# TopSpec Cool Condition Cubes - anyone feed them?



## Scarlett (10 May 2013)

Have been suggested to try the TopSpec Cool Condition cubes for one of my lads who is barefoot. He's had a bad few weeks with the grass coming through and will be tested for IR once things settle down. He's TB though and has lost weight, he also wont eat soaked feeds so getting calories into him is a nightmare.

My trimmer has suggested them as they are less than 10% sugar and starch combined, but high calorie. They sound ideal, but I've always been sceptical of TopSpec stuff having seen it send horses loopy, footy or both.

Also I cannot for the life of me find out the actual sugar and starch figures, just this vague 'below 10% combined', which irks me as I think the feed companies need to be more transparent, even their own nutritionist has been vague about the figures when asked directly and that makes me less inclined to buy the feed.... 

Does anyone feed these?


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## pigpony (10 May 2013)

A friend uses them for her barefoot aging Arab, they don't make her footy or loopy which was the concern especially for this mare and she looks well on them. Not personal used thrm but hope that was of some help to you.


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## AdorableAlice (10 May 2013)

I used them for a shod show horse for a while, didn't make him sharp or improve his topline.

For foot quality and calories I use linseed.


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## whizzer (10 May 2013)

I use them over winter & really rate them. My horse is a nightmare with feeding,he either doesn't like things,or likes the wrong things,99% of feed sends him crackers,he's had ulcers several times & is a really poor doer. These put & keep weight on & in relatively small amounts as he has a really small appetite & they've never heated him up. I've strayed from them several times to try new stuff but I always end up going back to them again.


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## paddi22 (10 May 2013)

I have a lad who is hard to keep condition on over winter. I fed them for a few months but really didn't notice any improvement at all. So im switching feeds this month


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## Scarlett (10 May 2013)

Thanks for the replies folks.. I shall continue to look into alternatives for now!


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## wiglet (10 May 2013)

I feed them to my very fussy, veteran TB. She's barefoot behind. They help keep weight on her nicely - I originally fed her Spillers hi fibre cubes but she needed more condition. They haven't made her silly or footy.


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## Nicnac (10 May 2013)

I bought them for my TB who is unshod behind and came out of winter with a very late moult looking poorer than I'd like at this time of the year.

I don't think they made any difference to condition but did zonk him out; so as almost through first bag, bought Baileys (no. 4) Topline Conditioning Cubes yesterday.


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## JillA (10 May 2013)

I used to use them a lot for my 34 year old cushingoid mare who needs total hay replacer diet, and probably will do again because they don't contain any sugars or cereals. The reason I stopped was purely on cost grounds - but I bought some Top Spec balancer so made up the rest of her diet with beet and alfalfa/grass nuts. I'll probably use it again in the winter (if she gets that far )


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## Angelbones (10 May 2013)

I use them for two TBs who are dreadful for keeping weight on. They are fed the Topspec Comprehensive Balancer along side as its the balancer that has the nutrients in, not the nuts so you need to feed both (just saying but you may know this already, sorry!)  I also used to feed them alongside the Senior balancer to a NF 13.2 who had previously had a history of being footy and is very whizzy to ride, and he didn't become any whizzier and showed no signs of footiness.

I rate the Topspec products, all in all I think I feed 4 different balancers and 2 different nuts and they have all done what they were meant to with no downside.


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## Nannon (10 May 2013)

Feed my ex racer them - as the others said hes so chilled on them but no big condition or top line increase, lovely shiny coat though 
We are starting a feed trial this week with spillers so hopefully will see a change in his weight!


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## G dog (11 May 2013)

We use them for our i.r cushings cob its made a world of difference to him


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## sueeltringham (11 May 2013)

I'm using them for my recently rebacked welshy youngster who is tricky to keep weight on.  We are hacking miles barefoot and his condition is improving nicely with no fizziness!  I'm very, very impressed with them, despite my worries about the actual sugar/starch content (which I can't find quoted anywhere and Topspec won't divulge the info). You can feed quite a large amount too. I'm also feeding a mug full of linseed and Kwik beet with his usual supplements and MagOx.


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## Flora (12 May 2013)

Cant praise Top Spec feeding enough! We have an exracer who was losing weight and on another make of conditioning cubes trying to get weight back on.  We then found out he had ulcers and hind gut ulcers and phoned Top Spec who suggested we try cool condition cubes, cool balancer and top chop. What a difference, he has great condition,nice shiny coat and not fizzy at all, very laid back!  Every one at the yard is so impressed, there are now 5 other people switched to Top Spec and are also impressed!


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## Venevidivici (14 May 2013)

Have always had good,swift results with top spec c c cubes. (Am sure my lengthier comments about them on other threads will come up,if you search for them on here.)


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## tweedette (14 May 2013)

We feed our warmbloods on them, the 11yr old mare and two 3yr olds, they look well and in top show condition, not fizzy, wouldnt change the feed , it works . Dont feed the mix though as it goes straight to one of the babies legs.


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## loz9 (15 May 2013)

Not sure if this will be of any use, but I brought in the white label off the bag today & its lists the following:

Oils&Fats - 5.5%
Protein      - 14%
Fibre          - 15%
Ash            - 8%
Moisture    - 13.8%
Sodium      - 0.42%
Selenium   - 0.2mg/kg
DE              -12.5MJ/kg

Composition: Wheatfeed, High Fibre Oat By-Product, Unmolassed Beet Pulp, Full Fat Soya, Full Fat Linseed Meal, Grass Meal, Cane Molasses, Soya Ext, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Chloride, Magnesium Oxide


I give it to my fussy eater & it has definitely helped pile on the pounds


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## Afrikaner (17 May 2013)

and the balancer is pretty darn good too!!!


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## Scarlett (17 May 2013)

Thanks folks, I have gradually swapped him to them this week and he now looks worse than before even though he is being fed them and in bigger quantities than his previous feed! Good to see that they had no ill effects on his feet but the bag is nearly finished and I'm not sure whether to buy him more and persevere or not.

Quite frankly the fact that the TopSpec nutrition people were unable, or unwilling, to give me the actual individual sugar and starch figures REALLY puts me off. I was suspicious of Top Spec before and this experience has done nothing to reassure me.

A massive thumbs down from me for TopSpec. 

I shall go back to what I was feeding previously, even if the starch figures on paper look a little higher than desired. Sometimes it's best not to mess with something that is working just because on paper it looks like it shouldn't. I have learned a lesson!


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