{"id":7252,"date":"2025-05-09T15:52:57","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T15:52:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lifedatalabs.com\/blog\/?p=7252"},"modified":"2025-05-09T15:52:59","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T15:52:59","slug":"forage-balancers-fortifying-the-equine-forage-based-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifedatalabs.com\/blog\/2025\/05\/09\/forage-balancers-fortifying-the-equine-forage-based-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"Forage Balancers: Fortifying the Equine Forage-Based Diet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"What
What is a Forage Balancer?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is a Forage Balancer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A forage balancer<\/a> is a supplement that fortifies a horse\u2019s forage-based diet with essential nutrients. It helps provide a balanced nutritional profile for your horse by supplying vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids that are often lacking in most equine diets. A true Forage Balancer does not contain added calories, sugars, or carbohydrates. It acts as the feeding program for the horse, eliminating the need to feed compound feeds. This gives horse owners more control of calorie intake without risk of over- or under-supplementation. With a Forage Balancer, horse owners can feed horses individually and adjust calorie intake to meet the energy requirements of each horse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Type of Horses Can Be Fed a Forage Balancer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Any
A Forage Balancer Can Be Utilized For Any Horse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A Forage Balancer can be utilized for any horse, regardless of age, breed, or activity level. Easy Keepers, Hard Keepers, backyard leisure horses, and Performance Horses would all receive the nutritional benefits of a quality Forage Balancer. Forage Balancers are especially recommended for easy and hard keepers to help maintain body condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mares and Growing Horses require additional nutritional support compared to the average horse. Feeding a Forage Balancer formulated specifically to support Broodmares and Foals is recommended to help support fetal growth, lactation, and weight management. The unborn foal also receives nutritional benefits when fed to the Broodmare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horses with Metabolic Issues, such as Insulin Resistance<\/a>, Cushing\u2019s Disease<\/a>, and\/or Laminitis<\/a>, do not need a Forage Balancer. Specialized formulas are available for these horses. These formulas replace a forage balancer to provide nutritional support for these Metabolic issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Complete Feeds VS Forage Balancer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No forage provides every nutrient your horse needs. For example, wild horses must roam long distances to meet nutritional requirements through grazing. The domesticated horse is limited and only receives nutrients from the pastures and forages that horse owners provide. This is where a Forage Balancer comes into play, fulfilling the nutritional gaps in the natural equine diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Equine
Complete Feeds May Contain Excess Fats and Sugar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Many horse owners utilize Complete Feeds <\/a>or products that combine a complete feed with a Forage Balancer in their feeding programs. Complete Feeds are easy to use, affordable, and provide energy for the horse. However, they may contain excess fats and sugar and often lead to a diet rich in fats and carbohydrates. Complete feeds also adhere to the \u201call-in-one\u201d concept, tethering calories and nutrients together. This creates opportunities for over- or under-supplementation, when horse owners adjust feeding levels to manage body condition. This most commonly occurs when feeding Easy Keepers and Hard Keepers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A true Forage Balancer does not tether nutrients and calories, making it easier to maintain body condition. The average backyard horse and Easy Keeper can be sustained alone on Forage and a quality Forage Balancer. Whole oats<\/a>, copra, beet pulp, and\/or vegetable oil<\/a> can be added for horses requiring additional calories, such as Hard Keepers and Performance Horses.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefits of a Forage Balancer:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n