Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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Thank you for this service.
I have a 16 year old quarter horse,I use him for team penning and roping.I feed two flakes of alfalfa a day, one in the morningand one at night also in the morning I feed 1 scoop of alf/bermuda pellets with 1/2 a scoop of a senior mix and 1/2 a scoop of flaky red bran and 1 cup of corn oil. He seems to do fine on it,I tone it down when Iam not riding often. Do you think it is healthy? I have heard bran causes stones and what about the corn oil? His coat sure looks great and I get many coments on how shiney his coat is.
Thank you very much.
Ron Ellis
Where are you from? Temecula California
How did you locate this forum? internet
Hello Ron,
I think you’re doing a fine job. If he is maintaining a healthy weight, then you really do not need to make any changes. Bran (and hay) does tend to increase the pH of the hind gut, which can lead to stones. However, you are balancing out the pH by feeding some of the senior mix. Bran is also very high in phosphorus, but the alfalfa is providing enough calcium to create a favorable balance there, as well.
As long as you do not notice any joint inflammation problems, you can continue with the corn oil. However, if his joints show tenderness, I would switch to a different oil – such as flaxseed oil. Corn oil is high in omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which increase the inflammatory response, whereas flaxseed has more of the omega 3 fatty acids, which do just the opposite.
Keep up the fine work!
All the best,
Dr. Getty
