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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. 

Currently, I am discontinuing new questions. This may change in the future, but in the meantime, please know that It has been a true pleasure serving you. 

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And finally, look for my articles in a variety of local publications and online newsletters, as well as the Horse Journal, where I am the Contributing Nutrition Editor.  

 

All the best,

 Dr. Getty 

 



Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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flaxseed, BOSS, & rice bran

I am currently feeding a combination of BOSS and rice bran but have recently learned that my horses may be getting too much Omega-6 and not enough Omega-3. Question: Is Nutrena's EMPOWER a better idea than the stablized rice bran since it has flaxseed in it? Also, two of my horses get the BioFlax for their hooves; is there enough flaxseed or do I need to supplement more?

Where are you from? NY

Re: flaxseed, BOSS, & rice bran

Hi JB,

Nutrena Empower appears to be a stabilized rice bran product with additional vitamin E. It is not a complete vitamin/mineral supplement. However, it is beneficial when you need to add more fat to the diet for the horse that is having trouble keeping a normal weight.

Since the website does not list the amount of omega 3s, I cannot evaluate it. But, it does say that it contains flax. So, it's a guess, at best.

I would definitely stop feeding the sunflower seeds and plain rice bran. Empower would be a much better choice.

If you want to feed a complete vitamin/mineral supplement that has plenty of omega 3s, consider Glanzen Complete. Then you could stop feeding the BioFlax, since Glanzen Complete contains all the hoof benefits of BioFlax along with other nutrients.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Re: flaxseed, BOSS, & rice bran

So, when is it appropriate to feed the stablized rice bran-I ask because several of the older horses that I board for other people are on it for the added fat -should I reduce the amount of rice bran and add in some of the Nutra-Flax?

Where are you from? NY

Re: flaxseed, BOSS, & rice bran

Hi JB,

The only time I recommend stabilized Rice Bran is when a horse needs the additional calories for work or for the hard keeper. It is especially nice for supplying additonal calories for the horse that needs to lower his starch intake.

However, the fat in rice bran does not contain any omega 3 fatty acids, which is why I recommend Nutra Flax.

So, evaluate your horse's caloric needs. If he is working on a daily basis, he can benefit from the additional fat calories that rice bran provides. So, in that case, I would simply reduce the amount of rice bran and substitute an equal amount of Nutra Flax (not to exceed 1 1/2 cups by volume).

Happy Holidays!

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO