Dear Dr. Getty

I recently read a letter in Equus Magazine regarding a horse with chronic 'sweet itch' being fed flax seed and it has helped his coat and mane. I have a 19 year old Arabian mare who, every summer, rubs her mane out until her neck is sore. I went to my local feed store and they had flax seed in stock, so I went and bought some. They are little tiny seeds that look something like seed ticks! - but my problem is that I am having conflicting information as to how to feed flax. A book from Englands states that the seeds must be soaked and then boiled to remove harmful cyanide, but people I work with who have horses said that I should just grind it up and add it to her feed, and that it has to be used immediately it is ground or it loses its properties. I am confused as to what to do. I want to help her keep her mane this summer but don't want to feed her the flax if it will do her harm. Can you help?

Hi Beverley,

Flaxseeds are perfectly safe eaten raw. They do contain a cyanide-like glycoside, but once eaten, it becomes inactive by stomach acid. Also, the amount in the seed is very tiny; most of it is found on the leaves.

But, you do need to grind them to break open the hard shell, otherwise they will not be digested. You can purchase them whole and use a coffee grinder.

Thanks so much for writing.

All the best,

Dr. Getty