Which balancer?

[ShadyMeLady]

I’m looking to put my horse on a balancer as he lost a lot of condition and weight last winter (he’s a cob). He’s currently only a vit/min supplement so will stop that in favour of the balancer. Last year he was on high fibre complete nuggets at the end of the winter but came off them in spring.

So which one? Not TopSpec. Was looking at the Spillers Daily Balancer. Any reviews on this? It can’t be heating cause it’ll probably counteract his calmer

Thanks

[georgia19ox]

If It was me i but the cob on a DH Be clam balancer and as much hay /haylage as you can get down him

[ShadyMeLady]

Yes in an ideal world he’d had adlib hay, however whilst we’re on a much better yard this year he’s out in a very large herd and hay is included in the livery cost... he’ll have much more than he did last year, just not adlib unfortunately. They’ll get hayed twice a day.

[Trewser]

Ad lib hay might do the trick. One of mine events up to novice on hay, grass and a balancer.

[ShadyMeLady]

Thank you, he was being worked approx 5/6 days a week over last winter, lots of long hacks and schooling as well, he didn’t drop workload.

Last year the hay wasn’t adlib unfortunately, on a DIY yard in a herd with tight people!! So he didn’t get as much as I would have liked him too. This year he’ll get much more, so that may be enough in itself actually.

I’ll do some research on all the ones suggested. Thanks

[QuestionableMouse]

Baileys Keep Calm might be worth a look.

www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk/products/general-leisure/keep-calm

[Trewser]

He used to have fast fibre, chaff and Baileys low cal balancer which he looked really good on. Chaff was something light like alfa molasses free.

[MaidofKent78]

*2020, not 20km

[MaidofKent78]

My normal doer Arab gets:

Hay, hay, hay when she's in. Adlib overnight (so that there's always a pile left in the morning) and additional in the field when the grass stops growing.

Allen & Page calm & condition
Graze-on
A general vitamin & mineral supplement

She's at a medium level of work - endurance up to 40km, hopefully further in 20km and this feed regime seems to suit her well. I am considering getting the hay and soil tested this winter so that I feed more targetted supplements.

Don't forget that topline comes from proper work - you can't feed for it. If your horse is doing less work over the winter, it's no surprise that he loses topline.

[RuggyPeg]

Spillers lite n lean is just oatfeed, wheatfeed and molasses. It's just sweepings off the floor bound together with sugar. It's awful stuff, especially for a horse with laminitis.

[RuggyPeg]

Fast fibre has nutritionally improved straw in it, which is chemically treated with caustic soda.

It's not about organic. It's about learning what you're really feeding your horse.

[sanityisamyth]

Bailey's number 14 (Lo Cal) was amazing for my pony. Gave him the essentials but kept the weight off.

[ShadyMeLady]

Sounds good thank you. Did you feed any extra vits and minerals (currently on the NAF powder) as that was my reason for going to a balancer so he still had all of that. He probably doesn’t need them though, I just feels like it gives his insides a boost

[freetony]

Copra Meal for weight without fizz.

[freetony]

Spillers Lite and Lean is nutritionist recommended for my lamanitic so it can't be that crap 🙈

[Trewser]

I used to give it to my little cob through the winter. He loved it and it kept him just right weight wise.

[ShadyMeLady]

Yes that’s an idea as well thank you.

[Trewser]

Fast fibre might be good for him.

[ShadyMeLady]

Thank you both, I’ll check them out. There’s just so many options out there, it’s all bit of a minefield. And what’s right for one, won’t necessarily be right for another!

[pinkpolo]

If it's condition without silly behaviour you want, then I really recommend Baileys ease and excel. I've had rescues who've done amazing on this. I've also had success with Equerry conditioning mash, puts weight on them quickly though.

I'm currently feeding ready mash (blue bag) to my youngsters and even though it's quite high in starch, it's not had a negative impact on behaviour, and they look fantastic!

[Appymummy]

I have good doers and feed them dengie hifi molasses free and saracens shape up; no longer need to give any additional supplements and my horses all do well throughout the year

[ShadyMeLady]

Only just seen these posts, sorry.

Not TopSpec because he lost his tiny mind on it, turned him into a spooky, snorting, fire breathing dragon (and yes it was definitely that as I spent some time testing it!)

I’m the absolute opposite to starving him so he’s calm, he gets hangry if even a tiny bit hungry so I need to make sure he is full at all times! He’s much calmer with a full belly.

It was the first winter I had him last year, I kept getting told as he’s a cob he won’t need that much hard feed, he’s a good doer etc. So I didn’t up the small feed he had over the summer. Then suddenly come Feb/March he was very thin and lost his topline. I upped his feed accordingly and added linseed meal as well. Then when spring was in full flow I took him off it. He’s now a very good weight (his body score is 5.5) and I don’t want to have the same problem at the back end of winter again.

He was on Thunderbrooks chaff but I moved to a yard where feed was included so he’s just on a happy hoof one now.

Thanks all for your input

[Elieza]

Someone mentioned speedy beet. Now it’s been a while, but is the speedy stuff not the stuff that doesn’t put the weight on, with the regular overnight stuff being the one you need to fatten them up?
That’s what I got told but I don’t know the ins and outs. If anyone knows the answer it may help someone?

[Trewser]

I don't imagine many horses that event to a very high level feed thunderbrooks as it is very exoensive. I'm sure its great feed and i bet it smells amazing but honestly organic chamomile flowers are nice but not essential.

[Trewser]

Calm down. Dd worked for William fox pitt, he feeds Spillers. They give it to him. His horses are amazing. Herbs and organic food for horses is far more about marketing!

[RuggyPeg]

It's not about herbs and cost fgs.... It's about the quality of ingredients.

Wfp and the like are sponsored by the feed companies. It has no bearing on how good or not the feed is. It just means they have a marketing budget.

Some of the ingredients in the mainstream brands have absolutely no place in horse feed. It's just cheap crap that's affordable to many horse owners.