Favorite Supplements & Balancers
Being able to test large batches of hay for a nutrient analysis is ideal as we can tailor our horses diets & nutrient intake appropriately. This is not feasible for many horse owners, but there are several companies that provide great forage or ration balancers. These contain trace minerals, amino acids and more and they can often be used as an alternative to traditional grain. It’s best to consider your horses entire diet and any other supplements to see whether one of these would work better for them than the other. Consider hiring an Equine Nutritionist or using FeedXL to work towards balancing the diet.
Custom Equine Nutrition
Custom Equine Nutrition is one of my favorite companies! They have so many resources and articles about nutrition on their website and are incredibly helpful if you reach out. They also sell sample bags of their Vermont Blend(s) and OmegaE.
Copper & Zinc -
if your horse only, or still, needs extra copper & zinc this is a very affordable option.
Vermont Blend is a fantastic ration balancer that includes high levels of Copper and Zinc, Magnesium, Biotin, Amino Acids, Protein, Prebiotic.
Vermont Blend Pro contains the same ingredients, with even more gut support (probiotics).
Both choices are a fantastic option for horses on a forage based diets, low sugar and starch diets, and ones that struggle with hoof issues! Because of the magnesium and other digestive support ingredients, some horses stomachs may not tolerate as well. As always, introduce gradually over a couple weeks time to introduce new flavors and support.
Vermont Blends do not include any Vitamin E, as the minerals can degrade vitamins over time. Therefore, you’ll likely need to add Vitamin E in some way, especially if your horse does not have access to fresh grass. Custom Equine Nutrition has two options for supplementing Vitamin E into your horses diet.
OmegaE is ground flax with natural Vitamin E. A win-win. Ground flax is a great alternative to a fat supplement. While not tolerated by all horses, most do fairly well. Flax is a fantastic Omega3 source which can help with skin and coat issues, immunity, allergies, hooves and more. 1 Cup of OmegaE split into two feedings a day provides 2500 IU’s of Vitamin E.
Emcelle is a potent liquid Vitamin E supplement that is affordable & fantastic for horses needing a larger amount of IU’s a day. One pump provides 2,000 IU’s.
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California Trace
California Trace+ is another great option for a forage balancer. These blends do not include Magnesium though. If you wish to include additional Magnesium, you can order their solo ‘magnesium oxide’. Many horses benefit from the addition of magnesium into their diet. The standard recommendation from Rockley Farms is to include up to 20mg per day or up to bowel tolerance.
California Trace also does not include as much Zinc as Vermont Blend, but Cal Trace+ does include some Vitamin E (thought likely not enough for daily requirements). There are a few other vitamins/minerals that Vermont Blend does not include.
Order a free sample kit and just pay shipping!
California Trace also has bulk minerals available for purchase.
Mad Barn
Mad Barn is a company dedicated to research. They also have tons of resources, articles and studies available on their website. Their vitamins and minerals are incredibly bio-available and they have several options for “ration balancers”. They also have a large offering of other supplements and individual minerals, vitamins, herbs, and more.
Get 5% off with code: “ResilientEquine”!
Omneity - is their standard baseline ration balancer that comes in powder or pellets. It does contain higher levels of intrinsic (naturally occurring) iron therefore it might be worth adding extra copper and zinc if you select Omneity.
AminoTrace+ - is a step above Omneity, it contains higher levels of Copper & Zinc and this blend is also recommended for horses with known or suspected metabolic issues.
Visceral+ - my mare has been on this product a few times over the last three years. At times I wasn’t sure if it was doing very much but after a recent move across the country, I decided to proactively start her on Visceral+. She was on the product for nearly 4 months, after 2 days of being off of it, she started acting a little off. Visceral+ is targeted to provide total gut health.
Jeremiah’s Ulcer Repulser
Both my mare and I love this product! The combination of slippery elm and marshmallow root has a soothing effect on the horses stomach, from their esophagus and beyond. Chock full of probiotics and L-glutamine, their product claims to heal the gut from the inside out! Whenever my mare has been on JUR, she has eaten every bite of her meals, and seems much more comfortable.
