# Best balancer for very good doer



## SmartieBean09 (29 June 2010)

Jamin has moved fields recently and the grazing is very good!  Because of this she has gained a little bit of weight.  She has no crest and a nice oval bum but she has fat deposits behind her shoulder and her ribs can only be felt with pressure applied.  Her paddock is small and their are 3 ponies inc Jamin grazing it.  2 of them are lami prone.  Jamin has never had lami but due to her age (27) she is obviously suspeptable to it.  It shouldnt take long for the paddock to become over grazed but I need to take care of Jamin in the mean time.  At the moment she still is having a handful of happy Hoof and Fast Fibre with Clarity and Equivite.  However her feed is more powder than feed and she isnt too impressed with it despite soaking.  I was thinking that perhaps I could cut out the equivite and fast fibre and replace with a balancer?

I have been looking at Topspec Antilam, Bluechip Lami light and Formula 4 Feet.  Any recommendations or advice?


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## TGM (29 June 2010)

Does she really need a balancer or supplement whilst she is on good grazing?


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## SmartieBean09 (29 June 2010)

Perhaps not TGM.  I guess because I am already feeding Equivite that I would need to replace?  She looks very well and has an amzing coat.  Ideally I wouldnt feed her if I could get away with it but the other ponies get fed and Jamin stresses very easily.

There are plenty of nettles in her field which we cut and leave to dry.  There are also dandelions so I assume there is probably enough out there for her.


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## Archie07 (29 June 2010)

I feed my very good doer new forest Topspec Lite. He literally gets a handful token feed for coming in (I have to make it worth his while!) so well under the recommended rate. Even from the tiny amount he gets his coat is super shiny (he doesn't get groomed much recently) and his feet are excellent. I really rate the stuff and their helpline is very good.


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## applecart14 (29 June 2010)

Pink Powder by NAF

http://www.naf-uk.com/products/detail.php?id=19

Its excellent as a feed balancer and probiotic and it contains minerals, vitamins and MSM.  Finally it costs about £15 and last my horse about 5 weeks fed at one scoop per day.  Forget blue chip, topspec and all the other things, they are really not necessary and just a sales con.


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## SmartieBean09 (29 June 2010)

applecart14 said:



			Pink Powder by NAF

http://www.naf-uk.com/products/detail.php?id=19

Its excellent as a feed balancer and probiotic and it contains minerals, vitamins and MSM.  Finally it costs about £15 and last my horse about 5 weeks fed at one scoop per day.  Forget blue chip, topspec and all the other things, they are really not necessary and just a sales con.
		
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I use Pink Powder in the winter and agree, it is much better than any other balancer.  my only issue here is that I ned to get away from powder as I am not feeding enough to mix in.


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## TGM (29 June 2010)

SmartieBean09 said:



			Perhaps not TGM.  I guess because I am already feeding Equivite that I would need to replace?  She looks very well and has an amzing coat.  Ideally I wouldnt feed her if I could get away with it but the other ponies get fed and Jamin stresses very easily.
		
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So why not just feed her a handful of Happy Hoof when everyone else is being fed just so she doesn't feel left out.  I feel supplements/balancers are more valuable in the winter when grass is poor and micronutrients may be lacking in the hay.  However, in the summer if horse is on good grazing and looks well, coat good, feet good etc., then supplementation is probably not necessary.


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## SmartieBean09 (29 June 2010)

TGM said:



			So why not just feed her a handful of Happy Hoof when everyone else is being fed just so she doesn't feel left out.  I feel supplements/balancers are more valuable in the winter when grass is poor and micronutrients may be lacking in the hay.  However, in the summer if horse is on good grazing and looks well, coat good, feet good etc., then supplementation is probably not necessary.
		
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Which actually makes sense.  I always feed Pink Powder in winter.  Have been down the balancer route before and much prefer PP. I shall leave her with her Happy Hoof.

I shouldnt complain.  I spent most of the winter trying to get weight on her!

Thank you


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## potty_4_piebalds (29 June 2010)

I would just give her a handful of happy hoof, and not worry about the rest of it unless mine really need supplements i dont bother with them.

Little loopy lil gets just half a kids ikea beaker of fast fibre and a 10ml of naf easy breathing because she had a bit of a cough and i had it sat there from mojo. and she has hay in her very bald paddock (garden as bill calls it, its not really big enough to be a paddock) In winter lou gets a handful of happy hoof.

Mo was like jam hard to get weight on in the winter fat in the summer and he just got his basic feed old git mix and old git chaff! garlic and oil in the winter and is supplement for his pollen allergy in the spring/summer.


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## katelarge (30 June 2010)

I have been giving my very good doer Pure Feed Company's Pure Balance - you feed only 100g per 100kg of bodyweight so a 500k horse gets just two very small feeds, soaked. She has had that from Feb until now. She has just started to go out 24/7 so I will now cut her balancer out altogether as she gets so fat she actually needs a grazing muzzle - doesn;t sound like yours is that bad though.

I moved on to this feed as she was so badly behaved before and I can honestly say she has never put a foot wrong since being on it. If I ever have good-doing horses in the future I'll have them all on it.


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## posie_honey (30 June 2010)

i'm not a fan of balancers for a good do'er - mine shot up in weight on one...
i use dodson and horrel equibites - 10 a day - she prob doesn't need them but i work her pretty hard and i like to think she's getting vits and mins


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## Theresa_F (30 June 2010)

If she is a good doer, her gut works well, then I would just give her Feedmark's Benevit which will give her all the vits and mins she needs and won't put any weight on her.  I have used it for years and only used a balancer such as Equilbra on those lacking weight or not having good guts.  You can give it to her in a small handful of chaff or even sprinkled on a couple of carrots.  It is also very cheap compared to balancers.


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## Donnastu (23 July 2010)

I recently started feeding my gelding Blue Chip Lami-Light and he has started to be a right brat! There are other posts on here saying the amino acids in the feed make some horses a bit fizzy!  I am not wasting the rest so going to give him the rest but am going to look for something else to feed him once it is finished.  He is a good do-er but is also prone to laminitus to is on limited grazing with hay.  I feel as we are competing and working hard he needs something other than hardly any grass and soaked hay to live on.

Any suggestions on a balancer that doesnt make him silly are welcome!


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## Inkypinkyponky (23 July 2010)

My mare is a good doer and i feed her TopSpec Anti-Lam and she hasn't put any weight on at all vbut she is still getting her vits and mins and everything she needs.  I swear by the stuff.


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## hannah28 (24 July 2010)

hey 

i have started feeding my fatty on bailys lo-cal great stuff low calories smells great and he loves it, probably one of the cheapest aswell


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## fruity (24 July 2010)

I give my welsh D's Baileys Lo Cal balancer in summer,just 2 cups and thats it. Fab shiny coats and great feet etc


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## spotty_pony (25 July 2010)

Baileys Lo-Cal Balancer is brilliant for good doers! I highly recommend it.


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