Tdove - 2015-09-23 12:05 PM As far as making horses high. Here is why: http://equusmagazine.com/article/nutrition011903 "However, horses fed oats will have increased blood sugar at about 1.5 - 3 hours after the meal, followed by decreased blood sugar. This effect is similar to that seen in people eating high starch or sugary foods. Some horses are very sensitive to increased blood sugar, and exhibit a "grain-high" attitude, which can interfere with your training and performance schedule." This is why I don't recommend feeding a large amount of oats at one time. Also, in the Omnis formula, since the oats are mixed throughout. They are eaten very slowly, so this blood sugar spike does not occur. This, along with the right amount of oat inclusion, Omnis does not make a horse hot because of this.

fulltiltfilly - 2015-09-23 11:50 AM What is considered a large amount?  

Tdove - 2015-09-23 10:55 AM Here are a couple of articles, explaining my posts about starch digestibility and grain processing: http://www.equinews.com/article/carbohydrate-digestibility-horses http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&sour...
I don't have any of them saved, but I've read a LOT of articles/studies about feed and never once have I EVER read that corn or barley were more digestible or a better feed than oats. Especially corn. The general consensus is that it just shouldn't be fed to horses, especially in large amounts.  

Tdove - 2015-09-23 9:05 AM As far as making horses high. Here is why: http://equusmagazine.com/article/nutrition011903 "However, horses fed oats will have increased blood sugar at about 1.5 - 3 hours after the meal, followed by decreased blood sugar. This effect is similar to that seen in people eating high starch or sugary foods. Some horses are very sensitive to increased blood sugar, and exhibit a "grain-high" attitude, which can interfere with your training and performance schedule." This is why I don't recommend feeding a large amount of oats at one time. Also, in the Omnis formula, since the oats are mixed throughout. They are eaten very slowly, so this blood sugar spike does not occur. This, along with the right amount of oat inclusion, Omnis does not make a horse hot because of this.

cavyrunsbarrels - 2015-09-23 10:08 AM
I didn't say they were more digestible. I said they have more starch per pound.  They are heavier.  It's a fact.  

OregonBR - 2015-09-22 12:28 PM

As long as the corn and barley are rolled, they are more digestible than oats.  They are also more dense (more energy per # than oats) and must be fed in moderation.  In order of calorie and energy content, corn comes before barley and oats are the least of the major grains.  Oats have more fiber and are least likely to cause digestive problems in horses.  They have been a staple of the horse industry for many years.  But when fed in large meals, all cerial grains cause digestive upset and ulcers.  

http://animalscience.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2012/04/nutrition-selection-and-use-of-feedstuffs-in-horses.pdf

Tdove - 2015-09-23 11:49 AM Indeed you did write that. I'll take your word that what you meant is the latter. The reason oats makes them more high is that the starch in oats is faster digested than corn and it absorbed in the forgut, where in corn, only a small portion is on the forgut, while the rest is digested in the hindgut. Yes indeed, per pound, corn is denser that oats.

Tdove - 2015-09-23 12:32 PM I don't know what to say. I have given you the information. If that is your experience, great. You quoted from the article. 45% prececal digestibility for "ground" corn is still less than half. Whole oats are still much higher. And grinding corn is much different than cracked or rolled corn. From the other article: "With other grains such as barley, corn, and wheat, the use of a processing method such as dry rolling or crimping does not result in significant improvements in nutrient utilization. In order to improve starch availability in corn, Meyer et al.(1993) suggests that grinding or the addition of heat are effective in increasing starch digestion prececally while only cracking the grain does not." Do you feed ground corn? Unless you feed in a pellet, then you probably don't. Mathmatics simply do not support your claim. For 2lbs of your mix to equal 4lb of whole oats, digestible energy would have to be double that of whole oats. That is simply not mathematically possible. Oats typically contain 1.3Mcal/lb while corn has 1.6Mcal/lb. Meaning corn is only 25% more energy dense lb for lb. Your mix, even with rolling, would be less. This is just the facts. I certainly not telling you what you are feeding is bad and I am not advocating you switch to whole oats. I like whole oats. If you would like to feed your mix, then definitely that is what you should do.

OregonBR - 2015-09-23 3:05 PM

My experience.  Rolled corn, oats and barley fed at 2# per feeding will keep the weight on a horse better than 4# of whole oats.  No digestive problems have been experienced feeding this way for a decade. All ages of horses.  

want2chase3 - 2015-09-25 8:21 AM So which is considered the best most bang for your buck oats? Whole, crimped ? Steam rolled? I think at my feed store they call the whole oats race horse oats ...