Although horses will gain minerals and vitamins from mixes, straights, forage and grass, at times they may need an extra ‘boost’ in the form of a balancer. In this blog we look at why and when you might feed a balancer.
Essentially a balancer is designed to ‘balance’ your horse’s feed nutritionally in terms of their vitamin, mineral and protein intake. Balancers are specially formulated for the equine diet and can offer additional benefits, such digestive support. Some are also low-calorie, low starch formulas so ideal for good doers or those prone to laminitis.
Why and when?
Balancers are useful for grass kept horses, especially when the grass is poor and they are being fed a forage based diet (e.g. hay, pony nuts, sugar beet). By adding in a balancer, you can ‘top up’ any missing nutrients and support general health and wellbeing.
If a horse is on rest or recovering from injury, you may need to feed a smaller amount of mix or cubes. If this is the case, feeding a balancer will literally ‘balance’ out your horse’s dietary needs, without adding unwanted calories. The quality protein also provides the essential amino acids required to build and repair muscles and other tissues. Sick horses may also have limited appetites, and feed balancers can help to stimulate intake and provide a great range of nutrition in a small amount of feed.
Balancers are ideal for horses or ponies that need to lose weight. A balancer can be fed alongside a fibre rich diet e.g. soaked hay. By doing this the horse can trickle feed, which will keep them occupied, but they will also be getting all the nutrients they require to maintain their health.
Some very sharp or ‘fizzy’ horses that are unmanageable to ride on mix or cubes can be fed a mixture of hay or grass chop, a simple grass nut and a balancer. This way they are able to trickle feed which is great for gut health, but they are also getting all the nutrients they need to perform and flourish. Competition horses can also benefit as a balancer can help provide the essential dietary elements to those with limited appetites or reduced fibre intakes.
Horses that are fed ‘straight’ feeds e.g. rolled oats, peas or barley, also benefit from balancers as they provide additional levels of calcium, vitamin E and other micronutrients.
How should I feed a balancer?
Balancers are added to the horse’s daily feed. Like all new feeds, a balancer should be slowly introduced into the diet and spread out between feeds. Feed balancers are not meant to add bulk to a feed; they are fed in very small quantities so always read the packaging carefully. Always check with an equine nutritionist if you are feeding a concentrated feed or other supplement as it is as bad to overfeed vitamins and minerals as it is to under feed. Many brands have specialist help at the end of the phone or online so it is always worth discussing your horse’s needs before making a purchase.