You can provide additional calories to a horse's diet by feeding more hay or substituting some of the grass hay with alfalfa. | Photo: Photos.com

Q. I feed my 16.2-hand Appendix Quarter Horse hunter/jumper 2 pounds of an equine ration balancer each day along with 24 pounds of hay. I’ve noticed that he has been dropping some weight this winter, and I’m wondering whether I should feed him more of the ration balancer?

A. You’re feeding what I would expect is about 2% of your horse’s body weight as forage per day, which is a good amount of forage. It also sounds as though you’re feeding the ration balancer correctly. Most ration balancers recommend feeding 1 to 2 pounds per day to an average-sized horse—some a little more, some a little less. I suggest you estimate your horse’s weight, read the feeding instructions, and confirm you’re feeding the correct amount of ration balancer. If you are, I don’t recommend increasing the amount.

Assuming your horse doesn’t have intestinal parasites, has good dental health, and is otherwise healthy, inadequate caloric intake is the most likely cause of weight loss. Ration balancers are highly fortified with minerals, vitamins, and often quality protein, but they’re not designed as a significant calorie source. Feeding more balancers than the manufacturer recommends will likely result in an excess of minerals, which the horse will excrete, while not really addressing your horse’s need for extra calories. If you feed significantly more balancer than recommended, you could end up with excessive levels of selenium, which can have significant negative health consequences