Este Balancer Extra A balancer formulated for horses on forage

• Features
• Composition
• Recommended Amount
• Ordering

A very comprehensive supplement of vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Contains prebiotics and live yeast for optimal gut function. Very low in starch and sugars (3.5% starch and only 4.2% sugars!).

The Este Balancer Extra was developed from the desire to create an optimal balancer based on nutrient content measured in roughage in our regions (Belgium and the Netherlands). Designed by veterinarian and European Specialist in Internal Medicine for horses (Dipl. ECEIM) Dr. Sara Torfs, in consultation with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Ghent University. The values are calculated to be sufficient when combined with a lean diet, but won't cause overdosing with richer roughage.

Features of the Este Balancer Extra:

• Suitable for horses with EMS or laminitis: grain-free, very low in starch and sugars (3.5% starch and only 4.2% sugars!), and a generous dose of magnesium
• Free from (cheap) fillers. Economical in use. High quality.
• Very high vitamin E content combined with vitamin C and a safe amount of selenium for optimal antioxidant support
• Contains copper and zinc in chelated form for proper absorption
• Very high biotin content for hoof and coat condition: with 20 mg per day, even higher than some hoof supplements
• Essential amino acids lysine and methionine, necessary for e.g., muscle building and growth
• Source of essential fatty acids (omega 3 and 6 in a healthy ratio)
• Contains B-vitamins that support metabolism and the production of red blood cells
• No added iron to prevent overdosing. Iron is already present in large quantities in roughage!
• Contains a probiotic: the live yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sc47. Studies have shown that this yeast supports fibre digestion and protects the content of the large and caecal intestine from acidification (references). Disturbance of this acidity is a major link in the occurrence of laminitis and gas colic. Pre-biotic fibres from apple pulp and lucerne in Este Balancer Extra further support optimal digestion.
• Honest feed: free from grains, soy products, preservatives, and genetically modified organisms
• Very suitable for horses/ponies that need extra magnesium.
• Produced in the Netherlands, thus a low CO2 footprint.

Composition and Analysis

Este Balancer Extra is a very complete balancer. It is formulated so that a horse receiving just a limited amount of sparse hay* and the prescribed amount of balancer will get all the vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids he needs.

*recommended minimum amount of roughage for general health: dry matter 1% of body weight

50g per 100kg body weight per day (250g for a 500kg horse). Cost per day €0.75 (for a 500kg horse).

Composition

Este premix extra, apple pulp*, lucerne, linseed, linseed oil, molasses 3%**

*apple pulp is for its prebiotic action (pectin fibres)
**molasses is to reduce dust and for taste. Despite the molasses, the sugar content of the Balancer is very low (4.1%), so it poses no problems for laminitis horses. In a 250g portion, the sugar is negligible compared to what they ingest from hay. (sugar content in F4F is even a third higher; 6.6%!)

Analytical Constituents

Crude protein 11.7%; Crude fibre 13.7%; Crude fat 8.1%; Starch 3.5%; Sugar 4.2%; Crude ash 38.7%; Calcium 4.8%; Phosphorus 2.9%; Magnesium 3.3%; Sodium 3.3%

Additives per 1000g

Vitamin A (Retinyl acetate [3a672a]) 136,000 IU; Vitamin D3 (3a671) 32,000 IU; Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol acetate [3a700]) 6,000 IU; Vitamin C (3a300) 4,000mg; Biotin (3a880) 80.0 mg; Iodine as calcium iodate anhydrous (3b202) 16.0 mg; Cobalt as coated granules cobalt(II) carbonate (3b304) 2.0 mg; Copper as copper chelate of glycine hydrate (E4) 240 mg; Copper as copper sulfate pentahydrate (E4) 240mg; Manganese as manganese sulfate(II) monohydrate (3b503) 400 mg; Zinc as zinc sulfate monohydrate (3b605) 2000 mg; Zinc as zinc chelate of glycine hydrate (3b607) 400 mg; Selenium as sodium selenite (E8) 6.0 mg; Actisaf (Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sc47 [4b1702]) 50,000 MCFU, total aromatic substance 0.63 g

Minor changes reserved, please consult the label or contact us for the current composition.

How Much Este Balancer Extra Should I Feed?

The feeding advice is 50 grams of balancer per 100kg of body weight per day, meaning 250 grams for an average 500 kg horse.

This amount has been assessed for effectiveness and safety: with virtually all types of roughage and optionally a limited top-up of concentrates, the feed balance is correct. It is not advisable to simply feed more if your horse works harder or reduce the amount if he is at rest. In these cases, you should adjust the other parts of the diet.

For horses who get concentrates alongside roughage that are heavily supplemented with vitamins and minerals, it might be advisable to feed the balancer in a lower amount.

My Horse Is a Picky Eater

Our horses loved it right from the first bite, but our horses are not used to sweet foods. Este Balancer Extra contains little sugar and is high in minerals. Horses previously fed a high-sugar diet may need some time to adapt. A trick for this is to mix a very small portion of the balancer with the old feed and gradually shift to more balancer and less of the old feed. This works best with a dry feed. For horses not receiving anything extra, you can use alfalfa or grass pellets for mixing; you'll need gradually less of these pellets. Allow about four weeks for even the pickiest eaters to adjust.

Environment

We care about healthy horses as well as a healthy planet: recyclable packaging, local production in the Netherlands. Recycling tip: after removing the top sealing cord, the plastic inner bag is easily separable from the paper outer bag.

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