Hello. I have been looking for a basic ration balancer for my mare of 15 years. She is rode as a pleasure horse and does not do any strenuous activity. Because of how she is rode, I am not looking to spend a load of money on her grain. Does anyone have recommendations for a budget-friendly feed? Thanks!
A ration balancer and a feed are two different things. A ration balancer is more concentrated and you only feed a pound or two to get all the vitamins and minerals. A fortified feed typically requires 4 to 5 pounds for the same nutrition, and many more calories. Of course many feeds and grains have no significant fortification and are mostly calories.
You can also feed a good vitamin mineral supplement in a small beet pulp mash. Typically you feed one or two ounces of VMS.
Most horses benefit a lot from getting the vitamins and minerals no matter what the delivery system. You need to research your local market of VMS and ration balancers to see the recommended feeding versus price to calculate the cost per dose.
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What brands are available to you?
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I personally like Buckeye Gro N Win. If it isn’t available locally you can get it shipped from Chewy. 1 bag will last a long time for 1 pony. I think you will need 2 bags for free shipping. Or you can buy some dog/cat food/treats/toys to make up the minimum dollar amount for free shipping.
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I use Purina Enrich Plus on my 2 easy keepers. It costs me $ 27 a bag. They have been eating it for a couple of years now and still inhale it at every feeding. Mine get 1 pound a day so a single bag would last if you are just feeding 1 horse.
Grain would do your horse no real good( mineral wise) unless she needs the amount specified on the bag.
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I have used Purina Equalizer for years to supplement my easy keepers who get just that and hay - no grain.
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I have never heard of that and it isn’t listed on the website. Are you outside the US?
Equalizer is the ration balancer that Seminole Feeds makes.
When you consider cost, make sure you are factoring in the $ per day, not just the price tag on the feed, ration balancer or vitamin mineral supplement.
Does your horse maintain it’s weight on forage along (grass and/or hay)? If so, then the best bang for your buck is going to be a ration balancer or vitamin and mineral supplement.
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In Canada, it’s a Purina product: https://equipurina.ca/en/products/lines/equilibrium/equilizer/
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I’m not exactly sure, but I can always order online. I usually shop at my local feed stores and Tractor Supply.
Tractor Supply carries two feeds that would be appropriate for you: Nutrena Empower and Purina Enrich Plus.
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Equalizer is Seminole’s balancer
Equilizer is Purina’s Canadian balancer
OP - any balancer will do. Which one is “better” on paper, as a place to start, depends on what brands you can get
Tractor Supply typically has Purina, Nutrena, and Triple Crown balancers. Of those, TC is always my choice. Triple Crown Balancer is its name.
Online makes cost skyrocket due to shipping.
That is why I recommended Chewy. 2 bags would be free or in my case 1 bag plus some wet dog food or cat food to bring me up to the free shipping rate. I find most people can find enough things from Chewy to get to free shipping even if it isn’t just the RB.
My trainer orders 2 bags of a time of the Buckeye Ultimate Finish at a time but she goes through it quickly.
I am not sure if OP will go through 2 bags of Gro N Win quickly enough before it expires.
There is something to be said for having it delivered rather than having to pick it up.
For my trainer it is cheaper from Chewy than it is locally. Locally she would have to get it from a feed store that is different from where she gets the rest of her feed so more convenient too.
I’ve used both the Nutrena Empower and Purina Enrich for my low work fatty. I preferred the Nutrena when I did some research but now can’t remember why. Mare eats both well. I switched to the Purina because my TSC wasn’t reliably stocking the Nutrena but always has the Purina. I’m going to check Chewy. Love them for dog and cat food but a while back their grain options were limited. For my buying needs online would be a nice option.
I did the math. On a 50 lb basis it is cheaper to get Gro;N’Win from Chewy than triple Crown from the feed store. And this does not count the gasoline I would use driving to the feed store, not the two hours roundtrip on Saturday morning.
I already order cat food from Chewy, plus my two bags put me over the free shipping mark.
TSC is closer but they do not carry ration balancers.
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Hello everyone! Thanks for all the replies. I just have one more question. What ratio should a simple ration balancer be? I found two feeds at my local feed store. One was a 30% protein supplement and one was an 11-6 feed. 11% protein, 6% protein, 6% fiber. Thanks!
A ration balancer should be in the 20-30% range for protein. Because you are feeding so little, you need the percentage to be high for there to be enough.
11% is a normal level of protein for a regular grain that you plan to feed a lot more of.
If you have access to Triple Crown, the 30% ration balancer is great… it’s a little more pricey but TC has a frequent buyer program and will send you a $25 rebate card for every 12 bags you purchase… I know for 1 pony it will take you a good while to go through 12 bags of ration balancer though.
That isn’t a RB ( at least that I am aware of) . What is the brand name of the 30% " feed supplement" Are you sure it is a ration balancer?
