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Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
Welcome to my forum. Feel free to post a comment or question. I will be happy to address your concerns regarding your horses' health. It may take as long as a week to get back to you, but I will respond to your question. Thank you for your patience.
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RJ
 IP: 222.155.13.98 May 14, 08 - 4:35 AM |
copra
Hi there, My horses are currently grazed on a track system with limited grass but ad lib hay. I also feed a vitamin/mineral supplement (fortevite extra), magnesium oxide and chromium. Three of the horses are slightly overweight. One however is still on the skinny side, condition score 4/9, ribs just visible and boney bits protruding. There are no health/teeth issues. I have been feeding him equi-jewel which has put some weight on him but I am considering swapping to copra meal as it appears much cheaper. However I have no idea of what quantity to feed him. I was giving him 500gm of equi-jewel. Secondly do I need to give them a salt lick? Many thanks, RJ |
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Dr. Getty
IP: 66.118.192.138 May 20th, 2008 - 11:16 AM |
Re: copra
Hello RJ, I prefer the Equi-Jewel to Copra because Equi-Jewel is a stabilized rice bran product. Rice bran, when stabilized and has added calcium to correct the inverted calcium to phosphorus ratio, is beneficial for weight gain for two reasons. First, it is high in fat that is beneficial -- mostly mono-unsaturated fats which are good for your horse's heart. And second, the fat that is in rice bran, contains a substance known as "gamma oryzanol." Gamma oryzanol is excellent for helping a horse gain muscle tissue. Copra, on the other hand, is from the kernal of the coconut and 91% of the fat content is saturated, which is not balanced. Horses require some saturated fat, but are designed to have mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats as the majority of the fat in the diet. This is because horses are herbivorous and saturated fats are typically found in animal sources (with the exception of tropical oils such as coconut). I hope this is helpful in making your decision. All the best, Dr. Getty 
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