MICHAELA8228
Well-Known Member
Please can someone explain what these are and when you should use them?
FEED BALANCER
- Thread starter MICHAELA8228
- Start date
TGM
Well-Known Member
They are usually a combination of vitamins and minerals together with a protein source, probiotics/prebiotics and sometimes some oil as well.
Originally they were designed for growing youngstock whose protein requirements are higher than mature horses, and can't always be met with hay alone. Traditionally, cereal feeds were used to boost the protein levels of the diet, but this method sometimes provides too many calories for native types and can lead to horses growing too fast which can cause limb problems etc. The concentrated balancers allowed youngstock to get plenty of protein and all their vit/mins without giving lots of cereal feed.
Since then balancers have been marketed to a wider audience. Horses that are receiving the recommended amount of a cube or mix don't need a balancer, because the cube/mix contains similar nutrients to a balancer, just not in such a concentrated form. Mature horses on good summer grazing or good quality haylage should receive sufficient protein in their diet and therefore should not require a balancer. Whether mature horses on a hay only diet require a balancer is a difficult one to judge without having the protein content of the hay analysed!
Originally they were designed for growing youngstock whose protein requirements are higher than mature horses, and can't always be met with hay alone. Traditionally, cereal feeds were used to boost the protein levels of the diet, but this method sometimes provides too many calories for native types and can lead to horses growing too fast which can cause limb problems etc. The concentrated balancers allowed youngstock to get plenty of protein and all their vit/mins without giving lots of cereal feed.
Since then balancers have been marketed to a wider audience. Horses that are receiving the recommended amount of a cube or mix don't need a balancer, because the cube/mix contains similar nutrients to a balancer, just not in such a concentrated form. Mature horses on good summer grazing or good quality haylage should receive sufficient protein in their diet and therefore should not require a balancer. Whether mature horses on a hay only diet require a balancer is a difficult one to judge without having the protein content of the hay analysed!
MICHAELA8228
Well-Known Member
Thanks TGM!!
BigRed
Well-Known Member
TGM
Well-Known Member
Just bear in mind the article in the above link is written by someone who works for one of the leading feed balancer manufacturers!
BigRed
Well-Known Member
Yes, but if you read the article, she actually says the average horse does not need to be fed a balancer and can do with a vitamin supplement instead. which is why I thought it was a good article. Also the business about people sloshing loads of oil in horses feeds to keep them shiny and fat, actually makes them deficient in certain areas.
TGM
Well-Known Member
Yes but her company produces supplements as well as balancers!
As to oil, most nutritional experts agree that supplementation with Vit E/Selenium is only necessary when oil is fed in significantly large quantities, although none of them can seem to agree what amount that is! I felt it would be more informative if she could explain what problems your horse could suffer from if you didn't supplement with Vit E/Selenium, as I know lots of horses that have been fed oil in their feeds for many years and none of have suffered any ill effects at all!
As to oil, most nutritional experts agree that supplementation with Vit E/Selenium is only necessary when oil is fed in significantly large quantities, although none of them can seem to agree what amount that is! I felt it would be more informative if she could explain what problems your horse could suffer from if you didn't supplement with Vit E/Selenium, as I know lots of horses that have been fed oil in their feeds for many years and none of have suffered any ill effects at all!
vhf
Well-Known Member
My current horse has a balancer having sworn I'd never go down that route... because she won't eat supplements! (Can't even get salt into her except by careful and creative use of sugarbeet).