Feed Balancer vs Vitamin and Mineral Supplement
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Read time 4 min
Table of Contents
Which one does your horse need?
For many UK horses and ponies, grass, hay or haylage forms the foundation of the diet. But forage alone doesn't always provide all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your horse needs.
So, if you're looking to fill nutritional gaps, should you choose a feed balancer or a vitamin and mineral supplement?
The answer depends on what your horse needs from their diet.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
A vitamin and mineral supplement is primarily designed to provide vitamins, minerals and trace elements that may be lacking from a forage-based diet
A feed balancer provides vitamins and minerals alongside other nutrients such as quality protein and essential amino acids.
Feed balancers are fed in relatively small quantities, making them useful for horses that need to control their calorie intake.
The right choice depends on your horse, their forage, workload, body condition and overall diet.
Feed balancer vs vitamin and mineral supplement: what's the difference?
Both can help provide essential vitamins and minerals, but they aren't necessarily designed to do the same job.
A vitamin and mineral supplement is primarily intended to provide vitamins, minerals and trace elements that may be lacking from a forage-based diet.
A feed balancer is a more comprehensive, nutrient-dense feed. Depending on the formulation, it can provide vitamins and minerals alongside quality protein, essential amino acids and other targeted nutritional ingredients.
This difference can be particularly important if your horse needs more than simply filling a vitamin and mineral gap.
Vitamin & Mineral Supplement
Designed primarily to provide:
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Trace elements
Feed Balancer
Can provide a broader package of:
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Trace elements
- Quality protein
- Essential amino acids
- Digestive support
- Targeted nutritional ingredients
Blue Chip FeedÂ
Good doers still need a balanced diet
Good doers present a particular nutritional challenge.
They may need relatively few calories to maintain a healthy body condition, but their requirements for essential vitamins, minerals, protein and other nutrients don't disappear.
Feeding a large amount of traditional hard feed simply to provide these nutrients isn't always appropriate.
A suitably formulated feed balancer can provide concentrated nutrition in a relatively small daily quantity.
This means you can support your horse's nutritional needs without adding a large, calorie-dense bucket feed.
Forage + Feed Balancer = Balanced Nutrition (without unnecessary calories)
The aim isn't to feed your horse more.
It's to make the calories you do feed count.
Blue Chip Feed
Blue Chip Feed
Vitamin & Mineral Supplement
Pros
- Daily dose of vitamins & minerals
- Very low feeding rate
- Simple way to fill nutritional gaps
Cons
- Needs additional feed as a carrier
- Powder can be left behind
- Hard to know how much has been eaten
- Horse may not like the taste
- Can cost more when additional feed is included
- Provides fewer additional nutrients
- May require multiple supplements for other nutritional needs
- Less convenient than an all-in-one pelleted feed
- Additional feed adds calories
Feed Balancer
Pros
- Simple way to fill nutritional gaps
- Complete, concentrated nutrition in one feed
- Quality protein & essential amino acids & oils
- Targeted support for your horse's individual needs
- No extra feed needed to carry it
- Small daily feeding rate
- Easy to measure exactly what your horse needs
- Pelleted and highly palatable
- Cost effectiveÂ
Cons
- Once you find the right one, you’ll wonder how you ever fed without it
- Your feed room will look empty
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a feed balancer the same as a vitamin and mineral supplement?
No. Both can provide vitamins and minerals, but a feed balancer is generally a more comprehensive feed. Depending on the formulation, it can also provide quality protein, essential amino acids and other nutritional ingredients.
Does every horse need a feed balancer?
Every horse needs a balanced diet, but the way that balance is achieved will depend on the individual horse and their overall ration.
For horses receiving mainly forage and little or no fortified hard feed, a balancer can be a convenient way of providing essential nutrients in a small daily quantity.
Is a feed balancer suitable for good doers?
Yes. A suitably formulated balancer can provide concentrated nutrition without requiring a large, calorie-dense bucket feed.
This makes balancers particularly useful for horses that maintain their weight easily but still need a balanced supply of essential nutrients.
Does a feed balancer contain protein?
Many feed balancers contain quality protein and provide essential amino acids. However, the amount and source of protein varies between products, so always check the nutritional specification and recommended feeding rate.
Can I feed a vitamin and mineral supplement with a feed balancer?
You shouldn't automatically combine two broad-spectrum sources of vitamins and minerals.
Check the nutritional content and recommended feeding rates of both products first. If you think your horse needs additional supplementation, seek appropriate nutritional advice.
Can I feed a balancer without traditional hard feed?
Yes. One of the benefits of a feed balancer is that it can be fed in a small daily quantity, often without needing a large bucket feed as a carrier.
Ready to find the right balancer for your horse?
Take our short quiz
Find out which of our balancers could be the right fit for your horse or pony. It’s quick, easy, and tailored to help you make the best choice for their health and wellbeing.
Blue Chip Feed
Blue Chip Feed
Written by: Anna Franklin
Anna has a BSc (Hons) in Sports Conditioning, Coaching and Rehabilitation from Hartpury and extensive equestrian experience. She is an ENFAR-accredited Blue Chip Feed Advisor, helping horse owners make informed feeding decisions.
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