feed scoop
You might offer a balancer to replace missing nutrients in a forage-focused ration. | iStock

My horse gets hay only. Pasture only. Pasture plus some hay. Concentrate plus hay. Concentrate plus pasture. Concentrate plus pasture and hay. The combinations are numerous. Then there’s the question of whether your horse needs a ration balancer or a vitamin/mineral supplement for optimum nutrition.

To help decide, Lori K. Warren, PhD, PAS, associate professor of equine nutrition in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Florida, in Gainesville, and Janice Holland, PhD, director and associate professor of equine studies at Wilson College, in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, provide their expertise.

What Makes a Ration Balancer?

Holland says a ration balancer, sometimes called a hay or diet balancer, is a typically pelleted feed designed to supply nutrients missing from a horse’s diet

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