By: Dr Rosie Alcorn BVSc PG Cert VPS Cert AVP MRCVS
Providing your horse with the right diet is essential for health, performance, and overall well-being. Horses require six key nutrients to thrive: carbohydrates provide energy, protein builds and repairs muscle and tissue, fat is a concentrated energy source and aids in vitamin absorption, water is essential for digestion and normal body functions, vitamins support metabolism and immunity, and minerals support bones, muscles, and many other body processes.
Macronutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, and fat provide energy, while micronutrients like vitamins and minerals support vital bodily functions. A helpful way to think about this is bricks and mortar. The bricks (macronutrients) form the structure, while the mortar (micronutrients) keeps everything working properly. A balanced diet delivers all six nutrients in the correct amounts for a horse’s age, workload, and health status.
A balancer is a concentrated feed designed to fill nutritional gaps without adding extra calories. Fed in small amounts, balancers are low in calories but rich in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Balancers help maintain a balanced diet when forage quality is high.
Balancers are ideal for horses that maintain weight easily, horses in light work, or horses with metabolic concerns such as insulin resistance or Cushing’s disease.
A complete feed provides both nutrients and energy. It is formulated to meet a horse’s full dietary requirements, including the calories needed by horses with higher energy demands. Complete feeds contain protein, vitamins, minerals, and calories, with feeding instructions provided by the manufacturer.
These feeds are well suited for horses in moderate to heavy work, hard keepers, growing horses, and pregnant or lactating mares.
Consider workload first. Horses in light work typically do well on a balancer, while horses in more demanding work often require a complete feed to supply additional energy.
Health is another key factor. Horses with metabolic issues or Cushing’s disease benefit from the low-calorie nutrition profile of a balancer. Healthy horses that struggle to maintain weight may need the added calories found in a complete feed.
Forage quality also matters. Horses with access to high-quality hay or pasture often only need a balancer. Horses consuming lower-quality forage may benefit from a complete feed to help meet their nutritional needs.
A simple guideline to follow is that at least 80 percent of a horse’s diet should come from forage such as hay or pasture. Hard feed, whether a balancer or a complete feed, should make up the remaining 20 percent, or less, of the total diet. Always follow the manufacturer’s feeding recommendations to ensure your horse receives the correct balance of vitamins and minerals.
Balancers supply essential nutrients without excess calories and are ideal for easy keepers and horses with metabolic concerns. Complete feeds provide both nutrients and energy and are best suited for performance horses, growing horses, and hard keepers. Feeding programs should always be adjusted based on your horse’s workload, health, and forge quality. Consult an equine nutritionist or veterinarian for a diet plan tailored to your horse’s needs.
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