You might offer a balancer to replace missing nutrients in a forage-focused ration. | iStockMy horse gets hay only. Pasture only. Pasture plus some hay. Concentrate plus hay. Concentrate plus pasture. Concentrate plus pasture and hay. The combinations are numerous. Then theres the question of whether your horse needs a ration balancer or a vitamin/mineral supplement for optimum nutrition.To help decide, Lori K. Warren, PhD, PAS, associate professor of equine nutrition in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Florida, in Gainesville, and Janice Holland, PhD, director and associate professor of equine studies at Wilson College, in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, provide their expertise.What Makes a Ration Balancer?Holland says a ration balancer, sometimes called a hay or diet balancer, is a typically pelleted feed designed to supply nutrients missing from a horses diet.Ration balancers for horses usually contain a balanced supply of important macrominerals, including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sodium, and trace (micro) minerals, including copper, zinc, and selenium, along with vitamins, Warren adds. These nutrients support bone health, muscle function, and overall metabolism. Ration balancers also contain feed ingredients such as alfalfa meal and soybean meal so the feed can be pelleted. If included in high enough levels, these additions allow a ration balancer to also supply protein to help meet daily essential amino acid requirements. Ration balancing pellets are similar to (and in some cases, the same as) the nutrient-dense pellets included in many fortified concentrate feeds.In addition, Holland says ration balancers are usually low in calories, thus providing a suitable product for horses not needing extra calories.Warren points out that because a ration balancer adds calories, it should be a consideration when managing an overweight or idle horses intake. Because of the feedstuffs used, owners should follow the manufacturers recommended feeding rate (1-2 pounds per day based on the size and type of horse) to meet the nutritional requirements.When fed at this rate, Warren suggests a ration balancer that contains at least 2% calcium, 1 to 2% phosphorus, 400 parts per million zinc, and 75 ppm copper. If it contains lower mineral concentrations, the feeding rate will likely be higher. Because they are designed to provide a specific amount of nutrients to the horse by weight, ration balancers should not be offered free choice.Vitamin/Mineral SupplementsVitamin/mineral supplements are more like the daily vitamin and mineral pills many people take super concentrated amounts of vitamins and minerals (calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, selenium, etc.), without additional ingredients, says Holland. While they appear similar to a ration balancer, they typically do not contain a protein source and are designed to be fed in small (ounces per day) amounts. To be effective at this rate, Warren suggests selecting a vitamin/mineral supplement that contains at least 12% calcium, 12% phosphorus, 4,000 ppm zinc, and 750 ppm copper. If the supplement contains lower concentrations, the feeding rate will likely be higher. They should also not be fed free-choice.What Does Your Horse Need?When it comes to selecting what is best for your horse, first evaluate the horses diet to identify any gaps. Dietary requirements depend on the horse in question: his age, workload, health status, body condition, etc. You should always start with an analysis of the pasture and hay the horse is getting and then decide what else it needs, says Holland.Both ration balancers and vitamin/mineral supplements can work with any type of hay or pasture. Some feed companies offer separate options for grass (i.e., feeding with timothy, orchardgrass, teff) versus legume (i.e., alfalfa) hay, with the primary difference being a lower calcium concentration in those products paired with a legume hay, says Warren. Because ration balancers also contain ingredients that supply protein, it can be good to use a high-protein ration balancer (25-32% crude protein) when feeding adult horses grass hay or pasture, or feeding growing horses. Opt for a lower-protein ration balancer (10-12% crude protein) when feeding a legume hay to avoid excess protein.Infographic: Does Your Horse Need a Ration Balancer? Holland adds that horses in good body condition and consuming a legume hay likely get enough protein but might benefit from the vitamin/mineral supplement. A mature idle horse might be fine on grass pasture and grass hay with the vitamin/mineral supplement. However, if this same horse is in work and suffers muscle loss, switching to a ration balancer with amino acids needed to support muscle might be the better option.Do your horses need a ration balancer or vitamin/mineral supplement if they receive a fortified concentrate or unfortified grain?I always tell people to really look at their horse objectively and assess both weight and body condition, says Holland. If the feed tag says feed 5 pounds a day, and you are only giving 2 pounds because the horse is heavy, then you are giving less than the recommended amount on the feed labelprobably giving less than the daily nutritional requirements. In this instance you need to add a vitamin/mineral supplement to the diet. If the horse consumes legume hay or grass hay with a high legume percentage along with an unfortified grain such as oats or an alternative feed such as beet pulp, a vitamin/mineral supplement might be a good option. If the horse is on grass hay and an unfortified grain or beet pulp, then a ration balancer would be a better choice.Adding a ration balancer also offers a way to satisfy a horses hunger at feeding time when surrounded by horses that get bigger concentrate rations. He doesnt know hes only getting a ration balancer; he just knows he gets something at feeding time, too. So, depending on the management situation, Holland says you can feed a ration balancer to your horse and this can keep him happy while his paddock mates finish their concentrate meals.When should you not add a ration balancer or vitamin/mineral supplement to your horses diet?Warren explains that horses fed good-quality forage along with a fortified concentrate in amounts recommended by the manufacturer (usually a minimum of 4-5 pounds per day for an average-sized horse) might not need a vitamin/mineral supplement or ration balancer. Concentrates already supply vitamins and minerals, but these feeds must be matched to the horses lifestyle/workload and, again, fed in adequate amounts to meet the horses micronutrient needs.It also might not be appropriate to add a ration balancer or vitamin/mineral supplement if the horse also receives a lot of supplements containing these micronutrients. Holland says working with an equine nutritionist is a great way to ensure you feed what your horse needs and not too much or too little of anything. She adds that it is easy to buy additives without really evaluating what is in the serving. Horse owners need to be cautious about not throwing nutrients out of balance. Some exceptions exist, best determined with veterinary help, where you might need to give some sort of vitamin and mineral supplement, but dont give it without a legitimate reason.Can you overfeed a ration balancer or vitamin/mineral supplement?All minerals and most vitamins can be toxic to the horse if overfed, though the tolerance levels vary between individual minerals and vitamins, says Warren.So many of us believe that if a little is good, a lot would be better, but that is not true with nutrition, says Holland. Nutrients can interact in the digestive tract, blocking absorption of each other. In some cases oversupply of one can create a deficiency of another. For example, if calcium and phosphorus get out of balance, problems with the skeletal system can develop. For that reason, vitamin/mineral supplements make sense only when forage and/or concentrates fail to meet a horses daily micronutrient needs.Whatever you provide, make sure the horse will eat it. Sometimes vitamin and mineral supplements can have a metallic or bitter taste. On the other hand, ingredients in ration balancers improve palatability, so be careful about the horse not eating more than the manufacturer-recommended ration.Take-Home MessageRation balancers are a great way to supplement an all-forage diet, says Holland. Vitamin/mineral supplements suit horses that need daily nutrient requirements met but without additional calories or protein. Analyze your horses forage, feeding program, and workload to determine which option best fits your situation.This article is from the Spring 2026 issue ofThe Horse: Your Guide to Equine Health Care. 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