Q: I am new to owning equids, and I recently purchased a mule for trail riding. My veterinarian recommended I add a ration balancer to her diet because she is overweight but not receiving her essential nutrient requirements. How do I choose a high-quality ration balancer? How can I ensure it won’t further contribute to her being overweight?

A: Congratulations on your mule! It is incredibly exciting to own your own equid, and it’s fantastic you are considering her nutritional management carefully. Even with an overweight equid, forage only will not meet their nutrient requirements. This is why equine nutritionists recommend adding a ration balancer to her diet.

Ration balancers provide a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, and protein without significantly contributing to calorie intake. The manufacturer’s recommended feeding rate for a ration balancer is normally about 1-2 pounds per day, depending on age, weight, and workload.

Mules (a cross between a male donkey and a female horse), tend to be metabolically efficient, similar to donkeys. This can make managing their nutrition more challenging, especially if they are housed with horses that need more calories to maintain a healthy body condition.

Choosing Ration Balancers for Mules

Although ration balancers serve as a great option for feeding mules, they do add a small number of calories to the diet. The gold standard would be to have your hay tested to ensure the protein content meets your mule’s dietary requirements (nutritionists recommend about 10% crude protein for equids in light work). If the hay supplies adequate protein, then you can use a vitamin/mineral premix instead of a ration balancer.

These premix products deliver vitamins and minerals only, offered in pelleted and powdered forms. Because they do not include protein, you feed far less—usually 4-8 ounces.

Whether you use a ration balancer or a vitamin/mineral premix, follow the feeding guidelines listed on the product label. Quality products have been formulated by an equine nutritionist and designed to meet the equid’s nutrient requirements when fed at the specified feeding rate. If you feed below that rate, the product will not meet your mule’s nutrient requirements.

Choosing a High-Quality Ration Balancer

When shopping for a ration balancer or vitamin/mineral premix for your mule, carefully consider both the ingredients and guaranteed analysis listed on the label. Look for high-quality ingredients such as chelated or organic forms of trace minerals (i.e., zinc proteinate, copper chelate). If you choose a product that supplies protein, it should include high-quality protein sources such as soybean meal or alfalfa meal. Product labels that list guaranteed amounts of essential amino acids (lysine, methionine and threonine), tend to be higher quality.

When you read the guaranteed analysis, also check for a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of 2:1. The product, when fed at the recommended rate, should provide 100% of daily requirements for most vitamins and minerals.

Take-Home Message

Even though your mule is overweight, she still needs a balanced diet. You can meet those needs with a ration balancer or, if hay testing shows adequate protein, a vitamin/mineral premix. Taking the time to review the ingredient list and guaranteed analysis will help you select a high-quality product suited to your mule.

Do you have an equine nutrition question?