# A good balancer for barefooters



## mischamoo (15 December 2013)

Hi all, am just after some recommendations for a barefoot friendly balancer to put my neddies on. Have been recommended pro hoof, pro balance and forage plus. Reluctant to try the forage plus straight away given the price tag to feed two if there's another out there that can do a decent enough job of supplying minerals. They've previously been on baileys lo cal balancer, wasn't sure if someone with a bit more knowledge would know if this was a good one for barefooters? I'm leaning towards pro balance as a starting point to try them on. Anyone have any recommendations..........? 
Thank you!


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## LucyPriory (15 December 2013)

I'd stick with the recommendations you have.  I wouldn't advise Bailey's Lo Cal.  FP is expensive but so many clients have reported good results that it works out to be worth every penny.  The only downside is some horses don't like the taste so you have to find a base suitable to mix it into.


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## mightymammoth (15 December 2013)

forage plus hoof health balancer, I can't rate it highly enough. It's worth every penny http://forageplus.co.uk/product/forageplus-hoof-health-winter-equine-balancer/


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## mischamoo (16 December 2013)

I've heard very good reviews about forage plus but it's also going to cost me £114.00 every 6 weeks to keep two on it and I just can't afford that.


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## JillA (16 December 2013)

mischamoo said:



			I've heard very good reviews about forage plus but it's also going to cost me £114.00 every 6 weeks to keep two on it and I just can't afford that.
		
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I can empathise with that, I have thought the same, so I'm watching this thread with interest. I am feeding 4 at the moment, on a tight budget, so cost is a consideration.


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## ktj1891 (16 December 2013)

I had my boy on pro balance but have not seen any improvement. I have now bought the FP winter hoof health balancer- expensive!!! But if it works then I will carry on buying it. Only put him on it Wednesday so too early to tell but hopefully I am not being too ambitious to notice some improvements at the two week point!

Btw both pro balance and FP stink, makes me feel sick but my boy eats it. I mix it in with Kwikbeet when soaking it!


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## zandp (16 December 2013)

I've had my 2 on Thunderbrook Equine base mix but in fact have recently (a few months ago) gone back to Baileys Local and haven't noticed any difference in their feet, in fact my elder mare's horn quality has improved. I do want to get everything analysed and balanced but am on a budget and can't afford that currently.


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## ester (16 December 2013)

I use equimins advanced - comes as powder or pellet, smells of banana but very palatable even for a fussy one in pellet form. That was after my trimmer went through a few options and decided on what we thought was best for him. 

We were hand mixing ingredients before based on forage analysis but moved, not seen any detriment so far. 

About 84 p per day (I feed 80 g which is recommended amount for horse and buy the 4kg tub.


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## JillA (16 December 2013)

Strange isn't it - by definition the term "balancer" implies you need to know your baseline levels. If your horse is short of, say, copper, a mix without much copper isn't going to do much for you, ditto selenium and any other mineral. 
So, on reflection I think I will stick with what I have been doing - finding out what deficiencies could account for the problems we are experiencing and target those. I did have a forage analysis last year so I do have a useful baseline, but even that isn't the end because it seems to me some horses can't utilise to the max what they get in their feeds? My horse is very affected by the lack of magnesium which was identified but others on the same land and forage do fine.
Any other thoughts?


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## mightymammoth (16 December 2013)

Jill I know what you mean, my horse suffered with a lot of abscesses but other horses managed the same way and sharing the same grazing were unaffected. However as soon as I started the forage plus we've never had one, could be a coincidence but I'm not prepared to chance it as him having 4 abscesses in 6 months was a nightmare! I use it as I "hope" it covers the bases of what he needs.

Ideally I would test the forage/grazing but when your on livery and the hay comes from ad hoc suppliers and they're in fields of up to 20 acres I don't know how feasible it would be other than to give you a snap shot. I've thought about getting his hair tested but not looked into it so not sure if that's a realistic option .

mishamoo Agree re the forage plus it is expensive, what about progressive earths pro hoof, or pro balance? If the hooves aren't too bad you may find you get results from them.

I went for the forage plus as my horse had very sick hooves and needed the higher amounts of minerals that the forage plus provides.


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## mightymammoth (16 December 2013)

ktj1891 said:



			I had my boy on pro balance but have not seen any improvement. I have now bought the FP winter hoof health balancer- expensive!!! But if it works then I will carry on buying it. Only put him on it Wednesday so too early to tell but hopefully I am not being too ambitious to notice some improvements at the two week point!

Btw both pro balance and FP stink, makes me feel sick but my boy eats it. I mix it in with Kwikbeet when soaking it!
		
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this made me smile, it is a bit chemical smelling isn't it. I tried a bit once and it tastes how it smells! I use speedi beet at the minute but might try kwik beet next time. Does he eat it ok or more force it down when he realises its that or nothing.


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## mischamoo (16 December 2013)

victoria1980x said:



			mishamoo Agree re the forage plus it is expensive, what about progressive earths pro hoof, or pro balance? If the hooves aren't too bad you may find you get results from them.

I went for the forage plus as my horse had very sick hooves and needed the higher amounts of minerals that the forage plus provides.
		
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No both their hooves aren't too bad at all and aren't in desperate need of a hoof specific balancer, I may look in to the progressive earth ones, have also been suggested Simple Systems Total Eclipse - I haven't looked at nutritional balances so unsure yet which one might be better - sadly I just really dont think i can afford to fork out over £100 every 6 weeks for forage plus


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## mightymammoth (16 December 2013)

yes I can see it would work out as very expensive, I've a friend with 4 on it!


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## alsxx (16 December 2013)

I use 365 complete - 3 very different neddies on it but all barefoot - it's worked well for me and is cost effective. I couldn't afford the forage plus balancer. I did have an analysis done on my grazing and forage and fed a bespoke mineral mix - struggled to get them to eat up which put an end to that!!!!


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## Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt (16 December 2013)

Another vote for forage plus for me...farrier was out to do trims today...my 4 yo has had cracks in his hooves since he came to me...farrier said he'd never seen them looking so good as today...his cracks are finally growing out and are now surface only. I think there are a number of factors involved...dry summer...pasture is on stony mountain side with shallow soil plus he was worked over the summer on stony surfaces...but also fed him forage plus summer balancer but it seems to be since we went to the winter version in oct that we've seen the most improvement. (and he's been turned away since then so not self trimming thro working during this time)
Yes, it is a bit pricey...but the way I look at it is it cost me the same to feed 3 for a couple of months on it as it would a set a shoes for one. Plus I think the benefits are not just seen in the hoof but in the condition overall...so it's kind of an insurance policy in a way.
Anyway, that's my two pen'north worth!


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## LucyPriory (16 December 2013)

mischamoo said:



			Simple Systems Total Eclipse - (
		
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This is not a good product for minerals.  It relies heavily on seaweed which is not a good source.  It was fashionable for a while then people realised that the analysis showed low levels of the minerals we are short of in the UK (copper, zinc and magnesium) to provide enough of these with seaweed you risk poisoning your horse with iodine.


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## foxy1 (16 December 2013)

I've seen good results feeding coppertrition, and not had problems getting them to eat it either!


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## mischamoo (17 December 2013)

alsxx said:



			I use 365 complete - 3 very different neddies on it but all barefoot - it's worked well for me and is cost effective. I couldn't afford the forage plus balancer. I did have an analysis done on my grazing and forage and fed a bespoke mineral mix - struggled to get them to eat up which put an end to that!!!!
		
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Thank you alsxx - will look into this one!



LucyPriory said:



			This is not a good product for minerals.  It relies heavily on seaweed which is not a good source.  It was fashionable for a while then people realised that the analysis showed low levels of the minerals we are short of in the UK (copper, zinc and magnesium) to provide enough of these with seaweed you risk poisoning your horse with iodine.
		
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Thankyou for the heads up on this LP


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## Greylegs (17 December 2013)

Read thread with interest as my boy has been barefoot all his life and I do need to watch his waistline, even at this time of year. I use Baileys Lo Cal. Seems fine on it and his feet are rock solid, so why would you not recommend it LucyPriory? Just out of interest....


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## Brightbay (17 December 2013)

Cobiau Cymraeg Nadolig said:



			Another vote for forage plus for me...farrier was out to do trims today...my 4 yo has had cracks in his hooves since he came to me...farrier said he'd never seen them looking so good as today...his cracks are finally growing out and are now surface only. I think there are a number of factors involved...dry also fed him forage plus summer balancer but it seems to be since we went to the winter version in oct that we've seen the summer...pasture is on stony mountain side with shallow soil plus he was worked over the summer on stony surfaces...but most improvement. (and he's been turned away since then so not self trimming thro working during this time)
Yes, it is a bit pricey...but the way I look at it is it cost me the same to feed 3 for a couple of months on it as it would a set a shoes for one. Plus I think the benefits are not just seen in the hoof but in the condition overall...so it's kind of an insurance policy in a way.
Anyway, that's my two pen'north worth!
		
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Exactly why I keep feeding it.  It costs more, but a scoop a day keeps the vet away   Also managed to grow out cracks without changing anything else.  I've also found the winter version have more effect - I wonder is it the Vitamin E?

ETA - yes, it stinks.  I have found best approach is to make up feed dry - horse gets unmolassed chaff and Spillers High Fibre Cubes.  I make a little pile of the cubes in a corner, and dump the scoop of balancer on top.  Then I wet the cubes from underneath by pouring water into the bucket, drive to field and by the time I'm ready to feed, the nuts have gone into a sort of damp crumb.  I mix the dry balancer in, and then mix with the damp chaff - it smells much less if the minerals are as dry as possible.


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## Shysmum (17 December 2013)

I swear by Topspec Lite (a £24 bag lasts us 3 months at one scoop a night), and his hooves have never been better. I feed it with TS cool condition cubes (£13 for one scoop morning and evening for 6 weeks) and lashings of vegetable oil. Plus hay and grass. 

he has never looked better, or had better feet.


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## mischamoo (17 December 2013)

Greylegs said:



			Read thread with interest as my boy has been barefoot all his life and I do need to watch his waistline, even at this time of year. I use Baileys Lo Cal. Seems fine on it and his feet are rock solid, so why would you not recommend it LucyPriory? Just out of interest....
		
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Having since checked the ingredients for baileys low cal it's got molasses in it so I imagine that could be why it's not recommended for barefooters. Am I correct LP?


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## McCauley (18 December 2013)

Another massive 'thumbs up' for Forage Plus.  Without this bespoke balanced mineral i'm pretty sure my boy would still be suffering with abcesses on and off throughout the seasons.

Fingers crossed we've not had one now since Sept 12.  Although i know the weather can play a big part it all, his feet are smashing now, good tight white lines are now the order of the day and really healthy shiny horn too.

I know the FP are a part of it all, as we all know good farriership and exercise/movement comes into it too, but without FP, i do believe we would still be struggling to keep healthy feet.

My farrier often talks to other farriers around the country and their conversations and what ailments they come across out on their rounds differ so much from region to region.

It is worth it, if you can to get a forage anaylsis done if your source of haylage/hay is consisten,...if on your own land you could get the soil anaylsis done too i guess.  It's worth it in my eyes to what they're getting from their forage/grass (to a certain extent coz i know if can differ from year to year grass wise).  Then you can feed what you know they're short of,.

In our case, we need extra magnesium oxide and we feed linseed, and their Winter hoof health balancer mixed with Fast Fibre which seems to be keeping my boy healthy and sound as a pound and he wolfs his tea down,...he loves it!!

I know FP are expensive, but as has been said by other posters,..i'd rather spend my hard earned pennies on something i can see is very obviously working.  He's barefoot (£30 every six weeks) so yes, no shoes to fork out for at £60 plus every six weeks (not to mention if they lost one,...more expense and a risk of a damaged hoof).  The money i DON'T spend on shoes in my own head goes towards these minerals as yes i used to have a shod horse so know how much monies goes on the metal every year!


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## HBB (18 December 2013)

ktj1891 said:



			Btw both pro balance and FP stink, makes me feel sick but my boy eats it. I mix it in with Kwikbeet when soaking it!
		
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I had to stop using Pro Balance for that reason, all I could smell was a sulphur type smell. 
My three are now on Equimins Advanced Complete pellets, 200g of micronised linseed and I add an addtional 1000iu of vitamin E (from Pro Earth). They all look fantastic.


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## Fat_Pony (18 December 2013)

I use equimins metabalance. I changed from that to mixing my own minerals. Saw no difference after 6 months of that so am swapping back. Ordered more today . I have no issues though with mine


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## LucyPriory (18 December 2013)

mischamoo said:



			Having since checked the ingredients for baileys low cal it's got molasses in it so I imagine that could be why it's not recommended for barefooters. Am I correct LP?
		
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It's not just the molasses, it's got iron and manganese in it too.  If you have good hooves, thank your lucky stars rather than this product!


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## Cragrat (18 December 2013)

I pay about £100/month for progressive earth pro hoof for 3 horses
Yes, they look great, but that is also partly to do with the linseed and copra giving them nice shiny coats.  Their hooves are fine.

But then I see any number of horses at competitions/in magazines who also look great, yet they are being fed far cheaper supplements, which also contain iron etc. 

And then I wonder if all this expense is necessary for decent hooves, but I daren't change, in case it does screw up the hooves!

Ugh!


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## Ellibelli (19 December 2013)

Cragrat said:



			I pay about £100/month for progressive earth pro hoof for 3 horses
Yes, they look great, but that is also partly to do with the linseed and copra giving them nice shiny coats.  Their hooves are fine.

But then I see any number of horses at competitions/in magazines who also look great, yet they are being fed far cheaper supplements, which also contain iron etc. 

And then I wonder if all this expense is necessary for decent hooves, but I daren't change, in case it does screw up the hooves!

Ugh!
		
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I'm paying about £140 a month for Forageplus for 4 horses and my head is spinning with all the possible cheaper options. They also get linseed and Copra and their coats look great, but they literally lick their bowls out to clean up the Forage Plus so I'm guessing they need it but not sure how long my bank balance can take it...!


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## ktj1891 (19 December 2013)

No he eats it happily, Strange really as he is a fussy eater but he has his pure condition with it which he loves!


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## ktj1891 (19 December 2013)

It is really a grim smell I have to avoid stcking my face anywhere near the bucket at all costs!


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## Exploding Chestnuts (19 December 2013)

I think a lot depends on the current condition of the feet, I see someone recommended Equimins Advance, but when I was building up my horse from poor condition [neglect],  I was recommended to use Original as it is better for the gut, so I bought a big tub of original and mixed it with Hoof Pro, at first I used half recommended Hoof Pro and half Original. 
I looked at all the costs of the readily available minerals, and decided there was no way to avoid 45p per day, and 50p for the rest [chaff, s/beet/linseed] but also when I looked at recommended amounts of bagged feeds, it worked more expensive.
The relative costs of the minerals are the same for the horse owner as for the feed manufacturer, and buying cheaper mixes or feeding less than recommended is cutting back on the minerals.
I also know that the sugar beet contains minerals, but we don't know how much and they are certainly not balanced for horse requirements.

Mollasses Free Chaff	£0.10
Mollases Free Beet	£0.25
Linseed Meal[100gm]    £0.15			
Hoof Pro             	£0.25
Benevit Original     	£0.20
MgO 0.9kg	£12	5	£0.05
Salt			
TOTAL		 £1.00 per day
Light work, good condition.
This was my cheapest option, though I think some people can buy non molassed s/beet cheaper [I pay £13.00] and linseed meal [£30.00]
It only takes one vet callout to ramp up the cost, and my strategy was to avoid callouts, and keep horse in good condition.
Remember the savings: ....... £1.00 per day for shoes.
Long term health: for the individual horse it can't really be measured, but most people who decide to go barefoot and still use the horses for recreational purposes will be aware of the benefits.
Safety: anyone who has gone down on slippery tarmac, will feel a lot happier with an unshod horse.


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## RobinHood (19 December 2013)

My horse has been barefoot since Jan 2011 and since I started feeding forage plus winter hoof health 4 months ago his stubborn toe cracks have completely disappeared and his hoof boots are gathering dust. Prior to starting FP I mixed my own minerals based on forage analysis but I stopped because every 6 months we get a new batch of different hay.

My YO is so impressed she's not only feeding it to her own horses but all our full liveries as well at a cost of £250 every 4 weeks.


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## LucyPriory (19 December 2013)

MrsD123 said:



			I think a lot depends on the current condition of the feet, I see someone recommended Equimins Advance, but when I was building up my horse from poor condition [neglect],  I was recommended to use Original as it is better for the gut, so I bought a big tub of original and mixed it with Hoof Pro, at first I used half recommended Hoof Pro and half Original. 
I looked at all the costs of the readily available minerals, and decided there was no way to avoid 45p per day, and 50p for the rest [chaff, s/beet/linseed] but also when I looked at recommended amounts of bagged feeds, it worked more expensive.
The relative costs of the minerals are the same for the horse owner as for the feed manufacturer, and buying cheaper mixes or feeding less than recommended is cutting back on the minerals.
I also know that the sugar beet contains minerals, but we don't know how much and they are certainly not balanced for horse requirements.

Mollasses Free Chaff	£0.10
Mollases Free Beet	£0.25
Linseed Meal[100gm]    £0.15			
Hoof Pro             	£0.25
Benevit Original     	£0.20
MgO 0.9kg	£12	5	£0.05
Salt			
TOTAL		 £1.00 per day
Light work, good condition.
This was my cheapest option, though I think some people can buy non molassed s/beet cheaper [I pay £13.00] and linseed meal [£30.00]
It only takes one vet callout to ramp up the cost, and my strategy was to avoid callouts, and keep horse in good condition.
Remember the savings: ....... £1.00 per day for shoes.
Long term health: for the individual horse it can't really be measured, but most people who decide to go barefoot and still use the horses for recreational purposes will be aware of the benefits.
Safety: anyone who has gone down on slippery tarmac, will feel a lot happier with an unshod horse.
		
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You are so right the benefits of decent minerals far outweigh the costs.  I see it daily not just in my own horse but the many horses of all shapes and sizes that I look after.  From simple things like no longer itchy (big thing for the horse), reduced mud fever/thrush (mine doesn't seem to get these any more) sounder, vastly improved hoof quality, faster wound healing, better depth of coat colour for some, and best of all, happier horses.

I've saved more in vets bills than I have ever spent on minerals and quality ingredients like the micronised linseed.  Which BTW depending on where you live can be purchased more cheaply from GJTitmuss.  They have a website.


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## Exploding Chestnuts (19 December 2013)

Yes, I always pride myself that my horses are the best looking [condition wise], and look the best at all times of the year. Since I went off the cereal and added molasses type standard diet, on to the "barefoot" diet, no more mud fever , no itchyness and better coat colour. 
Probably calmer: I used to feed Feedmark Steady-up for calmness, but it works out too expensive to feed long term. I think the magnesium helps in various aspects.


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## mischamoo (19 December 2013)

LucyPriory said:



			It's not just the molasses, it's got iron and manganese in it too.  If you have good hooves, thank your lucky stars rather than this product!
		
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Why is iron and manganese a problem LP - sorry for my ignorance.


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## mischamoo (19 December 2013)

Also - have jsut purchased some treat balls for my two for entertainment in at night ni the stable - can anyone recommend some barefoot friendly treats/cubes to put in them?!


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## LucyPriory (19 December 2013)

mischamoo said:



			Why is iron and manganese a problem LP - sorry for my ignorance.
		
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Few horses are short of iron in this country, iron overload is much more of a problem.  Excess iron is implicated in the development of Insulin Resistance.  Iron also inhibits the absorption of other vital minerals such as copper and zinc, both are vital and forage in the UK tends to be short of both.


Diet related iron deficiency has never been described in the horse except in foals. Instead, because iron is so abundant in the equine diet, iron overload and iron interference with the absorption of the other trace minerals is much more likely. Iron is also unique in that the horse does not have a pathway for easily excreting it. Once inside the body, iron is there to stay except for tiny amounts lost in sweat and sloughed cells.

I don't know enough about manganese but I am aware that Manganese is a poorly understood mineral, both in horses and humans. Reports of deficiencies are extremely rare.  Minerals need to be in a broad balance with each other (there are published ratios) and with copper and zinc generally being in short supply (and manganese not) and these needing to be in balance it is unhelpful to add further manganese to the diet unless you know it it needed.


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