Ration Balancers — Why Your Horse Might Need One

What Are Ration Balancers?

A ration balancer is a highly concentrated, protein-rich vitamin and mineral supplement in pelleted form, designed to balance forage-based diets—not provide extra calories.

Let’s be clear: A ration balancer is not a complete feed. It’s not a performance feed. And it’s definitely not meant to be fed free-choice or by the scoopful.

Here’s how it works:

• Feeding rate: 1–2 lbs per day for a 1,000 lb horse. That’s it.
• Protein: Very high (typically 25–35%)—not because your horse needs gobs of protein, but because forages often lack key amino acids like lysine and methionine. Soybean meal is usually the first ingredient.
• Nutrients: Dense in copper, zinc, selenium, vitamin E, and calcium—exactly the nutrients most commonly missing from hay or pasture.
• Calories: Minimal. Think of it like a “multi-vitamin with protein” rather than a calorie source. Most are around 1.2–1.5 Mcal/lb—about what you’d get from a pound of average hay.
• Purpose: To correct deficiencies in your hay or pasture-based diet without adding unnecessary calories.

Ration balancers were actually born from the base mix pellets that feed companies used to create their complete or performance feeds. That base—rich in nutrients but low in calories—is now offered as a stand-alone product so horse owners can customize diets more efficiently. You can use a balancer by itself, or mix it with extra calories (like oats, alfalfa pellets, or oil) to build your own DIY grain mix. Flexibility, efficiency, and accuracy—without a cupboard full of tubs.

💡 Think of a ration balancer as a multivitamin + protein supplement, tailored to equine needs.

Why Horses on Hay or Pasture Need a Balancer

Let’s bust a common myth: Hay is not a complete diet. Yes, it provides calories and fiber—but it falls short where it counts most: micronutrients and amino acids.

Here’s what hay and pasture typically lack—and why your horse pays the price:

📚 Evidence:

• NRC (2007) identifies hay as routinely low in copper, zinc, and selenium.
• Harris et al. (2016) found forage-only diets often fall short for broodmares and young horses.
• Finno & Valberg (2012) showed stored hay rapidly loses vitamin E, increasing risk for muscle disorders.

Best Choice for Easy Keepers and Metabolic Horses

Some horses gain weight easily on hay alone — yet still need vital nutrients. Grain or complete feeds can add too many calories.

Ration balancers supply:

• High-quality protein and essential amino acids (like lysine, methionine, and threonine)
• Vitamins and trace minerals (especially copper, zinc, selenium, and vitamin E)
• Minimal calories and starch Typically 1–2 lbs per day delivers everything they need without promoting weight gain

Great for:

• Ponies and stocky breeds prone to obesity
• Metabolic horses with insulin dysregulation or Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS)
• Laminitis-prone horses who must avoid sugary feeds
• Horses on hay-only diets that need better nutrient balance

Difference Between Balancers and Vitamin-Mineral Supplements

OBoth ration balancers and vitamin/mineral mixes are designed to fill in nutritional gaps—but they’re not interchangeable, and which one you should use depends on your horse’s calorie needs and forage quality.

🟩 Choose a ration balancer if:

• Your horse gets all or most calories from hay or pasture
• You’re not feeding any fortified grain (or feeding below the minimum amount)
• Your forage is low in protein (e.g. mature grass hay, late-cut, overgrazed pasture)
• You want a complete, efficient solution with protein, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals
• You’re feeding a growing horse, pregnant/lactating mare, or performance horse on a forage-based diet

Ration balancers offer high-quality protein (25–35%), lysine, methionine, vitamins, minerals—all in 1–2 lbs/day.
Think of it as a “multi-vitamin with protein”—not a calorie source.

🟨 Choose a vitamin-mineral mix (loose or pelleted) if:

• Your forage is tested and known to be adequate in protein
• You’re feeding a horse that’s easy to over-supplement (e.g., miniature horses, ponies)
• Your horse needs no extra protein (e.g., alfalfa-fed easy keeper with no added workload)

⚠️ Most vitamin-mineral mixes are very low volume—a couple ounces per day—and don’t contain significant protein or amino acids.

Not All Balancers Are Equal — Choose Based on Forage Type

Ration balancers aren’t “one size fits all.” The right product depends on your hay type, especially when it comes to balancing calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) levels in the diet.

🧪 Why This Matters

Hay isn’t just hay. Grass hays (like timothy, brome, orchardgrass) tend to be low in calcium, while legumes (like alfalfa and clover) are high in calcium and often low in phosphorus.

An incorrect Ca:P ratio—especially excess calcium relative to phosphorus—can cause:

• Poor skeletal development in young horses
• Reduced absorption of other key minerals (like zinc and magnesium)
• Long-term bone demineralization, even if calcium intake is “technically adequate”

According to the NRC (2007), horses need a Ca:P ratio between 1.2:1 and 2:1 for optimal mineral absorption and bone health. Young, growing horses are especially sensitive to imbalances.

Two Main Types of Ration Balancers

Tip: If you feed a mix (e.g., 70% grass, 30% alfalfa), choose a grass balancer unless the legume percentage is dominant.

Don’t Guess—Balance Smart

Choosing the wrong balancer for your forage can quietly unbalance your entire feeding program—even if you’re measuring the right amounts. Always read the label and match the product to the forage, not the horse.

If you’re feeding a mix of hays or rotating pastures seasonally, you may need to adjust your balancer accordingly or test your forage to be sure.

Don’t Underfeed Commercial Feeds — Use a Balancer Instead

If you’re scooping just a pound or two of commercial feed thinking you’re “covering the bases,” here’s the hard truth: you’re not.

Most fortified commercial feeds (including complete and performance feeds) are designed to be fed at 4–6 lbs per day or more to meet your horse’s daily requirements for vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Feeding just a “coffee can” of it may give you peace of mind—but it gives your horse a nutritional gap.

This is where a ration balancer comes in. It’s not about more calories. It’s about meeting nutrient requirements in a small, concentrated dose.

Quick Comparison

🧠 Reminder: The more feed you give, the lower the nutrient concentration per pound. Cut the feed in half? You’re cutting the nutrition too.

✅ Use a ration balancer if:

• You feed less than the bag’s recommended amount
• Your horse gets fat on full rations
• You want to balance forage, not add calories

Simply “cutting back” to avoid weight gain also cuts out critical nutrition—like copper, zinc, vitamin E, and essential amino acids. That’s why ration balancers exist: they concentrate what matters into a small, efficient dose.

If you’re unsure whether your horse needs a balancer, read the feed tag. If you’re not feeding the full amount listed for your horse’s weight and workload, you’re under-delivering on nutrition—even if you’re over-delivering on calories.

Support for Hoof Growth, Muscle, and Metabolism

🐎 Hoof Health

Your farrier can only work with what you give them. Without the right nutrients, no amount of trimming will fix weak hoof horn or chronic cracking.

Key nutrients for hoof integrity:

• Biotin – Promotes hoof growth and strength
• Methionine – A sulfur-containing amino acid crucial for keratin production
• Zinc and Copper – Essential trace minerals involved in hoof structure and healing

🧪 Hay-only diets are notoriously low in copper and zinc, and most don’t supply enough methionine. A good balancer fills these gaps—no need for a separate hoof supplement in most cases.

🐎 Topline & Muscle Maintenance

Topline hollowing isn’t just a cosmetic issue—it can affect saddle fit, performance, and overall strength.

Critical amino acids for muscle:

• Lysine – First limiting amino acid in most hay diets; essential for muscle repair
• Methionine & Threonine – Support lean mass, connective tissue, and coat quality

Horses on forage-only diets often lack enough quality protein, even if crude protein appears “adequate” on paper. Ration balancers provide the specific amino acids that matter most.

🐎 Antioxidant & Metabolic Support

Stored hay quickly loses vitamin E content, and many regions are selenium-deficient. Both nutrients are critical for:

• Protecting against oxidative stress
• Supporting immune and nerve function
• Aiding horses with PPID (Cushing’s), insulin resistance (IR), or muscle disorders

Choose a Low NSC Option (Under 12–15%)

Metabolic horses must avoid excess sugars and starches (NSC = WSC + starch).

✅ Look for:

• “Low starch/sugar” labels
• NSC % under 12–15%
• Manufacturer data (email them if it’s not online)

🧪 What Is NSC?

NSC = Water-Soluble Carbohydrates (WSC) + Starch

These are the rapidly digestible carbohydrates that can spike blood glucose and insulin levels. In sensitive horses, high-NSC feeds can trigger laminitis, weight gain, or metabolic flare-ups.

✅ A low-NSC balancer (ideally under 12–15%) provides essential nutrients without triggering insulin spikes.

Common Add-Ons

While ration balancers cover most vitamins, minerals, and protein needs, they’re not a complete replacement for everything a horse may need — especially when on a hay- or pasture-based diet. Here are the three most common and important additions:

🧂 Plain Salt (NaCl)

• Horses need ~1–2 oz/day minimum (25–50 g)
• Provide loose or white salt block — not just flavored mineral blocks

🌿 Vitamin E

• Stored hay loses E rapidly
• Most horses on hay need 1,000–5,000 IU/day
• Use natural form: d-α-tocopherol

🐟 Omega-3 Fatty Acids

• Balance excess omega-6 from hay
• Anti-inflammatory support for joints, allergies, and skin

✅ Best Omega 3 Sources

Top-Rated Ration Balancers

Here are some of the most veterinarian-recommended, research-backed, and highly reviewed:

Final Tips

✅ Use forage testing when possible
✅ Choose a balancer that matches your hay
✅ Always provide free-choice salt and clean water

💡 A ration balancer is one of the simplest, safest, and smartest ways to give your horse complete nutrition — especially if they don’t need grain.

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