B12-BALANCE for Horses | B12, Gut Health & Energy Support

The surprising role of the hindgut

We tend to think about nutrition as something that arrives in the feed bowl.

Protein comes from this, minerals come from that, vitamins come from somewhere else. But your horse has something rather clever going on behind the scenes.

Inside the hindgut lives an enormous community of microorganisms involved in breaking down the fibre your horse eats. And while they're busy doing their own microbial housekeeping, members of that community also synthesise the B vitamins.

In other words, part of your horse's nutritional world is being created inside the horse. Which raises another question:

" W hat happens when that microbial ecosystem isn't functioning as happily as it once did?"

Your horse might be older, or their digestive system might have been through a difficult period. Maybe there's been stress, medication, dietary disruption, or simply one of those times when the gut seems to have lost some of its usual stability.

That's when we start thinking beyond simply adding another nutrient to the bucket, because B vitamins are involved in some remarkably fundamental biological jobs – including pathways associated with energy metabolism, nervous-system function and normal cellular activity.

So with B12-Balance, we're interested in both sides of the equation:

- the nutritional building blocks themselves – and the biological environment in which they're being used.

That's why the formula isn't simply a scoop of synthetic vitamin B12. It combines mineral-rich botanicals, nutritive herbs and functional mushrooms chosen to support the wider gut–nutrition–energy picture.

It's a rather different way of thinking about a vitamin supplement.

But then again, your horse isn't a feed bucket. And sometimes the more interesting question isn't, “What vitamin should I add?”

It's “Why might my horse need me to add it in the first place?”

We're not pouring more fuel into the tank. We're supporting the machinery involved in turning nutrition into usable energy.

B12-Balance is a good fit when your horse seems to have lost a little of their usual sparkle – particularly if that change has followed digestive disruption, stress, illness, antibiotics, or simply the natural changes that can come with age.

Choose B12-Balance if your horse:

✔ Feels flatter, quieter, or less energetic than usual

✔ Has lost enthusiasm for their feed

✔ Is recovering after digestive upset, antibiotics, or a period of stress

✔ Is an older horse who no longer seems to bounce back quite as easily

In short: if you're wondering whether your horse's energy, appetite, and vitality are linked to what's happening in the hindgut, B12-Balance is designed to support that gut–nutrition–energy connection.

From there, support can be adapted depending on what you're seeing.

- Supporting the wider picture

SiboCARE – where ongoing hindgut imbalance, gas, bloating, or dysbiosis suggest the microbial community itself needs stabilising.

GutAminos – when the focus shifts towards nourishing the intestinal lining following digestive disruption.

KPUCOMBO – where low vitality sits alongside a wider pattern involving the gut, skin, hooves, and recurring metabolic challenges.

P5P (Activated B6) – where deeper nutrient activation pathways become the priority, particularly in horses showing KPU-type patterns.

- Foundation support

We often say there's little point asking a specialist supplement to do all the heavy lifting if the nutritional foundations aren't already in place. Supporting your horse's baseline nutrition with a forage-balanced mineral solution such as VitaComplete or EquiVita helps create the conditions for healthier biological function and more consistent long-term results.

In summary

Choose B12-Balance when your horse seems to have lost some of their usual spark and you suspect the answer may lie in the gut rather than simply the feed bowl.

Support the hindgut, nourish the nutritional pathways that depend upon it, and give the horse the nutritional foundations for everyday energy and vitality.

*B12-Balance is a nutritional food supplement and not veterinary medicine. For more information, refer to Dr Kellon's Horse Sense - Nutrition is not 'Alternative' Therapy .

Composition glossary

B12-Balance combines mineral-rich botanicals, nutritive herbs and functional mushrooms, each chosen to support a different part of the gut–nutrition–energy picture.

1. Fucus vesiculosus (Bladderwrack) – Mineral-rich sea botanical providing naturally occurring iodine and trace nutrients involved in normal metabolic function.
2. Symphytum officinale Folia (Comfrey Leaf) – Nutritive herb traditionally valued for tissue nourishment and digestive support.
3. Taraxacum officinale Folia (Dandelion Leaf) – Mineral-rich leafy herb traditionally associated with normal liver, kidney and fluid housekeeping.
4. Crataegus oxycanthoides (Hawthorn) – Traditionally valued for circulatory support, particularly within formulas for older horses.
5. Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane Mushroom) – Functional mushroom increasingly valued for its relationship with the gut–brain axis and nervous-system nutrition.
6. Lentinula edodes (Shiitake Mushroom) – Nutrient-rich functional mushroom providing polysaccharides, ergothioneine and naturally occurring micronutrients.

Feed guide

🌿Dried herb blend

Produced to ecological standards and free from agro-chemicals. See our Quality page for Organic Certification Documents.

• Feed 2-grams/100kg bodyweight per day for 4-6 weeks, followed by a 2-week break before reviewing whether further support is needed.
• 1-level 15ml scoop = 5g

Fussy eater?

Horses sometimes have their own opinions (and strong tastebuds!), so introduce gradually over several days. See our Fussy Eaters guide as we've many helpful tips.

♻️ Eco Note: Our packaging is recyclable and refillable.

When it comes to herbs and herbal formulations, you may have heard herbalists talk about energetics . It's simply the way we describe how a herb or formula has been designed to support the body in a balanced and purposeful way. The science helps us understand why that structure works.

B12-Balance was never designed to be "just another B12 supplement." Instead, it asks a different question:

" How can we support the biological systems that naturally produce, utilise and depend upon B vitamins in the first place ?"

Think of it as supporting the workshop, rather than simply delivering another box of spare parts.

How the formula works

Rather than relying on a single synthetic vitamin, B12-Balance brings together botanicals and functional mushrooms that support the wider gut–nutrition–energy connection.

1. Supporting gut-derived nutrition
   - Comfrey Leaf, Lion's Mane and Shiitake Mushroom help nourish the intestinal environment where microbial production of many B vitamins naturally takes place, while providing valuable polysaccharides, phytonutrients and nutritional compounds of their own.
2. Supporting metabolic momentum
   - Bladderwrack contributes naturally occurring iodine and trace minerals involved in normal metabolic activity, helping provide nutritional building blocks that underpin healthy cellular energy production.
3. Supporting delivery and utilisation
   - Dandelion Leaf and Hawthorn help support the body's natural housekeeping systems together with healthy circulation, creating an internal environment where nutrients can be transported and utilised efficiently throughout the body.

Together, these complementary ingredients support the biological processes that allow the horse to make the best use of the nutrition already available.

Big picture

One of the things I've noticed over the years is that when owners start wondering about B-vitamin support, something else has often happened first.

The hindgut has become unsettled, recovery has taken longer than expected, stress has lingered, or ageing has slowly changed the way the body copes.

That's why B12-Balance doesn't simply replace one nutrient. It supports the remarkable partnership between the hindgut microbiome, nutrition and cellular energy - helping the horse regain the conditions where vitality can naturally begin to return.

Advisories

• Suitable for repeated courses with breaks to maintain natural equilibrium.
• Contains natural iodine from Bladderwrack - check other iodine sources.
• Introduce gradually in sensitive horses.

Contraindications

• Not suitable for pregnant or nursing mares.
• Do not combine with other kelp/seaweed products.

Veterinary reference / formulary extract

A concise, vet-friendly reference is available for sharing with your vet.

Is B12-Balance just a vitamin B12 supplement?

No – despite the name, B12-Balance isn't simply a scoop of supplemental vitamin B12.

Most B12 supplements simply add more vitamin B12 to the diet. Our B12-Balance takes a step back and asks a different question:

"Why might my horse be struggling to make or use B vitamins in the first place?"

Because many of the B vitamins are produced by the hindgut microbiome, we've designed this blend to support the wider gut–nutrition–energy connection rather than simply adding another synthetic vitamin to the feed bowl.

My horse just seems to have lost their sparkle. Could B12-Balance help?

This is exactly the sort of horse we often think about. Owners frequently tell us, "He's eating... but just doesn't seem himself," or "She doesn't bounce back like she used to."

Sometimes the answer isn't simply more calories. If the hindgut has been under pressure through age, stress, antibiotics, illness, or digestive upset, supporting the gut–energy connection can be a sensible place to start.

Can B12-Balance be fed after antibiotics?

Yes – in fact, this is one of the situations where many owners choose it.

Antibiotics don't just affect harmful bacteria; they can also disrupt the wider microbial community within the hindgut.

Because those microbes play such an important role in producing many of the B vitamins, a period of nutritional support afterwards often makes good sense while the gut re-establishes its normal balance.

Is B12-Balance suitable for older horses?

Absolutely. As horses age, owners often tell us they simply don't bounce back quite as easily as they once did.

Many older horses benefit from additional nutritional support for the gut–energy connection, particularly if they're slower to recover, have become fussier with their feed, or simply seem to have lost a little of their usual enthusiasm.

Can I feed B12-Balance alongside SiboCARE or GutAminos?

Yes – they actually complement each other very well.

Think of it like this:

• SiboCARE helps support a more stable hindgut microbiome.
• GutAminos focuses on nourishing the intestinal lining.
• B12-Balance supports the nutritional pathways that depend on a healthy hindgut.

They each have a different job, which is why they're often used together as part of a wider gut recovery plan.

How long should I feed B12-Balance?

We generally recommend feeding it as a course rather than as a permanent everyday supplement.

Many owners use it for around 4–weeks while supporting their horse through a period of digestive recovery or low vitality, then allow a break before deciding whether another course is needed.

The aim isn't simply to keep adding B vitamins indefinitely – it's to help create the conditions where the hindgut can begin contributing more effectively again.