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Location: West Texas | I will try to help. Omega 3:6 ratio is a very debatable topic. There is no set in stone ideal. Omega 3 and 6 are both needed for proper health. Generally, Omega 6 is responsible for inflammation and healing, while Omega 3 is anti-inflammatory and controls the inflammation response. Everyone does seem to agree that too much Omega 6 can lead to many, many problems, due to an out of control inflammatory response in the body. Adding Omega 3 is considered "good".
The ideal amount is, again, unknown. However, I do not think you can get too much Omega 3. The natural feedstuff for a horse is fresh grass. This contains more Omega 3 than 6, so naturally I feel that the more Omega 3 you can realistically add, the better. However, I also feel that more natural sources of Omega 6 are not as damaging as the more processed forms.
There is a part of your statement that I feel I need to address. Marketing of products, both human and horse can be very misleading. Many products say, "Added Omega 3 and Omega 6". In reality, almost EVERYTHING has Omega 6 in it. It is much more stable than Omega 3. So it is almost false or even a bit a stretch of the ethical truth (to me) to advertise Omega 6, as if that were a health benefit of your product. Yes, both Omega 3 and 6 are needed, BUT you and your horse are already getting plenty of Omega 6, if not too much, already. Limiting Omega 6 and increasing Omega 3 in the diet, is what you should be concerned with, if you are looking to balance the equation.
In order to limit Omega 6, you should try to feed as much fresh grass, hay, or forage as possible. Limit grains and high Omega 6 feeds.
There are few sources high in Omega 3 and all of them are expensive. Fish oils, flaxseed, chia seed, camelina oil (currently, not an approved horse feed ingredient by FDA) are the most common. I don't believe in fish oil to horses because horses do not eat fish (however, many people feed fish oil supplements). To me the standout source for horses, is flax. This is mostly due to availability, cost, and it is natural. Chia is another source, but it is even more expensive. I "prefer" flax fed in the whole state. Most sources incorrectly state that flax needs to be ground for digestibility, but research and actual feeding application proves this unnecessary. Flax oil is very unstable and will become rancid quickly. I also believe that whole foods offer much more nutritional benefits than oil alone. Most bagged flax is ground and stabilized so that it does not go rancid. This adds to the cost and I still feel whole flax to be a better and more economical choice, if you have that available.
As far as the examples of products listed. They are good products, but "very" expensive. Are they worth the cost? That might be for each individual to decide. Grande is basically: ground flax, stabilized rice bran, and ground milo. They are marketing it as a fortified concentrate. Horseshine is mostly ground flax and also more of a fortified flax supplement.
Edited by Tdove 2017-12-29 1:11 PM
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