Who feeds a Balancer? Advice plz!

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lucemoose

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Basically my skinny rakey TB/WB is looking quite good on ad lib hayledge, nuts , alfa and BOSS...but he is only getting minimal amounts of these as he is looking almost like I could take him showing
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and am worried about too much weight. I know he will drop off in winter again and go back to looking like he just ran in the 12.45 so am thinking about a balancer..
Opinions please??
I know that saracens bio-life is good, I cant stretch to Blue Chip or Equi Jewel (am not keen on the amounts of protein in them either) ..
Helpies? Ta!
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I use Top Spec Comprehensive powder. As a result, use extremely little hard feed, and still got mare from greyhound to horse in about 12 weeks. Now using half-doses of the Top Spec, still very little feed, and would prob drop it off completely if I had any grass to speak of. Oh, and despite turning a slightly poor, overworked and underfed 4yo into a buxom growing lass, no fireworks!
 
Love Topspec, is fab stuff. g is on Topspec and very very small amounts of feed, but still helps keep his feet in good nick, and his coat/muscle tone is improving
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If you cannot stretch to the cost of Blue Chip (agree it is very expensive in comparison to others) then have a look at the Baileys Lo-Cal balancer. One of mine looks well on grass and basic cool mix but without the balancer very quickly drops muscle tone. Doesnt need more calories as such but obviously benefits from the balancer. Think I pay about £18 for a 20kg bag.
 
I don't rate blue chip or equilibrium on mine compared to baileys lo-cal balancer, they look fab on it, started using it when my big boy was on box rest last year, as he lost loads of condition and muscle tone, and about 2 weeks after the baileys you could see a massive improvement, and i haven't stopped using it since, defo worth the money!

Why don't you email a few companies, and get some samples and info, i do think that balancers are great value for money when you see the end result.
 
And because Im thick and cant type, thanks for the suggestions! I always forget that most horse companies have helplines, I shall have a nice chat with several people this week (need to phone nupafeed lady too!) and run up a healthy fone bill..
 
We feed the Top Spec Anti Lam balancer (which is in pellet form) not because ours are laminitic, but because they are very good doers. You can get a normal Top Spec pelleted balancer as well as Top Spec powders. If you phone Nicola Tyler at Top Spec you will find her really helpful, and no hard sell either.
 
I feed the balancer which is in pellets. G loves it on its own aswell as part of his overall feed. If you dont compete under affiliated rules, you can get away with feeding the leisure time, which is cheaper but not guaranteed 100% competition legal....
 
I feed similar to you - I use the Simple Systems lucie stalks for chaff, green gold for mix replacment, BOSS and Hilight nuts. I feed SS total eclipse feed balancer - which is seaweed, brewers yeast and linseed.

Mine look really good on it.

With my old TBs they had Feedmarks benevit for vits and mins and equimins pro-bio for digestion/keeping weight on. Cheap and very effective.

I have tried blue chip, equilibra etc and to be honest found the benevit and pro-bio every bit as good and half the cost. Only reason I changed to Eclipse is I am using SS feeding system now.
 
If you go for Dodson and Horrell Suregrow, its only £9 per bag, and is the exact same as TopSpec. It was reccommended to my friend by a top vet! So it must be pretty good. My 2 mares are now on it, and wow has it made a difference!
 
Oh I fed SS for 6 months last year, stopped due to time restraints and because I ran out of the balancer! I loved the way I was feeding lots of bulky fibre but horse never quite enjoed eating it and was hard to prepare in summer due to heat.
 
Ah, wasnt keen on feeding another powder supplement as horse is mildly anorexic and need encouragement to eat! Am pretty sure he will scoff pellets. He has only just got over the trauma of SS feeds and soaked oats, both of which he never really 'wolfed' down. Compete (badly) BSJA so dont want to be banned lol.
 
So is Suregrow the same just in a diff bag then? The same way as Baileys build up cubes are interchangable with their race nuts!!? Am not a budget owner but little ways that save money add up for big things like vets bill etc, so its worth shopping around. Will investigate D+H ta!
 
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We feed the Top Spec Anti Lam balancer (which is in pellet form) not because ours are laminitic, but because they are very good doers. You can get a normal Top Spec pelleted balancer as well as Top Spec powders. If you phone Nicola Tyler at Top Spec you will find her really helpful, and no hard sell either.

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I second that, she is great and has done me feedplans for both horses, I have her email addy if you want it?
 
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So is Suregrow the same just in a diff bag then? The same way as Baileys build up cubes are interchangable with their race nuts!!? Am not a budget owner but little ways that save money add up for big things like vets bill etc, so its worth shopping around. Will investigate D+H ta!




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Yep thats right, its the same. It even looks and smells the same as Topspec, its pellets. I've been feeding 2 cups of it a day per horse. Had great results.
 
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So is Suregrow the same just in a diff bag then? The same way as Baileys build up cubes are interchangable with their race nuts!!? Am not a budget owner but little ways that save money add up for big things like vets bill etc, so its worth shopping around. Will investigate D+H ta!




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Yep thats right, its the same. It even looks and smells the same as Topspec, its pellets. I've been feeding 2 cups of it a day per horse. Had great results.

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It may look the same, but check the ingredients - just because it looks the same does not mean it is - believe me. For a start the base is completely different Sure Grow is on a cereal base and Top Spec is on a full fat soya base, that is only the start of the very real difference between the two.
 
You cant go wrong with Topspec if you have a look at the contents sheet it has everything a horse needs

it is fantastic stuff I cant rate it highly enough
 
i have a 17hh TB who point to pointed up until the end of the season, hes really fit and skinny! we' re desprately trying to get some weight on him, i was using baileys number 4 but it hasnt really helped, I have previuosly used Blue Chip (not on him though) and i dont think u cant beat it. although im gona put him on Simple System which is suppose to be really good. but all horses are differnt!!
 
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