Hi Lynda,

Do you mean one that doesn't have soybean meal? Or any soy products at all, including soybean oil and soybean hulls? The oil is very typically added as a fat source and the hulls are an excellent source of fiber.

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

I am also interested in a soy-free/and or whole food/type feed. I am in a boarding stable that makes it difficult to soak beet pulp, or I would mix my own feed. I have a 17 hand tall Dressage horse that has high nutritional needs. Please help!

I also had a question about the article Dr. G wrote in Equine Wellness Jan09 about thin horses. Where is the information about soaking flax and destroying Omega 3's? I haven't found any information on it and most say that soaking gives best nutritional value. Thank you!

Where are you from? Houston, TX

How did you locate this forum? Equine Wellness Magazine

Hello Heidi,

I will see what soy free feeds I can find for you and get back to you on that. But, in the meantime, let me address your question about my article and soaking flaxseeds.

Flaxseeds are high in Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA), one of the three most common omega 3 fatty acids (the other two come from fish oils). ALA is a polyunsaturated fatty acid whose chemical structure contains three double bonds along the carbon chain. These double bonds are vulnerable and can be easily broken apart. If they do break apart, the molecule is split into smaller pieces, called free radicals, which are highly volatile and damaging molecules causing inflammation and tissue damage.

Moisture, heat, and exposure to air accelerates this molecular destruction, known as oxidation. This is why I do not recommend soaking them.

Flaxseeds must be ground in order to break open the crusty shell. If fed whole, you'll notice them in your horse's manure because they go undigested. The hull prevents digestive enzymes from getting to the inner portion, so they pass through the digestive tract unchanged. Soaking does not promote better digestion if the hulls are still intact. If they open due to soaking, the water will promote oxidative rancidity of these fatty acids.

Scientific studies are generally not done on this topic simply because there is plenty of information about this in biochemistry textbooks. So, it is considered regularly known knowledge amount biochemists/nutritionists such as myself.

Thank you for the question -- it is a subject that comes up frequently and I appreciate the opportunity to explain it.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Hello Heidi and Lynda,

Many feeds contain soybean hulls, which are the fibrous portion of the soybean, but do not contain actual soybean meal. These include:

Blue Seal Feeds
Platform feeds
Seminole Feeds
Triple Crown Feeds

Many companies, such as Nutrena, Purina, Poulin, and Pennfield do not list their ingredients on line, so if you have these feeds in your local feed store, you can examine the feed tag.

I'm not sure why you're wanting to avoid soy, since soy is a highly nutritious legume, and as such, it complements other protein sources to produce a high quality protein. Soybeans in these feeds are heat processed to destroy the trypsin inhibitor found in raw soybeans.

I hope this is helpful.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO