Help for Fat Horses

If you have an equine that seems to get fat just by breathing, you know it can be hard to manage his diet. You can try using a grazing muzzle or turning him out in a drylot. You may look for hay that is of lower quality so he can eat without gaining weight. You can reduce or cut his grain ration. Each of these solutions will help, but they also can compromise his nutrition level.

If your horse is on an all-forage diet, a balancer pellet is a great way to ensure that he will get all of the nutrients he needs to stay healthy. A balancer pellet contains the vitamins and trace minerals not found in grass or hay, but without the extra energy found in grains and mixed feeds. If he’s being fed a reduced grain ration, the same thing is true.

Horses and ponies on low-grain diets may not eat enough of a fortified feed to fulfill their vitamin and mineral needs. Adding a balancer pellet to the diet ensures that you are providing the correct amounts of vitamins and trace minerals without adding unwanted calories to the diet.