great info thanks. have been wondering which oils is most beneficial for weight gain/maintenence

Where are you from? uk

How did you locate this forum? google

Hi Nikki,

The best oils to offer horses come from flaxseeds or rice bran. Avoid soybean and corn oils, since they have the potential of increasing inflammation.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

thanks for the reply. i cant seem to fine flax products of any kind in the stores here. is linseed a vegetable oil and/or how does it compare, would it cause any inflammatory problems to worsen.
do ypu have a book published? as i would love to learn more

Where are you from? uk

How did you locate this forum? google

hi again. maybe i should elaborate more on my feeding predicament. at the moment in the uk after a bad summer last year and a fairly dry and overcast winter our grass simply is not growing.
no 1 horse is 17 years old and a welsh cob whom is usually an extremely good doer.
no 2 horse is a 4 year old irish draught x. they are out 24/7 with 5 acres to roam but are not holding their weight as well as usual.
after feeding ad lib hay and increasing their feed to twice daily feeds of alfa a and a regular pasture mix i am reluctant to increase thier meal size any more due to horses natural limited stomach capacity. so i thought adding an oil to their diet would provide fats to assist weight gain/maintenence rather than increasing thier food intake even more.
following your advice i am in search of flax seed ( i have linseed at the mo as an alternative) a vit e (no selenium) supplement and as probiotics seem so expensive i didnt know if brewers yeast was an acceptable alternative, or does this just help vit b uptake?
i hope you can advise me on how to provide optimum nutrients on a fairly limited budget ( i am a vet nurse so have knowledge but not the funds to match!!)
thank you in advance. nikki

Where are you from? uk

How did you locate this forum? google

Hi Nikki,

Linseed and flaxseed are the same thing. So, if you can find the oil, you can safely add up to 1 cup each day. If they do not like it (some horses will not eat oily feed), you may need to find the meal, instead. Rice bran oil is another idea, or rice bran pellets.

Brewers yeast is excellent – will your horses eat it? It really doesn’t taste good. But, it will help with improving their bacterial flora.

You mentioned Alfa A – what about Alfa-A-oil made by Dengie feeds? That is higher in calories and fat. And if you can find that, you may not need to go with the linseed oil.

I am in the process of writing a book on feeding horses for specialized cases. I will keep you posted!
Thank you for writing and let me know how your horses are doing.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

thanks for all of your info.
1 month on and horses are well, they have gained condition and weight with the combination of vit e ,brewers yeast and flaxseed oil.
again thanks very much for all of your advice to me and others. nikki

Where are you from? uk

CAN I ASK HOW MUCH BEWERS YEAST TO GAVE EACH DAY PLEASE ? AND HOW MUCH ALFA A. I HAVE HAD A HORSE FOR 9 YEARS AND HE IS VERY THIN NOW, HE WAS ALWAYS GOOD LOOKING UNTILL I HAD TO PUT HIS PARTNER TO SLEEP DUE TO CUSHINGS DISEASE LAST JULY.IN SAME FIELD TOGETHER FO 9 YEARS ,HE BECAME VERY DEPRESSED HE PICKED UP IN THE GOOD WEATHER BUT IS VERY THIN I HAVE WORMED HIM AND AM FEEDING TWICE A DAY ALFA A, BUILD UP, MOLASES OVER AND FLAKED MAIZE,HE IS AT GRASS 24/7 BUT I AM CONCERNED MAYBE THE GRASS IS TOO POOR THERE IS 4 ACRES ALL TO HIMSELF, IM DESPERATE I DONT WANT TO LOSE HIM BUT HE IS 31 YEARS OLD. PLEASE HELP

Where are you from? SCOTLAND

How did you locate this forum? GOOGLE

Hello Trudi,

Yes, losing a companion can be very stressful for a horse. Perhaps you’ll be able to find him another – perhaps even a goat. In the meantime, you can offer him a cup of brewers yeast each day, divided between meals. And, as long as he does not have kidney problems, you can give him 20% of his hay ration as alfalfa.

I would also suggest feeding him a high fat feed such as stabilized rice bran or flaxseed meal. Since I am not familiar with what feeds are in your area, I cannot be specific about brands. However, if you want to send me a list of some high fat options available at your local feed store, I’ll be happy to help you make the right choice.

Please keep me posted on how he is doing.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

As I understand it, the idea that corn oil can cause inflammatory reactions is based on the fact that corn oil is high in omega 6 fatty acids, which may participate in inflammatory reactions (but which certainly don't cause them).

As I further understand it, the idea that corn oil is bad is usually perpetuated by those with a product that contains omega 3 fatty acids, said to help reduce immune reactions and inflammation.

From what I also understand, there is absolutely no evidence that omega 6 fatty acids cause inflammation or problems with inflammation in horses.

In fact, there was an article from the American Association of Equine Practitioners in which corn oil was advocated as a supplement for horses on bute, because the high linoleic acid content of corn oil can help to protect the stomach from injury due to bute.

Where are you from? Phoenix, AZ

How did you locate this forum? Referral

Hello Dianna,

I’m afraid you are misinformed about corn oil regarding its influence on inflammation, except in the case of bute that you cited. I’ll explain…

You are correct about the use of corn oil for stomach ulcers and long term bute use (which is the only time I recommend feeding corn oil). Corn oil, high in linoleic acid (an omega 6 essential fatty acid) increases the formation of prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2). This prostaglandin has a direct inhibition effect of acid secretion by the parietal cells in the stomach. Linoleic acid significantly increases PGE2 production and therefore reduces gastic acid production. So, corn oil is helpful for horses that have stomach ulcers or who have to be on long term NSAID therapy (which can induce stomach ulcers).

But, other than these two situations, it is not wise to feed corn oil (or soybean oil). Linoleic acid is converted to Arachidonic Acid, which is a directly involved in the formation of the cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX1 and COX2) needed to produce prostaglandins. Aspirin, Bute, and other NSAIDs are involved in reducing the COX enzymes. When these enzymes are inhibited, prostaglandin production is diminished, and hence, inflammation is reduced.

Prostaglandins are inflammatory mediators. In fact, prostaglandin levels are elevated in diseased joints and have been linked to synovial inflammation. It has also been found that prostaglandins (specifically PGE2) has been linked to osteoarthritis.

There are two fatty acids that a horse cannot produce on its own – Linoleic acid (belonging to the Omega 6 family) and Alpha-Linolenic Acid (belonging to the Omega 3 family). Both of these must be in the diet. Linoleic acid is more prevalent in the average horse diet and therefore, adding additional linoleic acid from oils that are highly concentrated in this fatty acid, is unnecessary and potentially harmful since it increases the production of prostaglandins, leading to excessive inflammation. This is why I recommend adding Omega 3 fatty acids to the diet, to provide balance, and to reduce prostaglandin production.

So bottom line… if oil is added to a horse’s diet, it is best to feed one that is high in Omega 3 fatty acids. Flaxseed oil is the best source of this. Canola oil also contains some. Oils that are high in Omega 6 fatty acids (such as corn oil and soybean oils) should be avoided.

Thank you for bringing up this important topic.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

I have been following Dr Beth Valentine's research and information regarding EPSM and high fat diets - not sure if I should have mentioned names, Dr Getty but maybe this will help you understand where the information is coming from and you can look into her advice more closely - or even talk with her :o) She has been feeding large quanities of vegetable oil for years with success (both to EPSM and non-EPSM horses) based on Dr Harold Hintz and other nutritionists dietary suggestions at Cornell University. Not trying to start a she said/she said but this can be very confusing to hear the exact opposite from two respected professionals that both obviously have the horses welfare top priority. Any chance the two pro's could compare notes/info and let us know maybe what the outcome is?

As you maybe remember, I would really like to be a nutritionist myself and it's hard to distinguish "facts" from "facts" sometimes when both sides seem to make sense

Forgot to explain - Dr. Beth's website is where I heard that the linseed oil can actually be harmful in large amounts (over one cup a day) and that corn, vegetable, or another source of fat is better to use in large amounts. That is what I meant when I said I am hearing the exact opposite - again THANKS!!! Don't mean to be a trouble maker!!!

Hello Tiffini,

Actually, we are not comparing apples to apples. I agree with Dr. Valentine’s research. What she is discussing are dietary management practices for horses with EPSM (Equine Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy). These horses are not able to store glucose in their muscle cells, leading to severe muscle fatigue and “tying up.” Dr. Valentine talks about the benefits of feeding high fat diets to these horses. And, she discusses adding vegetable oil (which is typically corn or soybean oils) to the diets.

So there really isn’t an issue of “she said, she said” here – what I am discussing is another issue that revolves around specific fatty acids, and the implications of feeding one oil vs another. In other words, I am examining the biochemistry of linoleic acid vs linolenic acid. These highly regarded nutritionists that you mention are studying the effect of high fat diets on horses. The focus is different.

So, I hope this clarifies things for you. You see, all vegetable oils have positive qualities. But, when given the choice, I prefer to offer one that is better balanced between the two fatty acids. For example, corn oil has virtually no alpha linolenic acid (omega 3). Soybean oil has approximately 7% of this omega 3 fatty acid. Canola oil has about 10% and is also high in monounsaturated fatty acids (which are also good). So, when offering “vegetable oil” I often recommend canola oil. Flaxseed is excellent in small quantities. But, too much flaxseed oil (linseed oil) is harmful in large amounts – you are correct – so it just depends on the reason for feeding the oil. If the problem is ulcers, the dietary recommendation is different than if the problem is EPSM, which is different than if the problem is underweight.

Thanks so much for writing. I always enjoy a good discussion of the research.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Thank you very much! You really clarified that for me.

Where would rice bran oil fit into the equation? My stallion gets 2 cups of ground flax seed AND 1/2 cup of rice bran oil daily.

My 2 year old will be getting 1/2 cup of ground flax seed daily (should I increase this amount?) He may also start getting rice bran oil if it looks like he's not an easy keeper.

Many thanks, Sondra :-)

Where are you from? Connecticut

How did you locate this forum? Chronicle forumite

Hi Sondra,

Rice bran oil contains a fair amount of monounsaturated fatty acids and linoleic acid. It has a small amount of omega 3 fatty acids. I prefer feeding the stabilized rice bran, instead of the oil to a horse that is older or performing. If you want to add oil to the diet, canola would be a safe choice.

You can feed more flaxseed meal. A cup/day is a reasonable amount.

All the best,

Dr. Getty