Feeding soya, yes or no?

M

MuffettMischief

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 April 2016
Messages
380
Visit site
Hi all,

I recently had a chat with an independent nutritionist about the best way to get condition onto a horse with ulcers, now and going forward. Her advice was fibre as the most important thing but if needed to add oil based feeds (either linseed or a cup of oil in each feed) and she also recommended soya. She did briefly say it’s not always the recommended thing but she’s ok with it in small quantities. I must add that I didn’t ask her to go into much detail as she was actually here for a clients horse and I already felt like I was taking the p**s a bit asking her for her advice on my horse who she wasn’t here for!
So I’d like to know if anyone has used it for weight gain, if it worked/if you wouldn’t use it and why. Also doing some googling but it’s nice to hear from real life owners!
 
Soya oil is high in omega 6 compared to 3, so I wouldn’t feed without something high in omega 3 to balance the ratio. Some also have concerns about the production process/ GM content but I don’t know much about that.
 
My vet said to give linseed oil for weight gain and condition.
.
I personally wouldn't like to give soya, because a lot of it is GM and where it is grown - miles and miles of it in South America.
 
I've never known anything that didnt go bat shit crazy when fed soya oil. Rice bran and linseed are a much better bet.
 
Soya oil or soya meal or soya hulls?

Soya oil has an adverse omega 3:6 ratio, but many equine soya oil products have added omega 3, and if the horse has access to plenty of grass and isn’t fed large amounts it shouldn’t be a huge problem.

Soya meal is very high protein (around 45% crude protein, nearly double alfalfa), with some evidence that there is better protein utilisation in horses than from alfalfa. But it has an adverse Ca: P so you need to balance it (limestone flour is a good option). But people forget than linseed and copra and other oil byproducts also should be balanced for calcium!

Soya hulls are very high fibre, and low NSC. It’s a decent feedstuff.
 
Last edited:
Thanks all. He’s on linseed currently with copra, speedibeet and ulsa kind cubes so I may just up the linseed. He’s fussy and not a big eater which can makes things tricky!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top