# Has/does anyone feed Spiller's Conditioning Fibre?



## Puppy (15 June 2010)

And if so, what do you think of it?  

I'm a bit fan of spiller's products, but haven't tried this one. I am thinking of using it for my veteran/cushings horse.

Thanks in advance!


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## guccigivi2001 (15 June 2010)

I have! was expensive tho... £12 something a bag and we went through a bag in just over a week in the winter and i found wasnt actually that amazing so i now use molichaff showshine which is less than half the price, i use the same amount and horse loves the taste, tho that might just be because its mollassed and sugar tends to make her hyperactive a bit lol


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## Puppy (15 June 2010)

Doh! Obviously my post was supposed to say 'big fan', not 'bit fan' 




guccigivi2001 said:



			I have! was expensive tho... £12 something a bag and we went through a bag in just over a week in the winter and i found wasnt actually that amazing so i now use molichaff showshine which is less than half the price, i use the same amount and horse loves the taste, tho that might just be because its mollassed and sugar tends to make her hyperactive a bit lol
		
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£12 is not overly expensive per 20kg for what I feed my mare, and I'm fairly certain it's not that much at my local feed store, so that doesn't worry me. TBH, cost is not a huge issue with her; seeing as she is on haylage all year round!  

What I want is something high in fibre and low in starch/sugar for my cushings horse, who I could no way in the world feed molichaff to!! She is not a good doer and needs to keep her weight up without the risk of cushings induced lami.


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## guccigivi2001 (15 June 2010)

Puppy said:



			Doh! Obviously my post was supposed to say 'big fan', not 'bit fan' 




£12 is not overly expensive per 20kg for what I feed my mare, and I'm fairly certain it's not that much at my local feed store, so that doesn't worry me. TBH, cost is not a huge issue with her; seeing as she is on haylage all year round!  

What I want is something high in fibre and low in starch/sugar for my cushings horse, who I could no way in the world feed molichaff to!! She is not a good doer and needs to keep her weight up without the risk of cushings induced lami. 

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if cost isnt an issue its not too bad, bu having aquired extra neds since then its cheaper and easier overall to feed her what they eat... i found i had to feed speedi fibre beet type stuff by the bucket per day in the winter as wasnt as conditioning as i thought it would be, i suppose it all depends on how much of a good doer he isnt, what does he eat now? in terms of starch and sugar its good for a conditioning feed but have seen better, my friends azorturia horse cant have sugar at all and just has a scoop of allen and page fibre beet soaked for however long with supplements and shes 23 this year and a typical tb rib rack, she does very well on it, would highly recomend, even if its just to whack on top of the spillers fibre in the winter, will see if i can remember what the other was thogh


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## Puppy (15 June 2010)

guccigivi2001 said:



			if cost isnt an issue its not too bad, bu having aquired extra neds since then its cheaper and easier overall to feed her what they eat...
		
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I would rather feed my horses as individuals and for their well being, so what may be cheaper and easier is not really a concern with my girls' diets  I appreciate the suggestion, but Mollichop is out of the question for this horse  




			i found i had to feed speedi fibre beet type stuff by the bucket per day in the winter as wasnt as conditioning as i thought it would be, i suppose it all depends on how much of a good doer he isnt, what does he eat now?
		
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My mare doesn't like sugar beet products. 

At the mo, she is on limited grazing, due to her relatively recent diagnosis of cushings. Although she's never shown a hint of lami in the 13+ years I've had her, I am not going to take a risk now she's been diagnosed. 

In past years she has always been on haylage in winter, and up until this year, in spring and autumn, I would have been letting her have some nice grass. Obviously this is now not an option. For the last few weeks she has been on hay, but this week I have changed back to haylage, as I see that as the best form of fibre to keep her weight up/hard feed down/sugar & starch low. 

She also has Topspec senior to keep her getting the most out of her feed and helping her 'senior needs'. She has been having a small quantity of spillers senior maintenance mix, and I briefly considered simples systems, (but the soaking wouldn't have suited our routine) and now I am thinking the conditioning fibre would maybe suit her. 

I would appreciate it if anyone reading who has tried this product for a horse with cushings/a poor doer lami horse could let me know what they think of it? Thanks


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## guccigivi2001 (15 June 2010)

i should think that maybe the conditioning fibre would be best option  what about one of those lami approved grass 'replacers' you can just whack in a huge tub and let them eat? that way shes getting enough food without the need for lami/cushings inducing grass? have never used them though but i suppse worth looking into?


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## CBAnglo (15 June 2010)

My horse was one of the test horses for this - was about 2006 I think.

He liked it - at the time he was being fed hi-fi lite (just as a bulker) maximum dose spillers conditioning cubes and speedi-beet.  Ad lib hay and poor grazing - he is a good doer.  He was in mediumish work and built topline very well and held condition.  It didn't heat him up (but then neither did the conditioning cubes although the D&H ones sent him bonkers).  I didn't have to feed the hi-fi lite as it was more than enough with the speedi-beet but I fed the rate for light work.

If you want a complete feed, then I think it is quite good.  It has bits to make it interesting.  Has quite high Digestible Energy.

My other one is on low starch/sugar/cereal diet as is prone to ulcers.  He just gets shed loads of spillers fibre nuts and he has thrived on that.  He is a poor doer and he was humungous last winter being fed hi-fi litem spillers fibre cubes (2kgs) and speedi-beet and ad lib hay.

Could you maybe swap to hay if you want to keep calories down?


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## toomanyhorses26 (15 June 2010)

My horse was a tester as well for this - ex racer ,quite hard to keep condition on him and can be a bit ott on occasion  He did really well on it - shiny coat,kept him on an even keel and seemed to take him longer to eat than his normal alfa a . I fed it alongside his normal endurance mix but towards the end of the four weeks I had reduced his mix has he had piled on the condition  well worth the money


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## Puppy (16 June 2010)

CBAnglo said:



			Could you maybe swap to hay if you want to keep calories down?
		
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Thanks for the reply.  

This is her first spring/summer, of being a diagnosed cushings, and after a month/6 weeks, or so, of her having being weaned onto/being fed hay, I am now changing her back onto haylage as (despite the cushings, & the obvious related lami risk), she is not a good doer  and so I am worried about maintaining her weight (it has dropped a touch). 

I would rather up the quality of her forage than risk upsetting her system with higher sugar/starch levels/with mix/grass/sugar beet, or such like. 

I just want to keep her weight to a healthy level with a minimum sugar and starch diet, hence this product seemed suitable. I am thinking that I will maybe get her a bag on thurs and ease it into her diet, perhaps also with some high fibre cubes, but the re-introduction of haylage may mean they aren't required. 

Thanks for the feedback


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## CBAnglo (16 June 2010)

Not sure what type of haylage you are feeding, but you can get a nutritional analysis of it to see what the sugar etc content is.  Personally I dont like feeding haylage to my one who is intolerant of sugar/starch.  I had to feed meadow haylage last year (was very dry, basically like very very good hay) and he was really unable to process it.  I then went back to hay, trying to get the best quality as possible, and he was much better.

Have a look at the analysis and compare with other conditioning feeds to check the levels.  I didnt swap to the conditioning fibre in the end, I went back to the cubes but mostly because I tended to chuck a load into his treat ball and it was much easier feeding cubes.


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## italylyns (16 June 2010)

Hi,

When i bought my ID he wasnt looking too good so i was advised by spillers to put him on the conditioning fibre and the conditioning cubes. He has come up lovely!!

He looks great now and as he is out through the summer i just feed him the conditioning fibre with his supplements (for his many other issues!) and i am really pleased with how he is looking.

Well worth the pennies.


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## Puppy (16 June 2010)

CBAnglo said:



			Not sure what type of haylage you are feeding, but you can get a nutritional analysis of it to see what the sugar etc content is.  Personally I dont like feeding haylage to my one who is intolerant of sugar/starch.  I had to feed meadow haylage last year (was very dry, basically like very very good hay) and he was really unable to process it.  I then went back to hay, trying to get the best quality as possible, and he was much better.
		
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The haylage is professional stuff, and has been analysed, but I don't have a copy of it to hand at the mo. It suits her very well  is pretty dry stuff, and and she's generally been on it for months (and in winter time, for years) now, with great success. The problem with putting her onto hay (which I had been doing for the last several week) is not just that she drops weight, she doesn't eat enough of it, and would rather go crib, so I have the added worry of her colicing if her gut isn't moving...  I don't think it's a worry to her cushings being back on the haylage.  




			Have a look at the analysis and compare with other conditioning feeds to check the levels.  I didnt swap to the conditioning fibre in the end, I went back to the cubes but mostly because I tended to chuck a load into his treat ball and it was much easier feeding cubes.
		
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I've been comparing the conditioning fibre to the feed stuff that she is currently on, and feel confident this would be a good transition for her  But   am also considering whether or not to use high fibre cubes as well as/instead of. Thanks for the feedback, I'll let you know how we get on   Knowing this diva she'll probably refuse to eat it!


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## berry (16 June 2010)

Sent my mare bonkers. She as a sugar intollerance  and has had lami quite bad in the past. I always know if the feed she has, has too much sugar or starch in by her behaviour as she is so sensative to it it sends her loopy. Even farriers formuler had her climbing the walls!!!!!!!!
She now has alfa a oil and spillers horse and pony cubes (the yellow and green bag). And eurobeet in the winter.


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## SmartieBean09 (16 June 2010)

I fed this to my pony in the winter as a last ditch attemptto get some weight on her................and it worked.  She will be going back on it this winter too!

Spillers advised me that it will not cause Laminitis.

QUOTE FROM EMAIL  I am pleased to be able to tell that SPILLERS® Conditioning Fibre will not promote colic or laminitis. The sugar and starch levels are safely controlled at only 5% and 7% respectively.

It is brilliant stuff abd can be used as a complete feed.  Similar in appearance to Happy Hoof but with more Alfalfa and oily pellets.

I pay £12.30 at my local tack shop but could get cheaper if I travelled a bit futher out but dont see the point.  It lasts ages!

Highly recommend it


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## SmartieBean09 (16 June 2010)

berry said:



			Sent my mare bonkers. She as a sugar intollerance  and has had lami quite bad in the past. I always know if the feed she has, has too much sugar or starch in by her behaviour as she is so sensative to it it sends her loopy. Even farriers formuler had her climbing the walls!!!!!!!!
She now has alfa a oil and spillers horse and pony cubes (the yellow and green bag). And eurobeet in the winter.
		
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Am unaware of the sugar content of Spillers Horse and Pony cubes but they do contain more starch than Conditioning Fibre.


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## Puppy (17 June 2010)

Thank you for all the replies guys  I am going to pick up a bag this afternoon and see what she thinks of it


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## K27 (21 June 2010)

[QUOTE

I would appreciate it if anyone reading who has tried this product for a horse with cushings/a poor doer lami horse could let me know what they think of it? Thanks [/QUOTE]


I have fed it in the past when I had a mare with Cushings that had probs keeping on weight, and I fed it in conjunction with Spillers slow release cubes and it made a big difference to her- she looked really good on it!


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## guccigivi2001 (22 June 2010)

as above, fed it with slow release cubes, not a lot of difference in behaviour and weight gain to molichaff either but obv not a gd idea to be feeeding molichaff. i have know people feed a massive bucket of bulky chop products taht are low in sugar etc instead of grass or even as a partial haylage replacer. havent allen and page got a range of starch and molasses etc free products? sure i saw an advert earlier on for them in a mag?


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## guccigivi2001 (22 June 2010)

bingo! this is the one i was raving on about http://www.allenandpage.com/Products/Specialist-Feeds/Sugar-Cereal-Intolerance-Diet.aspx


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## Puppy (22 June 2010)

guccigivi2001 said:



			bingo! this is the one i was raving on about http://www.allenandpage.com/Products/Specialist-Feeds/Sugar-Cereal-Intolerance-Diet.aspx

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Thanks, I'll bear that in mind  

At the moment I have eased her onto a heaped scoop of the conditioning fibre. I have wound down the senior maintenance mix she had been on to about 1/4 scoop and will be weaning her off it altogether. She also has 600gms per day of Topspec senior balancer per day. 

I have some spiller high fibre cubes on standby for her too, but as she's gone back onto haylage she seemed to have picked up that little bit I was aiming for so I'm not feeding them yet   The Allen & Page stuff certainly might be helpful in winter when she will need such a hard feed  Cheers all!


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## CBAnglo (22 June 2010)

Glad you found something she likes and she is picking up again.  

Honestly I spend so much time looking at feed analysis and quality of hay etc I dont spend half as much time reading the ingredients of food in the supermarket!


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## SmartieBean09 (23 June 2010)

CBAnglo said:



			Glad you found something she likes and she is picking up again.  

Honestly I spend so much time looking at feed analysis and quality of hay etc I dont spend half as much time reading the ingredients of food in the supermarket!
		
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Lol!  I am the very same.  Jamin eats better than I do!

Glad the Conditioning Fibre is working.  I found it great stuff.


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