Best Guess is a nutritional mineral supplement with copper and zinc plus iodine to help support optimal hoof, coat, hair and immune system health. Formulated to provide the most commonly deficient minerals based on thousands of pasture and hay laboratory tests. Best Guess is a highly bioavailable mineral mix containing proven premium mineral sources based on equine research.
The Best Guess mineral mix is ideal for horses where the intake is lacking copper and zinc or a very high iron (or manganese) intake is preventing uptake. Ideal as a supplement is ideal for adding more copper and zinc to an intake.
2 sizes
Small: net weight = 1.016 kg – will last 6 months based on the standard feeding rate for one horse
Large: net weight = 4.46 kg – will last 26.4 months for one horse based on the standard feeding rate – economical bulk pack, 4.4x bigger than the small size with a price that is around 3x the price for the small size.
The recommendation to add salt to Best Guess is to make the feeding rate very easy to measure, for the small size – 1 tablespoon, large size – 1/2 tablespoon. Without salt added to the mix, the size of the feeding rate would be very small and could be challenging – 5.6 grams for the standard feeding rate, the amount to trial.
Since many horses are sodium or chloride deficient and the amount of salt added *per day* to the Best Guess mix is quite small, it is still recommended to supplement in addition 2 tablespoons of salt in one or split among a number of feeds per day, more in hot weather. Always start with a tiny amount and build up slowly to increase acceptance over time.
Information sheets:
Best Guess (small)
Best Guess (large)
| Elemental mineral | *Standard* feeding rate | Per kg |
|---|---|---|
|
Copper |
200 mg |
35452 mg |
|
Zinc |
600 mg |
106344 mg |
|
Iodine |
2 mg |
302 mg |
Copper has a role in coat colour, iron metabolism, bone development, hoof quality and maintenance of elastic connective tissue.
Zinc has a role in general growth and metabolism, required for normal bone and cartilage development, involved in maintaining the integrity of skin and mucous membranes, hair and hooves and in wound healing and has a role in maintaining a normal healthy coat. Essential for interactions between proteins and a variety of enzymes that all metabolically active cells require for cell multiplication and maturation. Zinc is a key component of ‘zinc finger proteins’ in the assembly of keratin, a hoof building material. A zinc deficiency can be expressed as slow hoof growth, thin walls and weak connections and horn.
Copper and zinc prevent the fats and oils in the protective seal on the hoof from oxidising. Oxidative damage causes over drying and weakens the connections between cells. When the hoof is weak, it is more vulnerable to attack by organisms via microscopic cracks. In cattle, deficiencies in either copper or zinc have been linked to soft feet, cracks, abscesses, thrush and laminitis.
Iodine has a role in normal thyroid function and is a component of thyroid hormones which regulate metabolic processes including hair growth.
Safe for laminitic prone or insulin resistant (IR)/EMS horses.
Best Guess can be used to increase copper, zinc and iodine levels with Equi Horse +Se, Equi Horse and HoofXtra. Best Guess can be fed with Equine Amino, Postbiotic Gut Support, Hydrate Support and the toxin binders Elitox and Mycosorb A+ in the same feed. This article on toxin binders explains their differences.
Why do you recommend to mix in salt?
The trace minerals copper and zinc are needed in small amounts, to boost the amounts in the rest of the intake. If salt wasn’t added, it would be difficult for a lot of people to measure the standard feeding rate of 5.6 grams accurately. It doesn’t have to be salt, the amount could have been given for any feed ingredient, for example, wheat bran. However, wheat bran is not suitable for all horses, for example, insulin resistant (IR) horses that need to be on a low sugar + starch intake.
Photo by Sue Seiver
FAQ
How much salt to add?
Small: 3 kg salt
Large: 4 kg salt
Why is it only 1 kg difference for the salt amount for small and large sizes?
A quantity of salt can be added so that the feeding rate is really easy and straightforward to measure. The small Best Guess mix needs 3 kg salt so that the standard feeding rate is 1 metric tablespoon. The standard feeding rate for the large size is 1/2 tablespoon, or 2 teaspoons. If the standard feeding rate was kept at 1 tablespoon for the large Best Guess mix, you would have to add a huge amount of salt, from memory over 8 kg! It’s just unrealistic. By reducing the feeding rate to half, 1/2 tablespoon or 2 teaspoons, a lot less salt is needed, 4 kg. If you prefer to not add salt, the weight of the standard feeding rate minus salt is provided in the information sheet that comes with the mix.
Which salt is recommended?
Products like Olsson’s Flossy Salt or Pool Salt have a nice gradient size, finer rather than coarse. Or you can use table salt from the supermarket.
Can it be iodised salt?
Yes, your horse may need more iodine. Iodised salt contains approximately 1 mg iodine per tablespoon.
Why isn’t there a scoop?
The aim is to keep the price as low as possible and a scoop wasn’t found that was exactly right. I’ve found from experience that a lot of products that come with scoops actually don’t match the feeding recommendations on the packaging. Usually the scoop volume is larger than the actual recommended amount!
The aim to keep the price as low as possible is also why the Best Guess mix isn’t made with salt already added. With the additional salt, the product would be a lot heavier resulting in a higher postage cost.
Best Guess mix is a nutritional supplement product for inclusion in horse’s feed. Product has no therapeutic effect and is designed to be administered in a feed for voluntary ingestion for horses.
Animal consumption only.
Carolyn Boniface –
I have noticed a spectacular improvement in my horses coat since using Best Guess. He is a dark Dun and before Best Guess he had a chronically bleached coat. Now he is almost black and very shiny. Both horses hoof health has also improved since using Best Guess. It is an essential ingredient in my horses diet and I am so grateful for it as well as the general straight forward no nonsense approach to all things regarding equine nutrition from Carol Layton.
Lisa France (verified owner) –
After knowing my new horse was coming I got straight on and ordered Carol’s Best Guess…especially knowing the hard work that was required with the new horses lack of body condition and the fact he’s a TB and sat in a paddock for 10 years.
He’s been on it since he turned up and his coat is absolutely glowing and his new hoof growth vs old hoof growth is so very clearly evident …
It’s a huge win for him and I.
My other 2x horses turned up less than 2 months ago…and the change in coat and hoof growth is truly awesome.
Thank you for a great… very easy to use… product Carol.
Lucy (verified owner) –
I have had my 4 horses and 1 donkey on best guess for 2 months. Noticed a huge improvement in the coats, as well as holding weight and feeding less. Excellent customer service too, my package was slightly damaged and once I notified balances equine, they were very helpful in helping me with the Austpost claim.
Vicki (verified owner) –
Fabulous product. Best value too. Horse looks fantastic, great coat, skin and feet. Have been using for several years now and will continue to do so.
Vicki Wyley (verified owner) –
Best Guess is by far the best value for money with really good levels of copper and zinc. Have used it for years and love it. The show horses have fabulous coats too.
Debra Harrip (verified owner) –
Have used and recommended for many years. I have a ‘control group’ – horses paddocked on pasture only, and the difference in coats and hooves tells the story.