ration balancers

[Cindy4H]

Hi,

I have a mini who could use a little weight reduction! Currently he is on grassy hay and 1 cup of carbguard/day. I want to take him off grain and possibly put him on a ration balancer and then start reducing his Hay some. My question is , is it necessary to put them on a ration balancer if they are on good grassy hay? Can they really get all the vitamins /minerals from Hay only??

Thanks for your advice,

Cindy

 

[Leeana]

Ration Balancers are to compliment your hay. Buckeye Gro N Win has both a 32% ration balancer for grass type hays, but they also have a 12% ration balancer that will compliment alfalfa type hays.

 

[chandab]

Any more, the land is so heavily farmed that many nutrients have been drained from the soil, so the plants are often lacking in important nutrients (and thus hay would be lacking), so I would at least go with a ration balancer. I do feed a ration balancer, and most of my horses don't seem to be so ravenous, as the ration balancer provides them with the necessary nutrients, and their hay provides calories, some nutritients, necessary fiber and munch time. [When I had them on hay only, they ate constantly and were constantly looking for more; with the ration balancer they often walk away from the hay and go back to it later.]

 

[GypsyMoonMinis]

I had a lengthy discussion with my vet about all this and I do use a ration balancer (Progressive Grass Formula). It was in regards to my senior mare however, but she could use to loose a few more lbs. ANyways, the thing my vet really stressed (and I've discovered this from my research) is that the mini horses and ponies metabolize thier feeds 10 times better than a big horse does. Thus the reason they founder, are prone to laminitis and weight issues. And to put my mare on a strictly hay diet, that unless she has digestive issues, she would maintain an ideal body condition on hay alone.

Anyways, this is my thought:They will be fine on forage alone with no grain or balancer. You could have your hay tested, but I would let thier bodies tell you what they need. If you have a good clean grass hay, then stick with that, break it up into smaller meals through out the day if possible. if you find thier coats are looking dull, or they are just overall lacking in condition in a couple weeks, then slowly add in a balancer. I would do a balancer before i would do any grain or supplements. Soemthing else i've learned is to weigh your hay, you may be surprised at how much you are feeding them. There are others with alot more experiance than me though, im also just learning

 

[Marty]

Hi Cindy, what's carbguard?

I like ration balancers for horses that are obese and don't require a lot of grain. Agreed they are to be used with a good quality hay and that combination for a horse that is a bit tubby should work well for you, it hasn't failed me yet. The last thing I would be doing however is decreasing your hay at this time of year, especially where you are located. They are going to need their hay to stay warm this winter.

I have to disagree with most of what the above poster Gypsy Moon has said. Even with the highest quality hay, horses still require nutrients not found in the grass or hay, especially if they are lacktating mares, breeding stallions, growing horses, or working horses. Chanda is right on target as usual with her contribution to this thread.

 

[GypsyMoonMinis]

I believe the OP was talking about an obese male mini. She didn't go into detail but I would also assume he's not a performance horse (else he probably wouldn't be over weight). Of course a horse with special needs should have more in their diet. Also note I stated she could have the hay tested. Testing it would reveal its deficiencies and then she could customize the diet accordingly. Unless the animal is already malnurished, good hay with a good mineral AND salt lick both would be just fine. SEe how they do on strictly hay forage and then adjust accordingly with the balancer IF it looks like they need it.

I only am using the balancer for my yearling and 2 yr old. They have specific needs. My 20 yr old is doing just fine on hay alone ( i do give her a treat of oats, 1/2 cup mixed with her midday hay). They all get free choice mineral and salt licks. She has great body condition, is energetic with a nice coat and hooves. Feeding has gotten so complicated over the years with all these differant products. each horse has individual needs and we all have opinions and know whats worked for us personally. I just feel that sometimes we get lost in the mounds of what our horses don't need, going overboard with supplements and grains and balancers and performance enhancers and this and that and so on..... Start simple and natural and adjust accordingly.

One thing to keep in mind also, with less forage a horse is more prone to boredom vices and ulcers. They are ment to forage for the better part of a day.

When in doubt, talk to your vet. You could have a hair sample done on your horse to test thier nutrition, you can test your hay and then modify accordingly.

One other thing my vet suggested would be to put the hay in a hay net to slow the consumption, but that can only be done if someone is there for safety reasons. You could also use a muzzle.

Resource Links:

http://www.allabouthorses.com/horse-health...-hay-diets.html

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$departme...ature_horse.pdf

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=A...fe103528c4138fd

http://www.petalia.com.au/templates/StoryT...m?Story_No=1870

http://www.mini-horse.org/health_care_obesity.html

http://www.ker.com/library/EquineReview/20...trition/N08.pdf

http://www.blackdraft.com/nutrition.htm

 

[yellerroseintx]

do you use a ration balancer for a pregnant mare also?

 

[barnbum]

I used Gro N Win for years, but am trying something different. None of my vets have much of an opinion on feeding minis, so I've done a lot of reading/listening. I've always loved the idea behind a ration balancer.

I switched my mares to Contender before they foaled because I didn't want foals getting Gro N Win--too much for them. They shouldn't start it until age 6 months. My lactating mares and foals are on Contender. One mare has lost her topline a bit--but I'll see how she's doing once her foal is weaned, which can be anytime. The other mare looks like she's ready to foal any time, again.

Another forum member who is a good friend of mine had her vet tell her to get her chubby gelding OFF the ration balancer because of the amount of protein. I know, I know...the protein balances out with the grass hay they eat. Remember, I LIKE Gro N Win and the concept behind it. But, I did switch to Lite Balance for awhile just to see if it made a difference in my minis keeping a more appropriate weight--as in lighter.

So far, I like what I see. Well--the minis on it haven't turned into lethargic skeletons

, they seem about the same--maybe look more fit. I see no reason to switch them back to Gro N Win--and the price tag on the Lite Balance is oh so sweet!

They get just a bit more than a ration balancer... half a cup vs. a third twice a day--which is under the recommended amount. I will adjust as I see it's needed.

I truly don't think my minis need anything other than hay and a Flinestone (kidding! You know what I mean!), but I need to give them more to feel I'm doing my best for them.

I did try Sunshine Plus when I couldn't get Gro N Win for a few months--and I did not like how my minis looked on that. There was a noticeable difference--lack of shine, etc.

 

[Shari]

All my horses get vitamins/ration balancers and stablized flax seed and their over all body condtion is much better because of the proper nutrition.

For the rescue mare that has chronic founder I use Nutrena Safe Choice and for the chubby mini's they are fed Nutrena Lite Balance at the recommended rate. Believe or not it doesn't pack any extra weight on them.

It does help improve their over all health.