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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. 

Take a look at my Nutrition Library and Tips of the Month for a variety of answers on selected topics. Be sure to sign up for my monthly e-newsletter, Forage for Thought

I also have a growing number of recordings on "Teleseminars on Nutrition Topics that Concern You" as well as the new, Spotlight on Equine Nutrition Series -- printed versions of favorite teleseminars.

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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Re: Supplementing Feed Question

Hello Kim,

I prefer Omegatin to the Equipride because it is higher in fat and lower in potentially toxic minerals -- selenium and iodine.

I recommend that you avoid giving your older horse soybean oil. It is very high in omega 6 fatty acids, which she is already getting plenty of with the Omegatin, and omega 6s increase inflammation. You're giving her MSM to counteract inflammation, but you're increasing inflammation with the soybean oil -- so you're not coming out ahead. MSM is fine but if she needs more oil, consider giving her rice bran oil or better yet, adding flaxseed meal to her diet -- Nutra Flax is pure flaxseed meal that is stabilized. Its high omega 3 fatty acid content will actually reduce inflammation. You can also give her canola oil, but stay away from corn, soybean, wheat germ, sunflower, or safflower oils. I talk about these oils at length in the chapter on fats in my book, Feed Your Horse Like A Horse.

One more thing... corn is fine for chickens but it potentially dangerous for horses. Corn is not well digested in the foregut (the small intestine) and therefore, is likely to reach the hindgut (cecum and large colon) where the bacteria that live there will ferment it. The result is the production of lactic acid, which kills these bacteria, and can lead to endotoxins in the blood, resulting in laminitis (founder). So, if you feel that your horses are in good shape (normal weight) and get plenty of exercise, you can continue to feed oats (in moderation) but it's best to stay away from corn.

All the best,

Dr. Getty
Author of Feed Your Horse Like A Horse



Kim Van Drisse
Hello Dr. Getty,

I have 3 horses, a 4 year old easy keeper mare, a 8 year old average gelding and a 20 year old mare. Currently the young horses are fed a oats/corn mix that I have made at our local mill. For simple feeding, it does not have any vitamins or minerals added so I can feed it to my beef, chickens and lamb and I top dress... My old mare gets Nutrena Sr Life Style... I'm currently giving all 3 horses 3 lbs of Omegatin daily in addition to their grain - I'm thinking of moving to either the Equipride top dress or the Equilix... Any suggestions? Can I use Equipride in place of Omegatin and are there any advanages to feeding both the Equipride and Equilix or should I just stick with what I am doing? I don't have any particular reason to change... Oh, I also supplement all 3 horses with a Biotin supplement and soybean oil and the old mare gets MSM daily. Thanks for your time, Kim

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO