Last October, I was standing in front of the paddock, watching my gelding Diego. He seemed listless. Not sick, not lame—just... less present than usual.
I thought that was normal. The seasonal coat change, the transition from pasture to the stall, the weather—maybe even the deworming treatment in September. Everyone tells you that. The neighbor at the stable. The riding instructor. Even some veterinarians.
Until an equine physical therapist, who has been treating Diego for years, told me something that has been on my mind ever since:
“Sabine, it’s normal for a horse to become a little calmer in the fall. But what you’re describing doesn’t sound like ‘a little calmer.’ It sounds like a horse whose metabolism is currently overloaded. And that actually has only a marginal connection to the coat change.”
I was confused. That's exactly how I'd been taught: Fall = less energy—that's just the way it is, but it'll get better.
What she explained to me afterward completely changed my perspective on “normal” fall fatigue.
Maybe you've been there
You walk into the stable, lead your horse out, and something feels different. Nothing dramatic. Just... less.
His gaze isn't as alert as it used to be. When you're walking him, his head hangs lower. When you lunge him—which was still a pleasure for both of you in the summer—he starts making that "oh, no" face after just ten minutes.
You mount him, and what used to be anticipation is now a slight hesitation. His back feels different beneath you. Not tense, just... stiff.
You wonder if it's because of his feed. If he hasn't been getting enough exercise. If it was the deworming treatment he received in September. If the transition from pasture to stall isn't doing him any good. If his coat is simply taking up too much energy.
You're worried—but you're also downplaying it, because, after all, “every horse is like that in the fall.”
And then comes the moment that’s really uncomfortable: you see another horse in the paddock or during a riding lesson—one that’s the same age, in the same stable, under the same conditions—and it just seems… alert. Present. Like it’s in the spring.
And you quietly ask yourself: Why not mine?
That's the point where "normal for this time of year" starts to feel wrong.
I had already tried a few things
More hay and more concentrated feed. It did almost nothing to help—he didn't become any more alert, just fatter.
A "standard" vitamin supplement from a specialty store, because the packaging said "for coat shedding." After three weeks, no noticeable change.
More rest days, because I thought he was just overtired from training. The result: even less stamina, same level of fatigue.
A visit to the vet where the blood test results were within the “normal” range, and the vet said, “It’s just the time of year; it’ll even out.”
Over the years—I actually did the math once—I’ve easily spent 800–900 € on dietary supplements, Supplements , and “molting treatments.” Every year, something new. Every year, the same disappointment starting in October.
What was frustrating wasn't that nothing worked. What was frustrating was that no one could explain to me why nothing worked.
Until that one conversation in the barn.
What's Really Behind It
The equine physical therapist—I'll call her Ms. Berger here—had known Diego for three years. She had given him massages, analyzed his movement patterns, and witnessed both his good days and his bad days.
When I told her what the vet had said, she fell silent. Then she said something she wanted to share with me “just between us”:
“The idea that the coat change is the sole explanation isn’t entirely accurate. The coat change does take energy—that’s true. But what many horse owners don’t realize is that in the fall, the liver is often subjected to several stresses at once—the coat change itself, a deworming treatment that often occurs during the same period, the transition from pasture to stable feed, and on top of that, the change in weather. The liver is the central metabolic hub for all of this. When it’s working at its capacity limit, you don’t notice it in the liver—you notice it in the horse. In its energy levels.”
That was the moment it clicked for me: It’s not just one cause. It’s multiple stresses that pile up at the same time of year—and the liver is where they all converge.
That also explained why “more concentrated feed” and “more rest” didn’t help: They had never relieved the strain on the liver, but had merely placed a different kind of strain on the horse.
For the first time, I had the feeling that it wasn't my fault—it wasn't because I hadn't "trained enough" or " Complementary Feed d enough"—but rather because of a combination of factors that hardly anyone can explain so clearly.
The Mechanism Behind It
I did some research on the topic and spoke with a nutrition consultant, who explained the mechanism behind it to me in more detail.
The crux of the matter: the conflict of interest regarding methionine sulfation.
The liver operates in detoxification phases. In one of these phases—known as sulfation—it requires the amino acid methionine as a starting material. The problem is that methionine is needed simultaneously in many parts of the horse’s body—for coat shedding (keratin formation), for muscle development, and for normal cell function.
In the fall, therefore, several processes compete for the same limited resource. If there isn’t enough methionine available, the liver cannot maintain its normal function at full capacity—and this is reflected in the horse’s energy level.
That is why a standard coat-change supplement or more concentrated feed does not solve the problem: they provide energy or biotin, but not specifically what the liver actually needs during this phase.
Liver Balance was designed specifically with this interaction in mind:
- DL-methionine (10,000 mg/L) — added as a nutritional supplement in a targeted dosage to support methionine availability during this stressful phase
- Choline chloride (40,000 mg/L) — a nutritional additive that supports normal liver function
- MSM (3.00%) — as a source of sulfur that plays a role in the sulfation process
- Apple cider vinegar, glycerin, and beet juice as carrier substances that promote acceptance and absorption
- Milk thistle, artichoke, dandelion, and ginseng extracts —herbs that have been an integral part of liver treatments for horses in traditional feeding practices for generations
The combination is key: A methionine supplement alone does not meet the body’s choline needs. A pure herbal supplement does not provide a targeted supply of amino acids. Only the combination of the two addresses both sides of this trade-off.
Note regarding feeding recommendations: Please take other sources of vitamins and minerals in the diet into account to ensure that the recommended daily amount is not exceeded.
What Happened Over the Next Few Weeks
I was skeptical—I'll admit it. Each of the last few products was sold to me as a little miracle cure. None of them lived up to their promises.
I ordered " Liver Balance " anyway—because for the first time, " Composition " actually seemed useful to me—along with the Mineral Snack, which is currently being offered as a bonus.
| Week 1 | Diego ate it without any trouble; in fact, thanks to the apple cider vinegar flavor, he even preferred it to his usual Supplements. Nothing had noticeably changed yet. I remained cautiously unimpressed. |
| Week 2 | While lunging him, I noticed that he no longer made that “oh no” face after ten minutes. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence. |
| Week 3 | His gaze was more alert again. When walking, he held his head higher again. It wasn't anything dramatic—but at first I didn't even realize the difference; I only noticed it because I had stopped worrying. |
| Week 5 | My riding instructor, who has known Diego for years and knew nothing about my “experiment,” said without being asked, “He seems much more alert this year than he did last fall.” |
That was the moment that really convinced me. Not my own perception—but that of an outsider who has been observing Diego for years.
Today, in the middle of fall, for the first time in years, I don't have that feeling that "something's not right." I'm not worried anymore in October.
I'm not the only one who felt that way
"I had almost given up on doing something nice for my mare this fall—it's the same story every year. Since the second month of using Liver Balance , she really does seem different. Not miraculously different, but noticeably so." — Claudia, 52, recreational rider
"Three people at our stable are talking about this now. My gelding is 19, and I thought it was just his age. It wasn't just his age." — Katrin, boarding stable owner
Frequently Asked Questions
Isn't this just another molting supplement with a different name?
No. Traditional coat-change supplements focus on biotin and zinc for the hair surface. " Liver Balance " specifically targets liver function and the methionine-choline interaction—which is why it works differently than typical fall products.
Why doesn't my veterinarian mention this?
Because a 15-minute checkup rarely allows time to discuss feeding details, and because many veterinarians focus on clinical values rather than subclinical energy imbalances that aren't yet reflected in blood test results.
Do I have to keep giving this to them?
No. The typical dosage is 1–2 bottles over several weeks during the stress period in the fall (and optionally in the spring during the next molting season).
What it's really worth
Let’s quickly tally up what I’ve spent over the past few years on “something to combat fall fatigue”: three different coat-change supplements, an additional vitamin supplement, and an unscheduled vet visit with a blood test. In total, well over 700 € —for products that never actually addressed the real problem.
Liver Balance In contrast, it costs €63.80 for one month’s supply at Large Horse —enough for ponies to last 6 weeks. And right now, while supplies last, you’ll get the Mineral Snack for free —so that, in addition to targeted liver support, your horse also gets the basic supply of vitamins and minerals needed for its fall/winter diet, without you having to buy anything extra.
Feeding Instructions: Please take into account other sources of vitamins and minerals in the total diet to ensure that the recommended daily amount is not exceeded.
You're now at a point where
Option 1: You carry on as you have in recent years. You watch your listless, less energetic fall gelding or fall mare, tell yourself, “That’s just how it is—it’s the season,” and next October, you’ll be standing in the stable just as at a loss as you were this year.
Option 2: You give the liver exactly what it needs during this stressful period—and check in three or four weeks to see if there are any changes in what you observe in your horse on a daily basis.
Imagine it's November. You walk into the stable, and your horse lifts its head when you arrive—not listless, but alert. The training session feels like fun again for both of you, not like a compromise.
This isn't a promise of a different horse. The question is whether your horse will get through this fall with a liver that's being supported or one that's overworked.
P.S.: I now give Diego " Liver Balance " every fall and spring during his coat change—not because I have to, but because I wouldn't want to do without the difference it makes.