Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
Welcome to my forum.
Here you will find more than 6 years of questions and my answers. It is searchable and offers a great deal of information.
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All the best,
Dr. Getty
Hello Dr. Getty,
I have recently seen on the Oprah Show that Chia Seeds are better than Flax Seeds for Omega 3. They are higher in the Omega 3's, do not go rancid and are easier to use etc. I would like to know if you would recommend using them for my horses. If so, what would the portion size be for a 1400 lb. horse & a 700 lb. pony.
Warm Regards,
P.S. Like Flax Seed, the calcium to phosphorus ratio is also inverted, what do you think? 
Where are you from? Westchester County, New York
How did you locate this forum? Found it on internet years ago
Hi Maddy,
From what info I can find on Chia seeds, they have 64% omega 3s compared to 54% Omega 3s found in flaxseeds. So, they are comparable.
As with flaxseeds, they should not be soaked or boiled and they should be ground. And, yes, the calcium to phosphorus ratio is inverted, so an additional calcium source is important when feeding seed meals such as these.
If they are less expensive than flaxseeds, then I would say to go ahead and feed them. But, if not, you're better off getting a stabilized flaxseed meal product that has added calcium to correct the calcium to phosphorus inversion, such as Nutra Flax.
Yes, chia seeds will go rancid -- I don't know where you heard that they won't. Any food source that is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as omega 3s and others) are vulnerable to oxygen, heat, moisture, etc. and will have their fatty acids destroyed (rancidity).
Thanks for asking!
Dr. Getty
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO
Hello Dr. Getty,
Dr. Mehmet Oz on the Oprah Show show said that Chia Seeds do not need to be ground, they have soft shells. I wondered about that and knew that you would have the correct information.
Once again I would like to thank you for this invaluable website and for sharing your time & expertise.
Warm Regards,
Maddy
Where are you from? Westchester County, New York
How did you locate this forum? Found it on internet years ago
Hi Maddy,
Even though the hulls are soft, they are still very small seeds and will not be adequately ground by chewing. Plus, the shell cannot be penetrated by digestive fluids, so they will pass through the digestive system unchanged.
So, you would do better to have them ground.
All the best,
Dr. Getty
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO