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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
   
Location: Montana | But flax seed and rice bran? I have been doing so much research and I'm so confused, LOL.
So do I have this right...
Flax seed is good for the digestive tract, it helps their skin and coat and hooves and shines them up, helps their muscles and joints recover reducing, is an excellent source of Omega 3's and 6's, but doesn't help much with gaining weight? Also, between the ground flax (which is readily available to me) and the whole flax seed (which I have not been able to find locally), does it make a difference between the two as far as being good for the digestive tract?
Then Rice bran is good at putting on weight, and helps build muscles, but doesn't have an impact one way or the other on the digestive tract, and helps slightly with skin and coat and shine. Right?
And both, if ground/milled you want stabilized, otherwise they go rancid, right?
Anything I missed?
And preference (as posted in the poll)?
Thanks!
Edited by mtcanchazer 2016-04-21 11:36 AM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
| I have no experience with flax seed, but I feed rice bran. I use it to keep my filled out and I have found it has pushed the long hair off my horses and helped them shed out, get slick and shiny. I love it. And it doesn't take much to see results, and it doesn't cost a lot. | |
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Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | OutlawsLastDance - 2016-04-21 1:43 PM I have no experience with flax seed, but I feed rice bran. I use it to keep my filled out and I have found it has pushed the long hair off my horses and helped them shed out, get slick and shiny. I love it. And it doesn't take much to see results, and it doesn't cost a lot.
Great to know! Thank you much!  | |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | mtcanchazer - 2016-04-21 11:35 AM But flax seed and rice bran? I have been doing so much research and I'm so confused, LOL.
So do I have this right...
Flax seed is good for the digestive tract, it helps their skin and coat and hooves and shines them up, helps their muscles and joints recover reducing, is an excellent source of Omega 3's and 6's, but doesn't help much with gaining weight? Also, between the ground flax (which is readily available to me) and the whole flax seed (which I have not been able to find locally), does it make a difference between the two as far as being good for the digestive tract?
Then Rice bran is good at putting on weight, and helps build muscles, but doesn't have an impact one way or the other on the digestive tract, and helps slightly with skin and coat and shine. Right?
And both, if ground/milled you want stabilized, otherwise they go rancid, right?
Anything I missed?
And preference (as posted in the poll)?
Thanks!
You are on the right track. Other than fresh grass, flax and chia are really the only things you can add to a horse's diet that are higher in Omega 3's than Omega 6's. Omega 3's fight inflammation (as well as make them hella shiny, grows healthy hooves, and supports their muscles/joints), Omega 6's cause inflammation, which to a degree is necessary for healing but for them to be in balance, your horse should get approximately two times more o3's then o6's. If your horse is getting a few lbs of grain a day and out on good pasture all day, then they probably are getting the correct balance. If your horse is like mine and lives on a dry lot with only hay, feeding flax is VITAL to provide those O3's he's otherwise missing out on. You are correct in that it won't necessarily put weight on them but does give them an overall "bloom".
Rice bran (I will always prefer Renew Gold over straight rice bran because it does have SOME flax and coconut meal as well and has several amino acids necessary for building healthy muscle). Is really good for putting weight on them because it's fatty but low in carbs and sugar. This means it is less likely to make them hot than normal grains. It is rather high in O6's so if you are feeding it and your horse doesn't have much access to grass, I would also add flax.
Personally, I feed both together for different reasons (along with whole oats and alfalfa). Depending on the individual horse and their situation, they both have distinct benefits. You are also correct that both will go rancid if not stabilized. Any commercial rice bran I've come across (Renew Gold and Manna Pro) are both stabilized. I can't find whole flax and ground flax loses nutrients quickly, then goes rancid so unless you are feeding a lot of horses and going through it quickly it's tricky. I just feed an omega 3 supplement like SmartShine, OmegaHorseShine, etc. because it is stabilized and concentrated so even though it's a little more expensive, they get a higher amount of Omega 3's and there's no waste.
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Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | Thanks so much for the good information! You answered a lot of my questions! :) | |
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So I know this has been discussed a lot...