal is brilliant and you can feed it on its own so they don't get anything extra. Progressive Earth which is an ebay shop do amazing supplements called Pro Balance and Pro Hoof but you would need to feed a chaff or fast fibre with this as it is a powder.
 
Follysmum said:
Progressive Earth are fab, they have a new Mineral one . I mix mine with Fast Fibre. Great for good doers.
Click to expand...

Ooh which is the new mineral one Follysmum? I feed their Pro Balance. It's really improved my horses feet and has good levels of all the minerals they need compared to other balancers such as Baileys Lo Cal. If you have fatties then just mix it with a tiny bit of FF as above or just with a microscopic amount of chop or speedi beet. :)
 
I use Benevit Advance from Feedmark. Was using TopSpec balancer, but the benevit works out so much cheaper, and the mare seems so much healthier on it.

I feed it with half a scoof of alfa a, salt and a piled cup of D&H Senior Mix.

If you're watching their weight, the benevit is good as you can feed it with a handful of chaff, which I assume you would be doing anyway with the turmeric and danilon, so not adding anything else weight wise to their meals.
 
Either a balancer, or a multiple-vitamin lick. That way they need no extra feeding and can take in minerals as they want and need them...

Fatties don't normally need the additional quality protein from a pelleted balancer, and a powder balancer requires some additional feed, so generally I prefer a lick...
 
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