feeding oil??

[StormyGale]

So I've been feeding my lad cod liver oil and then moved onto corn oil now. Just wondering has anyone had bad experience with corn oil. Is this ok for them I gave i. A go and the boy seems fine on it but reading a few places people have mixed views about benefits or not. Just wondered have any of u fed corn oil? Do u buy from supermarket or do u use another type which seems to work better? Thanks

 

[tallyho!]

It depends entirely on the horse and why you are feeding oil in the first place.

Some people use oil to balance out Omega requirements e.g. in young horses not out at pasture or weanlings e.g. sunflower oil.

Others seem to think oil is good for joints and coat condition.

Some think it aids digestion.

Before selecting an oil for your horse, think about the reasons why you think it is needed. Horses can digest small amounts but large amounts will just pass through and make no difference. Some oils do not keep well e.g. linsed oil goes rancid if not kept refridgerated.

CLO is quite possibly the most over-used oil in the equine industry but the only thing it's fed for is the Omega 3 fatty acids which you can get in larger and more digestible amounts in linseed and sunflower oil.

Then, theres a whole other debate about feeding oils "whole" e.g. buying micronised linseed as a whole food or adding BOSS to the diet for bloom and health.

To answer your question abut corn oil... well, frankly, it's probably the worst oil you can give to a horse, if indeed, you want it for joint health. It is very high in Omega-6 fatty acids which are pro-inflammatory and will make any joint issues worse in the long run... however, if you balance it out with an oil high in Omega-3 fatty acids, it would make it better at a ratio of 3:1 of O3:O6 so you may have to keep feeding your CLO.

Whole linseed seems to have the best ratio. Anyway, there is plenty of research on the web and in HHO so you can do some research and make your own mind up about your horses needs

 

[Goldenstar]

I am not a fan of feeding oil as such but I do feed micronised linseed all year round .
I just feel its a very unnatural highly processed thing to feed them.