8/ JULY 2023 THE RIDER Reviewing Ration Balancers


1) The Easy Keeper If you have been following Balanced Bay,


you will know that I discuss equine obesity quite frequently. These easy keepers do not need addi- tional energy provided above and beyond what their hay provides. However, these horses still need all of their vitamin and mineral requirements to be met. Therefore, by adding a ration balancer, their nutrition program can be balanced without adding excess energy.


2) Incomplete Amounts of Complete Feeds For horses in light or even moderate work-


loads, they may be on a forage-based diet, and be provided with a set amount of complete feed per day. Oftentimes, the amount of complete feed they require to meet their energy needs is less than is recommended by the company to meet their vita- min and mineral requirements. Therefore, a ration balancer will be used to “top up” their vitamin and mineral intake.


3) Combined with Cereal Grains For the horse owners that do not feed com-


An Equine Nutrition Series by Madeline Boast,


MSc. Equine Nutrition


What is a ration balancer? It is well known that a horse consuming just


hay or pasture will almost always be missing some key vitamins and minerals in their diet. A ration balancer is a concentrated source of the necessary vitamins and minerals that a horse requires. These feeds are typically low in caloric value and only need to be fed in small quantities. Some ration bal- ancers will also provide additional protein (key amino acids) for the horse.


When are they used? There are a few different scenarios that a ra-


tion balancer can be an optimal addition to a nutri- tion program. Please note this is not an extensive list of applications.


plete feeds and instead opt for whole grains (e.g., oats) to supplement energy for their horse, a ration balancer will be used to fortify the diet with the vi- tamins and minerals required by that horse. These are three of the most common scenarios that I see ration balancers used effectively.


Comparing Products/Various Types As discussed earlier in this article, ration bal-


ancers are basically a vitamin/mineral supplement to meet a horse’s needs. However, there are a plethora of options available to horse owners and the products do vary. Some key variations that I commonly see are protein content, source of min-


Product # Manufacturer’s


1 2 3 4 5


800 g 200 g 340 g


Recommended Daily Amount (g)


erals provided, added essential amino acids, and some will even include probiotics and omega-3s. For this comparison I chose the top 5 ration


balancers I see used most in Ontario. These ration balancers are all fortified with organic trace min- erals, as well as essential amino acids. Some of the products used in the comparison chart also provide probiotics and omega-3s. For the sake of this comparison, a 500 kg horse in light work was used as an example.


Which to Choose/Case Study Ration balancers may appear to be similar, but


there are often large differences. When evaluating a diet and deciding on a ration balancer to recom- mend, I always look at the ingredients, the protein content, and the mineral inclusion rates to ensure it will complement the forage. Let’s take this same horse and calculate which


of the ration balancers meets their nutritional re- quirements. The forage analysis that was used is available upon email request. So, when we calculate a 500 kg horse’s nutri-


ent requirements using a generic grass hay analy- sis, the ration balancers 2, 4 and 5 meet the horse’s requirements. Both 1 and 3 result in deficiencies such as B vitamins and various trace minerals. This is assuming that the horse is consuming free choice hay and adequate salt. I honestly love playing around with products


like this because it just goes to show the level of personalization required to be able to curate bal- anced diets. Having all the necessary information can take time to collect, specifically the hay analy- sis – and spending the time to do these careful cal- culations and comparisons when choosing a product to recommend for a horse is so important. Not every product will work for every horse – and this applies to ration balancers as well.


Crude Protein Provided (g)


96 g 18 g


1360 g 200 g


Cost per day


108 g 38 g 34 g


$1.23 $1.84 $0.83 $2.50 $2.60


Beyond the Wither Tracing


A Saddle-Fitting Series by Holly Barnett, REMT, CSF Where Does Your Saddle Sit You?


To conclude, taking all this information into


account when determining an ideal product for a horse can make a significant difference in their nu- tritional well-being. If you are curious about your horse’s feeding program and would like an inde- pendent nutritionist to take the time to do these careful calculations, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I would love to work with you and optimize your horse’s nutritional well-being.


About the author: Madeline Boast completed her master’s in Equine Nutrition at the University of Guelph and started an independent nutrition com- pany known as Balanced Bay. She has worked with a variety of equids – from miniature ponies to com- peting thoroughbreds. Through Balanced Bay she designs customized balanced nutrition plans that prioritize equine well-being. This includes diets for optimal performance as well as solving complex nutritional issues and everything in between. For additional information see www.balancedbay.ca


Where your saddle


places you as a rider in relation to your horse’s back is critical… and commonly overlooked! My hope is you


head out and check your own personal saddle after reading this – seat place- ment often flies under the radar of riders as well as fellow equine profession- als. Most know saddles aren’t meant to extend past the last rib however many fail to recognize the importance of rider placement. Where your saddle


sits you on your horse’s back - relative to the base of wither and your horse’s center of gravity -


is critical to comfort and performance. A saddle that places a rider too far back (consequently over the caudal ribs) creates tension, causing your horse to contract muscles that are meant to be ac- cessible for proper move- ment and function.


Step 1: Assess your sad- dle on your horse by placing it on and stepping back perpendicular to the girth. Make a mental note as to where your seat bones would interact with your horse if the saddle wasn’t there.


Step 2: Remove your saddle


and imagine


where you would sit on your horse bareback (close to the base of the withers)


Step 3: Compare


whether your saddle places you approximately in the same place you would find yourself rid-


ing bareback – if your saddle places you even just a few inches behind this point - you’re riding from the back seat and likely blocking your horse’s loins (an impor- tant power transfer point) Remember a few


inches is equivalent to a


few miles when it comes to saddle fitting!


Holly Barnett is profes- sional fitter and equine therapist for over 20 years. She’s worked with horses of all breeds and riders of all levels and disciplines throughout


North America. Founder of August Equine, located in Campbellville ON, Holly now focuses on high level consulting, ed- ucation and advocacy and is the creator of Sad- dle Assessment 4 Equine Bodyworkers (SA4EB) Holly works with a small


team of saddle-fitters servicing clients across Canada. For upcoming clinics and educational events see www.auguste- quine.com.


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