Dear Dr. Getty,

This year I bought straw oat to give my horses because I’ve read in a French horse’s site that its nutritional value is superior to that in straw wheat. However when I tell other people that have horses that I bought it they tell me that straw oat is not good for horses and it can cause them diarrhea.

The horses also eat grain mixture and I’m going to give between 4 and 6 kgs of straw oat a day.

Is it straw oat good for horses?

Thank you,

Antónia

Where are you from? Portugal

How did you locate this forum? Google

Hello Antonia,

Thank you for writing. Straw oat, or “oat straw” as we would say here, is mainly fed as a filler. In fact, any type of straw, whether it comes from oats or wheat, is very low in nutritional value. So, feeding it is not the best source of roughage for your horses. It would be much better if you could feed grass hay instead. Do you have access to hay (the cut foliage)? Straw is just the stems, no grass leaves. Not only is it low in nutritional value, but can cause some horses to colic due to impactions.

So, my concern is not between wheat and oat – but more the fact that you are feeding large quantities of straw. As far as the difference between the two is concerned, oats provide more nutritional value that wheat.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Hello

Thank you for your answer.

In Portugal quality hay is very expensive because it as to be imported. So most owners buy straw. I know that hay or Alfafa pellets would be better.

So between oat straw (thank you for the correction) and wheat straw the first is better.

Antónia

Where are you from? Portugal

How did you locate this forum? Google

Hi Antonia,

Yes, oat straw is more nutritious than wheat straw.

Dr. Getty