Ration balancers, in conjunction with a high-quality forage source, can provide the amino acids, vitamins, and minerals a horse needs without the excess calories that could put young horses at higher risk of developmental orthopedic diseases. | Photo: The Horse Staff

Originally formulated for the growing horse, the ration balancer—in conjunction with a high-quality forage source—can provide the amino acids, vitamins, and minerals a horse needs without the excess calories that could put young horses at higher risk of developmental orthopedic diseases.

In addition to young horses, mature equids able to maintain their weight on an all-forage diet of hay or pasture—”easy keepers”—can also benefit from a ration balancer. Depending on the species of forage provided and geographical location where it’s grown, protein, vitamin, and mineral deficiencies might be presence; ration balancer pellets are often used to offset these deficiencies.

In addition, the ration balancer pellet is a good option for horses that cannot tolerate high sugar and starch levels in some grains, such as those with Cushing’s disease (pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction or PPID), laminitis, and hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP). The lower glycemic index of a ration balancer also has the potential to lessen a horse’s hyperactive behavior