Ration Balancers vs. Vitamin/Mineral Premixes

Forage alone will not meet a horse’s vitamin and mineral requirements. Whether a horse is on hay or pasture, a supplemental source of minerals is required to adequately meet their nutrient requirements.

There are two main type of products that are used to add vitamin and mineral content to a diet, ration balancers and vitamin/mineral premixes. Understanding how to choose the right type of product for your horse’s unique needs and situations is important for optimal nutrition.

Ration Balancers vs. Premixes

A ration balancer is a pelleted feed product that supplies a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, and protein without a significant number of excess calories. Examples of ration balancers in Ontario are Buckeye Gro N Win, Purina Equilizer, Brooks Allphase 20, Tribute Essential K, and Masterfeeds VTM 20, to list a few.

On the other hand, a vitamin/mineral premix is similar, but does not supply supplemental protein – it is simply a concentrated source of vitamins and minerals. Examples of vitamin/mineral premixes in Ontario are Hoffmans Horse Minerals, Mad Barn Omneity, Purina Equi-Eeze, Hoffmans Performance Mineral, and Kentucky Performance Products Microphase etc.

Deciding which product your horse needs depends on their individual nutrient requirements and the nutritional content of the hay.

Common Feeding Mistakes

There are a few common feeding mistakes, that I see on a regular basis with these products:

1) Ration balancers being fed below the recommended rate

The feeding rate between ration balancers will differ, however, to effectively use these products and reduce the risk of nutritional deficiencies, the feeding rate must be followed. It is a common occurrence that a horse will be provided 1 cup (~200 g) of a ration balancer daily as their owner recognizes that they need supplemental vitamins and minerals but does not realize that they are feeding below the manufacturer’s recommended rate. If you are feeding your horse a ration balancer as their sole source of supplemental vitamins and minerals, check the feeding rate to ensure it is being fed correctly.

2) Vitamin/Mineral Premixes being used when hay is untested

Vitamin and mineral premixes have been gaining popularity among horse owners, in fact, my mare Piper’s diet is balanced with one of these. They can be very useful when working with easy keepers as they do not provide excess calories. However, when they are used and the hay is untested, there may be a protein deficiency present in the diet.

If you test your hay, and the protein content is about 8-10% on a dry matter basis, than you can likely use a vitamin/mineral premix to meet your easy keeper’s nutrient requirements. However, if it is not practical to test the hay (e.g., if the hay changes regularly), it may be preferable to opt for a ration balancer instead.

With that being said, there are almost endless options when it comes to balancing a diet for your horse. If you are unable to test every batch of hay, but prefer to use a premix, then you could mix that product with alfalfa cubes to supply protein. The best option for your horse depends on a multitude of factors, of course their nutrient requirements, the nutritional content of the hay, the feeding management of the farm, their preferences and your preferences!

What About Harder Keepers?

Harder keepers, and those with elevated nutrient requirements from workload or physiological state such as lactation, require more nutritional supplementation than just vitamins and minerals. In these cases, a fortified feed is generally used, whether that is a senior, performance, or breeding feed. These products supply vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates and fats. This means that they are acting as a supplemental calorie source.

However, if your horse is on one of these products, it is possible, and even likely, that they will still require a concentrated source of vitamins and minerals to be added. This is because the fortified feeds are rarely fed at a large enough feeding rate to meet the horse’s vitamin and mineral requirements.

For example, if your horse is on a senior feed because they require supplemental calories above and beyond what the hay supplies, but they are only being fed 2 kg of the product daily, they likely need a more concentrated source of vitamins and minerals added to their program. Either a ration balancer or vitamin/mineral premix works in these cases.

Can They Be Combined?

Although it is not necessary, many horse owners will combine a ration balancer and a vitamin/mineral premix. If this is being done, it is recommended to consult an equine nutritionist to calculate the required amount of each daily, as following the manufacturer’s recommended feeding rate on both products would result in over supplementation and potential toxicity.

There are a few different reasons why an owner may choose to feed both product types, most of the time, it tends to be because they are not feeding enough of the ration balancer, so they combine the two. Or it is because the horse does not find the premix palatable, so they use the ration balancer to increase palatability. When these products are combined, please have a nutritionist calculate the feeding rate of both for you to ensure you are not under or oversupplying nutrients.

Take Home Message

Ration balancers and vitamin/mineral premixes are, in my opinion, some of the most important products that we feed our horses. When choosing which type of product is best for your horse as their concentrated source of vitamins and minerals, consider the protein content of the hay they are on, and how practical it is to test each new batch.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at balancedbaynutrition@gmail.com

By: Madeline Boast, MSc, PAS