Balancer Feeds: What are they, and should you use them?

The world of horse feed has grown so much in recent years. Back in the day, we only had to worry about feeding hay and maybe a supplement, along with some chaff and pony cubes. Now, we have a whole array of feeds to choose from, which is excellent, but it can make choosing a suitable feed for your horse a little overwhelming. In this article, we are going to specifically talk about Balancer pellets so that you can make an informed choice and determine whether you may like to try them for your horse.

Balancer Pellets - what are they?

Balancer pellets are a low-rate feeding pellet designed to meet a horse's vitamin and mineral requirements and are subsequently low in protein and energy. They have been formulated to be fed alongside other protein and energy sources such as legumes, grains and oilseeds. They can also be fed to horses receiving a complete feed but less than the recommended amount. The primary benefit of balancer pellets is that they have a low feeding rate, typically 0.5kg to 2.5kg per day. The significant advantage of balancer pellets is the flexibility they offer. Once you have determined the amount to feed, you can design the rest of your horse's feed (i.e. the protein and energy requirements) with your budget and your horse's individuality in mind. For example, suppose you have a hot horse that doesn't require excess energy. In that case, you can limit the energy it receives by adjusting the other feedstuffs in the diet without affecting the vitamin and mineral intake. 

Balancer pellets are also great for horses that don't like a sizeable pelleted feed. For example, I have a horse that won't eat her hard feed if it has a large number of pellets or grain. So, feeding her 1kg daily of a balancer pellet plus lucerne chaff and beet pulp to meet her protein and energy requirements ensures that she will eat her whole hard feed. 

Further, suppose you have a horse that is a good doer, or you have excellent pasture or access to hay. In that case, you may find a balancer pellet is all you need to ensure your horse receives the appropriate amount of vitamins and minerals without adding protein and extra calories. This makes it quite an economical choice compared to other supplements and complete feeds.

Personally, I also really like that Balancer Pellets are a pellet! It ensures that my horses eat the required amount of vitamins and minerals in each feed. When using other supplements, especially the powders, it isn't easy to know how much they have consumed, as each scoop is slightly variable in its weight, but also, some horses will sniff out the powder and won't touch their feed! 

The major disadvantage of a balancer pellet is the time it takes to source other feeds if you need to boost your horse's energy and protein requirements. It takes a little more effort to ensure that your horse's feed is entirely balanced, and sometimes other feedstuffs may be hard to come by or increase significantly in their price (as is the case with beet pulp at the moment!). 

We have a good range in stock if you are looking to start your horse on a balancer pellet. Hygain Balanced, Prydes 150 Essentials and Easikeeper, EVM Premium Balancer Pellets, Barastoc Stud Balancer are just a few balancer pellets available on the market. As always, we are here to help you choose the suitable feed for your horse and are happy to order products if we don't have them in stock.