Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is crucial for the well-being, performance, and longevity of horses. With a plethora of feed options available, understanding the role and composition of ration balancers is essential for horse owners. This article delves into the ingredients commonly found in horse diet balancers, their benefits, and how to choose the right one for your equine companion.
Understanding the Basics of Horse Nutrition
Horses, whether they are pasture pets, growing yearlings, or athletes in heavy work, require a balanced diet to thrive. While some horses flourish on a simple diet of primarily forage, others need more specialized nutrition. Concentrates, such as sweet feed, grains, and pellets, are often added to a horse’s diet to compensate for nutrient deficiencies in forages. Working, growing, and pregnant or lactating horses typically need more energy or protein than hay or pasture can provide alone, making concentrates a necessary addition. However, many "easy keeper" horses do not need grain at all if they are on high-quality forage and may simply require a vitamin/mineral supplement or ration balancer.
The Role of Ration Balancers
Ration balancers are designed to be fed alongside forages to horses that do not need additional energy (calories) from concentrates but do need additional protein, vitamins, and minerals. They are typically pelleted feeds with low crude fiber and fat content. The primary goal of a ration balancer is to provide essential nutrients that are insufficient in a forage-based diet. They provide a good amount of calcium and other key macro-minerals, trace minerals, and fat-soluble vitamins, without the extra calories.
Key Ingredients in Horse Diet Balancers
A variety of ingredients are incorporated into horse diet balancers to address specific nutritional needs. These ingredients can be broadly categorized into minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and digestive support elements.
Minerals
Hay is often deficient in essential minerals such as magnesium, sodium, copper, zinc, iodine, and sometimes selenium. Long-term deficiencies in these minerals can lead to subclinical symptoms, including poor hoof quality, a dull or fading coat, a compromised immune system, and exercise intolerance. Furthermore, excess iron in hay can interfere with the absorption of other crucial trace minerals like zinc and copper.
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Common minerals found in ration balancers include:
- Magnesium: Works in conjunction with calcium for nerve transmission and muscle contraction. The ideal magnesium to calcium ratio is 1:1 to 1:2.
- Copper and Zinc: These trace minerals are vital for various enzymatic processes, immune function, and the development of healthy connective tissues. Organic forms, such as Copper Amino Acid Complex (organic copper) and Zinpro 120 (organic zinc), are often preferred for better absorption.
- Iodine: Essential for thyroid function and overall metabolic health. Organic Iodine is a common source in balancers.
- Selenium: An important antioxidant that supports immune function and muscle health. Selenium Yeast is a preferred form due to its enhanced bioavailability.
- Salt: Vital for numerous bodily functions.
Vitamins
Vitamins are essential organic compounds that horses need in small amounts for various physiological processes. Ration balancers often contain a blend of vitamins to ensure that horses receive adequate amounts.
Key vitamins include:
- Biotin: Part of the B vitamin family, biotin plays a key role in several health-promoting functions in the body, including effective glucose metabolism, reproductive tract health, and ideal thyroid function.
- Vitamin E: A powerful antioxidant that protects cells from free radical damage and supports normal circulatory and neuromuscular functions. Natural vitamin E (d-ɑ-tocopherol) is preferentially absorbed over synthetic sources.
Amino Acids
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Essential amino acids cannot be produced by horses on their own and must be supplied through their diet. If a horse lacks a certain amino acid, it cannot effectively utilize the remaining amino acids in its diet. Common signs of amino acid deficiency include a lack of topline and a "hay belly."
Common amino acids found in ration balancers include:
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- L-Lysine: Often the most limiting amino acid in equine diets, L-Lysine is crucial for muscle development and overall growth.
- DL-Methionine: Supports hoof health, coat quality, and various metabolic processes.
- L-Threonine: Important for immune function and protein synthesis.
Digestive Support
A healthy digestive tract is crucial for overall horse health. Ration balancers often include ingredients to support digestive health and ensure optimal nutrient absorption.
Common digestive support ingredients include:
- Diamond V Yeast: A postbiotic yeast fermentate that supports both immune function and digestive health.
- Prebiotics: These fibers promote a healthy gut flora by nourishing beneficial microbes in the horse’s digestive tract, particularly in the hindgut. These microbes are responsible for breaking down fiber and producing volatile fatty acids that the horse can use for energy.
- Probiotics: Direct-fed (live) microbials that stimulate the activity of good bacteria in the horse’s digestive tract. They improve fiber digestion, immune response, and help maintain an appropriate pH for a healthy digestive tract.
- TruEquine Postbiotic: Aids in supporting both immune function and digestive health.
Examples of Ration Balancers and Their Key Features
Several ration balancers are available on the market, each with unique formulations and intended uses.
- Vermont Blend Forage Balancer: This balancer focuses on addressing common deficiencies in hay, such as magnesium, sodium, copper, zinc, and iodine. It includes Diamond V Yeast to enhance palatability and digestive health. It does not contain added iron or soy, making it safe for a wide range of horses, including broodmares, weanlings, adults, mules, and donkeys.
- Purina® Omega Match® Ration Balancing Horse Feed: This limited-ingredient formula is designed to meet nutrient requirements while providing fatty acids and antioxidants naturally found in green grass. It is suitable as a sole concentrate or as a supplemental source of omega fatty acids. It also contains added Omegas, Vitamin E, biotin, and Outlast®.
- Tribute® Essential K®: A low sugar/starch (NSC), no-added-iron ration balancer designed for easy-keeping or overweight horses. It can also be used as a top-dress with any other Tribute® feed to provide additional vitamins, trace minerals, and amino acids, supporting performance and topline development. It is corn, oats, and molasses-free, making it ideal for horses consuming hay or pasture that is 50% or less alfalfa (or other legumes).
- Empower® Topline Balance® Diet Balancer: Designed to round out nutrition for horses that get adequate energy from good-quality forage or pasture. It offers a blend of essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, with unique support for better topline health.
- Hygain® Balanced®: A pelleted ration balancer that delivers optimal daily levels of nutrients at a low feeding rate, suitable for a wide range of horses, including easy keepers, breeding and growing horses, or those not meeting nutrient requirements from their current diet. It contains natural vitamin E, prebiotic fibers, and probiotics to support digestive health.
Feeding Guidelines and Considerations
When feeding ration balancers, it is essential to follow the manufacturer's instructions on the label. These instructions are carefully formulated to meet your horse’s needs, but only if you feed the right amount. The label will specify how much to feed based on your horse’s body weight.
Key feeding guidelines include:
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- Introduce the balancer gradually into your horse’s diet.
- Feed at regular times, at least twice daily.
- Do not feed more than 0.5 lbs per 100 lbs of body weight per meal.
- Provide fresh, clean water at all times.
- Provide your horse with access to salt.
- Ensure that your horse receives at least 1.5% of its body weight in quality forage (hay/pasture) daily.
- Any feed changes should be made gradually over a period of 7 to 10 days.
Choosing the Right Ration Balancer
Selecting the appropriate ration balancer for your horse depends on several factors, including:
- Age and Life Stage: Growing horses, pregnant or lactating mares, and senior horses have different nutritional needs.
- Activity Level: Horses in heavy work require more energy and protein than those with light activity levels.
- Forage Quality: The nutrient content of your horse’s forage will influence the type of balancer needed. If the forage is deficient in certain minerals or vitamins, the balancer should compensate for these deficiencies.
- Health Conditions: Horses with metabolic disorders or sensitivities may require specialized ration balancers with low sugar and starch content.
- Individual Needs: Some horses may benefit from additional ingredients, such as joint support or digestive aids.
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