The most precisely measured amount of oats, even when combined with high-quality hay, will not supply certain horses with sufficient nutrients to grow or perform optimally. When straight cereal grains such as oats and maize are used as the sole concentrate, or easy keeping horses are on a pasture and/hay diet only, a balancing pellet/meal should be added to ensure all essential nutrients are fed.
What is a ration balancer?

Concentrate feeds are formulated to provide horses during their many life phases, namely growth, performance, reproduction and old age with nutrients that are lacking in the roughage being fed. The primary goal of commercial feed formulations is to supply three general nutrients: energy, protein and vitamin/minerals.

If the roughage provides adequate energy, horses will either maintain or gain weight, thus making it seem as if all of the other nutrient requirements are being met. This, however, with today's roughage quality, is a false assumption. Most times there are inadequate amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals in the roughage which are required for the physiological load of the horse, whether it is performance, growth or breeding.

High protein level
The most obvious nutritional characteristic of a balancer supplement, is its high protein level because of its low feeding rate (250 g to 1 kg). Users should not be put of by the high protein content, but must understand that even though the protein percentage is high, the actual quantity that is fed is so low, that it does not amount to a protein overload, but rather fortifies the diet with good quality amino acids.

Light work will rarely tap a mature horse's energy reserves, and if such a horse maintains its weight on roughage alone, a 25% protein balancer supplement will provide the horse, when fed at 1 kg per day, with the same essential nutrients missing in hay or pasture as when feeding 2,5 kg of a 10% commercial concentrate feed.

No excessive energy
Another benefit of a balancer supplement with its concentrated minerals and vitamins, is that it is ideal for horses that do not need the extra starch and energy found in the additional concentrate feed, but do need the protein.

Horses with access to high quality pasture, for example, might not need the extra energy of a standard concentrate, but a balancer supplement will be the feed of choice because it provides the necessary protein, vitamins and minerals without excessive energy.

Due to the density of the nutrients in a balancer supplement, the recommended feeding rate is usually between 250 g and
1 kg, depending on the size and type of horse, compared to typical concentrate feeds with recommended feeding rates of 2-6 kg. A balancer supplement therefore delivers exceptional nutritional value in a small quantity.

Also note that, whereas a commercial typical vitamin and mineral topdressing supplement will supply micro-minerals and vitamins, it does not supply protein or adequate macro-minerals calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.

How is a ration balancer fed?
The greatest advantage of feeding a balancer supplement is that the horse's requirement for protein, vitamins and minerals can be met and the amount of energy supplied to the horse can be controlled. A balancer supplement can be used in three ways:

1. Alone as a low-energy source of protein, vitamins and minerals. Ideal for easy keepers and metabolically challenged horses such as those with insulin resistance, muscle disorders and laminitis prone.
2. Combined with cereal grains such as oats and maize and good quality roughage, ration balancer will provide the deficiencies for horses in different stages of life (Table 1).
3. As a top-dressing for a commercial horse feed at less than the recommended feeding rate. Commercial horse feeds are formulated to be fed at a certain feeding rate. Many horses are fed less because it provides too much energy. When fed below the recommended rate, the horse receives less than the required levels of protein, vitamins and minerals. A balancer supplement can be added as a top-dressing in such cases – top-dress 250 g of balancer supplement for every 1 kg a commercial feed is fed under the recommended feeding rate to fortify vitamin, mineral and protein to meet the horse's requirements.

A balancer supplement provides flexibility in customising the nutritional management of individual horses. Fed in recommended amounts, a balancer supplement will provide the nutrients needed for growth, performance and reproduction.
Always remember: A good ration is a balanced ration.