What supplements do you feed and why?

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frankieduck

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I’m just curious!

I sort of sit on the fence between secretly suspecting a lot of supplements are a waste of time and money feeding… and also often being sucked in by the marketing that I should absolutely feed this new amazing supplement :oops:

My ridden ones are both on Feedmark Best Flex +, after a lot of research I decided it was the highest specification joint supplement I could find. Not cheap though! I also give all 3 of them Protexin Gut Balancer just because I’ve fed it to everything for years out of habit.

I’ve been trying to force feed them all electrolytes or salt recently but they’re not keen and keep leaving their feeds :rolleyes:
 
I feed a balancer for basic Vits and mins but I feed home some other things since he was treated and recovered from concussion lami from Dec 23 to April 24,

Cinnamon
Turmeric
Boswellia
Magnesium Oxide

These seem to be doing him well. He gets 30ml of each daily.

He also gets VitE and linseed meal added as he is on restricted grazing and hay.
 
Vit/min balanxer
Gut balancer
Electrolytes

Think that should do him. Would like to feed oily herbs but he won’t have it. Sometimes do a course of something, like L94 in the spring/autumn.
 
Generally:
- Mag Ox
- Brewers Yeast
- Linseed (different amounts for each horse depending on what I’m aiming for).
- Electrolytes - as and when (weather and work related).

One of mine is on box rest at the moment so Is having Marigold/Cleavers mix to help with filled legs (doesn’t seem to be doing much so far but it worked really well for me in a previous situation and I only just started it so probably need to adjust quantity) and Boswellia. I’ve never fed it before but we’ve got a joint/inflammation issue so it’s more of a desperate attempt to help from the inside - whether it will do anything I have no idea but it was cheap enough to try.
 
Both get -
Oily herbs - I’ve found overall health benefits
Protexin gut balancer - I stopped getting the cold when I took pre and pro biotics so put the horses on some too
Equimins advance complete - top up for vits and mins.

Tali also gets
Flexijoint - arthritic changes in hocks and vets advised a joint supplement
Cinnamon - it’s supposed to help metabolism for weight loss (jury’s out on this one just yet)
 
Protexien though sure I’ve spelt that wrongly
Salt
Was on a sarcoid one which I mean to start again as think it’s a good overall immune system.
 
I give a general vit/min supplement as they don’t get big enough feeds to get from a complete feed. Salt. A turmeric/msm/glucosamine supplement for joints and linseed oil for Omega properties and a shiny coat.
I have fed many more in the past but like you question their effectiveness. An equine nutritionist told me that you don’t need a gut balancer if you feed correctly.
 
lily:
brewers yeast
glucosamine with MSM
garlic
usually linseed for coat, but stopped this one for now as she’s a fatty! not that i think a 20ml scoop in each was doing a lot, but every little helps!

diva:
brewers yeast
linseed (coat and skin)
seaweed (coat)

both on protexin gut balancer too, if i decide to keep them on it ill stop the brewers yeast since its got it in it, but it needs using up.

lily only has the garlic as she stopped eating her feeds, tried taking out each ingredient but didnt make a difference, obviously it was just too boring for her now😂

i started the glucosamine for lily when she tore her medial meniscus in both stifles, have decided to keep her on it as preventative measures as she’s 12 now.
 
The babies and retired get rockies red salt blocks (in addition to their stud balancer).

The older eventer gets nothing. Supplements or hard feed!

The younger eventer gets NAF gastrivet and NAF oestress
 
At one point I was doing balancer, joint supp, mag ox, yea sacc and Bio-Mos for the gut, agnus castus, B12 for sweetitch and I think the itchy horse sweet itch capsule as well and I got very overwhelmed with it. There was aloe vera juice in there at some point as well.

Currently cut down to Progressive earth balancer (Pro balance plus?), Riaflex joint supplement and just anti-histimines as a trial for sweet itch and no real difference from the above. Maybe less itching. The only thing I might add back in is the mag ox as it's cheap and easy.
 
Currently add seaweed, mag ox, salt, fennel seeds, milk thistle and agnus castus as one looked Cushings like, and the mare and new gelding just needed toning down. Free access to a rockies zinc rich salt block. Not really sure the supplements are really doing anything, but there's variety there while grazing recovers from land works done over the last year. This year hay will be cut from an old hay meadow that has loads of different plants in it, so I won't be so bothered about adding variety then
 
Oldies get
boswellia and linseed and salt ( they get quota of veteran vitality for vits and mins)

Ponies get
Cinnamon Ceylon , mag ox, salt

Others get fast fibre and chaff
Nothing else needed at present 🙈
 
Have one on milk thistle for liver support,
my mare has agnus castus for hormone and ovary support, and yumove for joints.
 
frankieduck said:
I’m just curious!

I sort of sit on the fence between secretly suspecting a lot of supplements are a waste of time and money feeding… and also often being sucked in by the marketing that I should absolutely feed this new amazing supplement :oops:

My ridden ones are both on Feedmark Best Flex +, after a lot of research I decided it was the highest specification joint supplement I could find. Not cheap though! I also give all 3 of them Protexin Gut Balancer just because I’ve fed it to everything for years out of habit.

I’ve been trying to force feed them all electrolytes or salt recently but they’re not keen and keep leaving their feeds :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Pony = with IBD - I have to run anything new via vet, but has to be on linseed oil as she leaks proteins, Equivite as per Andy Durham instruction's

ID = many tried and tested due to her wiring faulty - brewers yeast to help that recently started, calmer - turmeric due to lami attacks- airways+ due to breathing condition- flexi joint- protexin 4 gut-- good as gold added tryptophan. sunflower oil for skin - zeolite after dna test

connie= magic calmer - flexi joint- danilon msm for tendon issues- collagen ligament issues
 
Linseed
Electrolytes when needed (she also has a rock salt lick).
I feed brewer's yeast & oily herbs on & off (I'm not great at restocking these!)

My has a good topline considering her age and previous job, has a lovely shiny coat and good feet so I don't feel the need to add any more supplements at this point.
 
Marigold & cleavers tincture - for cpl
PE pro joint - for joints
Airways - for dry tickles throat in summer
 
My two both get salt and oily herbs.

Little Madam is on a breeders vit and min supplement because she's lactating.

I'm considering adding something like devil's claw for my Old Lady as she seems creakier and for the first time was stiff after trimming. The chiro vet is coming next week, so I'll discuss with her.
 
Oily herbs - helps with gut
Equimins AC - additional vits/mins that I'm quite sure he's been missing as he looks better on this than not
MSM - helps with joints
Vit E - he's an EPM horse so higher Vit E is recommended by default. he also becomes very underweight, depressed, etc. without it for some reason where he currently is so I supplement


I may not need to use the equimins or use a smaller amount as I've just changed feeds which has far more vits and mins in it but am going to keep an eye (I've just bought a huge tub as they were having a sale though). The same with the oily herbs as the new feed has these in it.
 
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After having one that I spent an absolute fortune on , then stopping them all and him looking and going the same I tend nor the bother now!! When they get hard feed I might add a daily multi vit but currently they are only on hay and grass. I do always provide a salt lick though.
 
Boswellia & Devils claw root - to help with arthritis
Mint
Silver lining herbs - TLC tummy (daily gut supplement since having ulcers a number of years ago)
Silver lining herbs - respiratory maintenance (for my 24yr old shetland who can cough when eating dry hay)
Immubiome - G-tract (when gut is unbalanced, eg. when introducing fresh grass as horse is grass sensitive)
 
Turmeric
Garlic
Micronised Linseed
Mint
Seaweed
MSM
Oregano
Thyme
Rosemary
Cinnamon
Ginger

As you can see from the above - I like to feed as natural as possible when it comes to supplements :)
 
I’m with you on the ‘many supplements are a waste of time’ viewpoint, but I do feed a few after doing my research on active ingredients and functional doses!

I feed TopSpec Senior balancer, which contains biotin and glucosamine as well as vits&mins. I also always add salt (most diets are deficient), and I add limestone flour as many horse feeds have an adverse calcium: phosphorus ratio (copra and linseed I feed, but also cereals, bran etc).

For her bone spavin, I also feed Mary: MSM, chondroitin, Boswellia, devil’s claw, green-lipped mussel, and resveratrol.
 
Some really interesting comments. I first owned horses and ponies light years away from today, when virtually all feeds were made from scratch.

I recall soaking and cooking linseed and barley in a huge 'jelly pan' and mixing each feed to individual needs. I think the only 'supplement' we used was cider vinegar! We fed bran, oat or lucerne chaff, boiled barley, cooked linseed and molasses (and Lucerne hay)

The horses' and ponies' coats shine and they all kept great condition. I recall at a NHS riding exam a couple of us being asked about feed and one unfortunate candidate mentioning pellets (an anaethma to BHS instructors!) the examiner looked witheringly at the candidate and said "and what happens when the nut factory breaks down?!".

Of course these days virtually all horse feed is manufactured pellets of some sort for convenience and due to time constraints. Arguably it's also better balanced, being 'scientifically formulated' as dog food has been for years. Inevitably though it's 'one size fits all' even with various formulas.

If you're considering the addition of supplements of any manufactured variety which aren't specifically veterinarian prescribed, then honestly save your money. Here's a great article written by Kentucky Equine Research which explains equine nutrition very well:
ker.com

Putting Weight on a Skinny Horse - Kentucky Equine Research

Sometimes, getting a thin horse to gain weight is simply a matter of increasing the caloric density of the diet. Other times, the diet may need to be higher in calories because of a medical, psychological or environmental problem.
ker.com ker.com
 
Pegasus 2024 said:
Some really interesting comments. I first owned horses and ponies light years away from today, when virtually all feeds were made from scratch.

I recall soaking and cooking linseed and barley in a huge 'jelly pan' and mixing each feed to individual needs. I think the only 'supplement' we used was cider vinegar! We fed bran, oat or lucerne chaff, boiled barley, cooked linseed and molasses (and Lucerne hay)

The horses' and ponies' coats shine and they all kept great condition. I recall at a NHS riding exam a couple of us being asked about feed and one unfortunate candidate mentioning pellets (an anaethma to BHS instructors!) the examiner looked witheringly at the candidate and said "and what happens when the nut factory breaks down?!".

Of course these days virtually all horse feed is manufactured pellets of some sort for convenience and due to time constraints. Arguably it's also better balanced, being 'scientifically formulated' as dog food has been for years. Inevitably though it's 'one size fits all' even with various formulas.

If you're considering the addition of supplements of any manufactured variety which aren't specifically veterinarian prescribed, then honestly save your money. Here's a great article written by Kentucky Equine Research which explains equine nutrition very well:
ker.com

Putting Weight on a Skinny Horse - Kentucky Equine Research

Sometimes, getting a thin horse to gain weight is simply a matter of increasing the caloric density of the diet. Other times, the diet may need to be higher in calories because of a medical, psychological or environmental problem.
ker.com ker.com
Click to expand...
What's wrong with progress?
 
I'm not interested in debating the various pros and cons of 'progress'.

Merely offering a response to several of the commenters wondering about the merits or otherwise of extortionately priced 'supplements'.

Yes there's certainly more knowledge around equine health, welfare, behaviour and physiology, but 'progress' per se is not always the panacea some might consider it to be.

Things tend to develop in circular fashion and who knows what the equine nutritional advice might be in another 10 years' time or less??
 
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