Ration Balancer
For a healthy horse on good pasture or hay not needing extra calories -- a ration balancer fills vitamin/mineral gaps without adding significant calories.
Runner-up: Performance Feed · Retake the quiz
Why this fits you
- Your horse maintains good weight on forage alone.
- You want to fill nutritional gaps without adding calories.
- Your horse is an easy keeper that doesn't need a full concentrate.
A ration balancer is a concentrated, low-intake feed designed to fill the vitamin and mineral gaps that forage alone often doesn't cover, without adding significant calories. It's the right choice for horses already maintaining good weight on hay or pasture, where a full calorie-dense concentrate would risk unwanted weight gain.
How it compares
| Feed type | Calorie density | Best for |
| Ration Balancer | Low | Easy keepers on good forage |
| Senior Feed | Moderate-high | Older horses, dental issues |
| Performance Feed | High | Heavy consistent work |
| Weight Gain Feed | High (fat-based) | Thin horses needing condition |
| Low-Starch/Low-Sugar Feed | Moderate | Metabolic or excitable horses |
Buying checklist
- Feed at the labeled rate -- ration balancers are concentrated, so overfeeding defeats the low-calorie purpose
- Good fit alongside good-quality forage as the main diet
- Not appropriate as the sole feed for a horse needing significant additional calories
When this isn’t the right fit
A balancer is not enough for a horse that is thin, in heavy work or a senior that cannot hold weight on forage, because it supplies nutrients and not many calories. It is also not a full feed, so do not feed it at a full grain rate.
Other results from this quiz may suit your situation better:
- Performance Feed: for horses in heavy, consistent work
- Senior Feed: for older horses with dental issues or difficulty maintaining weight
- Low-Starch/Low-Sugar Feed: for metabolic horses or those prone to excitability on traditional grain
- Weight Gain Feed: for thin horses needing to gain condition
Because this touches your horse’s health or comfort, check with your veterinarian before you act on a general guide like this one.
Run the numbers
Frequently asked questions
Is a ration balancer the same as a supplement?
Not quite -- a ration balancer is a complete, concentrated feed covering a broad range of vitamins and minerals at a small daily amount, while supplements typically target a narrower, specific need.
Can an easy keeper thrive on just forage and a ration balancer?
Often yes -- this combination provides calories from forage plus the nutritional completeness a balancer adds, without excess calories a full concentrate might contribute.
How much ration balancer does a horse typically need?
Amounts are small compared to traditional grain (often 1-2 lb/day), since it's concentrated -- always follow the specific product's labeled feeding rate for your horse's weight.
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