Vits & Mins ??

[MissyMew]

Currently my two boys are nothing but grass and a small amount of hay, both out 24/7. Sometime next month they will come in at night. Last year they only had a token feed of hi-fi (less than a scoop).

After doing a bit of reading it seems that they might benefit from some vits&mins. Also going to changing Hi-Fi to top spec lite.

But I have no idea which one??
Would love to know what other people use and why?

Both my two are 14, one small sec A type other 15.1 ISH (more Irish Cob than ISH) so both good doers.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Tammytoo]

I have 2 good doers who need no extra energy (they have more than enough already!).

I feed Winnergy Equilibrium Feed Balancer and they love it! Their coats have never looked better. It seemed expensive per bag, but if you feed at the recommended rate and after I worked out what I spent on various feeds and supplements there was very little difference.

They have a nutritionist who was very helpful.

 

[mudmonkey17]

I use pink powder as a balancer and find horse looks good on it x

 

[CMMB]

Healthy adult horses that have access to plenty of forage & turn out (sunlight) do not need to be fed any extra vits or minerals. All the vits are produced by bacterial fermentation in the hind-gut and there are no recorded mineral deficinecies relating to horses in the UK. Most feed company nutritionists do not provide unbiased information on nutrition - they have products to sell.

 

[MissyMew]

CMMB

That's interesting to know. I did wonder if they even needed anything.

I stood in the feed shop looking at the products available and just found it bewildering and did not buy anything.

Still thinking about giving something due the their age, just don't want to introduce an unnecessary problems/reactions.

Thanks for the replies, very useful.

 

[Jill Crewe]

I've also been looking into this recently as buying a new horse and felt confused about it all. my gut I instinct was that they should be able to get what they need naturally. After reading this I am going to stick with grass and hay unless something arises. I guess it all depends on individual situations but sometimes people feel they should do certain things almost for the sake of it!

 

[Goldenstar]

I've also been looking into this recently as buying a new horse and felt confused about it all. my gut I instinct was that they should be able to get what they need naturally. After reading this I am going to stick with grass and hay unless something arises. I guess it all depends on individual situations but sometimes people feel they should do certain things almost for the sake of it!

This way well be the case if the horses are bumbling along not having any athletic demands made on them .
However just as a person doing no high level physical work will survive on a mineral and vit poor diet it's unlikely that Jessica Inness could perform as she does with carefull attention to this are.
The thing with grazing is its only as good as the soil it's grown on almost all the Uk sellenium deficient and cows in this valley always need copper and magnesium .
My horses eat local haylage local oats so there's no way I would take the frankly wooly approach that the grass is magically going to provide everything the fact that a horse looks ok does not mean its needs are being met in an optinmal way.

 

[Horses24-7]

365

http://www.equineanswers.co.uk/prodpage.asp?ProdID=1

Swopped mine over onto it from expensive balancers and noticed no difference- works out great value as well

 

[Goldenstar]

365

http://www.equineanswers.co.uk/prodpage.asp?ProdID=1

Swopped mine over onto it from expensive balancers and noticed no difference- works out great value as well

That's what I use too much cheaper than a balancer.

 

[grandmaweloveyou]

hmmm intrigued....what if the last thing you want is for your horse to put weight on? It says how rapidly it will help underweight horses gain weight?

 

[Mrs Arab]

I like full-fat micronized linseed meal from Charnwood Milling. They are in Suffolk, so the carriage isn't specially cheap, but I give my 15-hander 1 cup/day and he does well on it.

There is also a place in Masham, North Yorks. which makes micronized linseed pellets, but they sell through retailers only. They are pleasant on the telephone and will direct you.

Evidently the micronizing process rids the linseed of the poison inherent to it.

Some horses seem to love the flavour and some (mine) seem to need a time to learn to tolerate it.

 

[pip_dog]

I have just started feeding baileys lo cal balancer. Suits all 3 really well including 1 rather tubby shetland. That needs something while the other 2 horses munch away. Plus will do her good when grass and weather is so poor!

 

[Miss L Toe]

Healthy adult horses that have access to plenty of forage & turn out (sunlight) do not need to be fed any extra vits or minerals. All the vits are produced by bacterial fermentation in the hind-gut and there are no recorded mineral deficinecies relating to horses in the UK. Most feed company nutritionists do not provide unbiased information on nutrition - they have products to sell.

Since puting my boy on the barefoot diet his coat colour has got darker, esp over summer, and his skin is less itchy, previous to this he got a tiny feed to bring him in in summer, now he gets fed all year round. [25gms Fast Fibre used as a carrier].
Summer
Coffee cup micronised linseed meal [skin and joints]
Laminator [or any other vit and mineral supplement] fed at 1/3 recommended dose.
Winter replace Laminator with pro balance fed at 1/3 - 2/3 rec rate.
There is evidence that UK forage is short in Magnesium, the recommended supplement rates start at 6gms magnesium per day. Pro Balance at recommended rate provides this, and is formulated to balance UK forage, using average analytical processes.
There are plenty of areas inthe UK which are also short in copper, the symptoms are reddish colour in black mane, local farmers will know as lambs short of Cu get "swayback".
If it works for barefoot horses it will work for normal ones.

 

[Jingleballs]

Does anyone know where you can get nutrient content for the 365 supplement? I couldn't see it on the website and have emailed to request it but no response as yet.

I'm almost finished my tub of Equimins advance and tbh for what I paid for it, I didn't really see any difference so currently in the process of comparing other supplements to work out which is best.

 

[Miss L Toe]

Does anyone know where you can get nutrient content for the 365 supplement? I couldn't see it on the website and have emailed to request it but no response as yet.

I'm almost finished my tub of Equimins advance and tbh for what I paid for it, I didn't really see any difference so currently in the process of comparing other supplements to work out which is best.

I am surpised you did not see a difference using Equimins Advance, at full rate, to me this suggests you were previously feeding a well balanced diet with sufficient mins and vits.
Have a look at pro earth site.
Thing is that without scientific analysis of forage, we are second guessing the minerals our horses need. forageplus will analyse and also formulate a mineral mix for you, this costs a fair bit, so most of us just go for a good supplement, or no supplement.

 

[Jingleballs]

I am surpised you did not see a difference using Equimins Advance, at full rate, to me this suggests you were previously feeding a well balanced diet with sufficient mins and vits.
Have a look at pro earth site.
Thing is that without scientific analysis of forage, we are second guessing the minerals our horses need. forageplus will analyse and also formulate a mineral mix for you, this costs a fair bit, so most of us just go for a good supplement, or no supplement.

Prior the the equimins he was on Kossolian blood salts but it was suggested that these were better as a pick me up opposed to an ongoing supplement.

Prior to that he was on the advance again but I don't think I can see a huge difference in him.

Going to have a look at pro earth. I got the nutrient breakdown of the 365 and am in the process of comparing this with Benevit advance, Equimins Tip top and Equimins super plus competiton supplement.

At the moment, the competition plus looks the best option, te only edge that 365 complete seems to have is that it has a higher % of copper and a slightly higher amount of copper.

 

[HappyHooves]

365 contains many chelated minerals which mean that they are in the 'right' format for absorption.Will send you the contents and percentages tomorrow.

 

[HappyHooves]

please pm me and I can send you the details and a comparison chart against some others.

 

[tankgirl1]

We use this http://www.equimins-online.com/all-products/117-equimins-pro-bio-supplement.html which works well for our boy!

Fairly cheap too

 

[Spyda]

Healthy adult horses that have access to plenty of forage & turn out (sunlight) do not need to be fed any extra vits or minerals. All the vits are produced by bacterial fermentation in the hind-gut and there are no recorded mineral deficinecies relating to horses in the UK. Most feed company nutritionists do not provide unbiased information on nutrition - they have products to sell.

Hmmmm.... Would have to agree to disagree wholeheartedly, I am afraid. This is just not the case.