With so many balancers on the market, it can be hard to decide which is most suited to your horse.
What is a balancer?
Balancers are small, nutrient dense feeds (often pellets) designed to provide a concentrated supply of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Due to the low feeding rate - typically 500g per day for a 500kg horse - balancers provide negligible amounts of energy (calories), starch and sugar per daily serving, making them the ideal choice for good doers.
Does my horse need a balancer?
Although many horses and ponies maintain weight easily on forage alone, forage only diets may be lacking in key nutrients including copper, zinc, selenium, vitamin E and lysine – an essential amino acid or ‘building block’ of protein which plays an important role in supporting muscle health – this is where feed balancers come in. A balancer is also a great way of topping up vitamin and mineral intake in horses fed less than the recommended amount of compound feed or feeds without added vitamins and minerals.
Tip: As a guide feed half the recommended amount of balancer if feeding half the recommended amount of compound feed.
Why feed SPILLERS Daily Balancer?
If you are looking for a multi-vitamin and mineral balancer without functional ingredients such as joint and digestive support, then SPILLERS Daily Balancer could well be the option for you. In addition to the vitamins and minerals to balance pasture, hay and haylage, SPILLERS Daily Balancer provides 15mg of biotin per 500g serving which has been proven to support hoof health. It also includes a delicious mint and rosemary aroma.
Why feed SPILLERS Original Balancer?
SPILLERS Original Balancer is an enhanced multi-vitamin and mineral balancer with added digestive, hoof and immune support. In addition to 15mg of biotin per 500g serving, SPILLERS Original Balancer includes probiotic live yeast and prebiotic MOS to support digestive health. It also contains amino acids to support muscle and topline alongside vitamin C and a high level of vitamin E to support immune health.
Are balancers expensive?
At first glance balancers may seem like an expensive way of feeding, but the low feeding rate makes them a convenient and cost-effective solution for good doers…
When choosing a balancer consider which, if any, functional ingredients may be of most benefit to your horse. If you are simply looking for nutrients to balance a forage-based diet, consider SPILLERS Daily Balancer. At £22.99 for a 15kg bag, SPILLERS Daily Balancer will last a 500kg horse 30 days and cost just £0.76 per day to feed. In comparison, the recommended ration of SPILLERS Horse and Pony Cubes (3kg per day for a 500kg horse) would be 5 times higher in calories and cost £1.89 per day to feed.
Whilst added extras such as digestive support undoubtedly affect the price tag, SPILLERS Original Balancer priced at £42.99 for a 20kg bag will last a 500kg horse 40 days and cost £1.07 per day feed which is still less than the recommended ration of compound feed.
For more advice on choosing between SPILLERS Original Balancer and SPILLERS Daily Balancer contact the SPILLERS Care-Line on 01908 226626 or email [email protected].
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