Micronized Linseed - Anyone had issues with it?

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AppyLover1996

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Hi Guys,

I'm just wondering if anyone has had any issues after feeding micronized linseed to their horses for a while?

I've got both my boys on it, but noticed that Rabbit has been a bit under the weather the past few days (phoned vets already and have an ongoing consult with them, with the view to coming out at some point, but given that he is eating, drinking and toileting fine they've not yet classed him as high priority) and has had a messy bottom.

I've got him on NAF GastriAid for his tummy, and feed a diet suitable for horses prone to ulcers etc, and the only thing that has been a recent addition if you like, is the micronized linseed.

I was recommended to try it as it's supposedly quite good for their joints, tummy etc.

Can anyone shed some tips or something that I might have missed - it can't be nice having a wet bottom and I don't want to have to subject the poor lad to daily bum washes......
 
I felt awful when my Ardennes was still alive and I ran out of linseed and suddenly all his skin problems went away - I'd been feeding it because it was supposed to be good for skin. My little cob doesn't seem to tolerate it well either so I don't generally feed it now. She has never had the best gut (probable historic worm damage) and it is a lot worse with linseed and she started to itch as well.
 
I have just started feeding it to my older boy. I did introduce it very slowly over a 2 week period. He has had no adverse effects. He is fed Protexin and Equinectar anyway.
 
As a high protein supplement it can elicit an inflammatory response like any other feed. Luckily mine both do fine on it. You could try instead using the oil, which has a significantly lower protein content, but retains the Omega 3s etc.
 
I’ve had horses do badly for a variety of reasons on it. I no longer use it on anything.

If I wanted to incorporate linseed it would either be as the refined oil, or I do rate omega rice.
 
If it doesn’t suit then don’t feed it. However when my late homebred was suffering with a very dysfunctional hind gut biome she could not tolerate micronised linseed, it sent her really crabby.

When she had finished the Equibiome protocol and her hind gut biome was much improved she was able to tolerate it perfectly well from then on. Lost her to something else altogether.
 
Thanks guys for letting me know - I feel absolutely awful as I thought that linseed was this all singing and dancing fab thing to feed, but it would appear that Rabbit is one of those horses who can't tolerate it.

I'll pull it from his feed immediately x
 
SEL said:
I felt awful when my Ardennes was still alive and I ran out of linseed and suddenly all his skin problems went away - I'd been feeding it because it was supposed to be good for skin. My little cob doesn't seem to tolerate it well either so I don't generally feed it now. She has never had the best gut (probable historic worm damage) and it is a lot worse with linseed and she started to itch as well.
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Is there something else you feed in place of the micronized linseed SEL? x
 
I've not had any issues with feeding it to my mare, she's been on it for around 3 years

but you could try Coolstance Copra as an alternative, that is the next highest fat feed I found. I did give that to my mare before using linseed but she did seem to go off her feed as we moved from spring into summer, which is why I swapped to Linseed.
 
My horse went through an odd period where he didn't sweat and also had a few odd skin lumps and bumps. It was resolved after I took him off the relatively minor amount of linseed I had him on.

I've since cut it out of his diet completely (it seems to be used in treats / supplements a lot) and his hooves are far stronger than they used to be plus it's the first year he hasn't had problems with hives in summer and his coat is gleaming.

I now work on the basis he's intolerant to linseed although I have no scientific / medical / vet evidence for this so I may just be a mad horse owner!
 
ihatework said:
I’ve had horses do badly for a variety of reasons on it. I no longer use it on anything.

If I wanted to incorporate linseed it would either be as the refined oil, or I do rate omega rice.
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Do you think it could be the way they micronise it now. Years ago we boiled it up in a saucepan in the kitchen having first soaked the seeds.
 
my TB was ok on it for a while (ingredient in a mash) swapped to oil and it gave him bad Fecal water, and now it seems ALL linseed products affect him badly.
 
onemoretime said:
Do you think it could be the way they micronise it now. Years ago we boiled it up in a saucepan in the kitchen having first soaked the seeds.
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If that's the case, might be worth comparing different brands. Charnwood use a patented micronizing/infra red process and supply a few other people. But there's some out now that says cooked - Marriages I think.

Having said that I've not had issues with it with 3 horses including a very sensitive one with allergies but he was allergic to shavings.

But any horse can be allergic to anything so just remove and see if it helps.

However I think grass was a bit weird recently as we had 4 with loose poos all on different feed and forage and no changes.
 
Yes!

My cob was on Forage Plus Summer Balancer which contains linseed then we switched to FP Winter Balancer and she started with very itchy skin especially on her upper hind legs. So I added extra linseed and her skin got worse! I stopped the linseed immediately and her skin improved although she seems to have become sensitised to sugar in any form. I do wish passersby wouldn't feed her and this year we have had to trim back all the berries on the hedging that we planted to stop people feeding them!
 
I’ve also not ever experienced any issues feeding it, although I have just switched to oil rather than micronised for ease. You could try Copra - they used to do a free sample if you go on their website (id recommend trying it first as I could not get my boy to even try a little bit. I thought it smelt lovely but he clearly thought it smelt like poison)
 
What criso said...the grass is defo doing some weird things. Even though grass is limited at my yard, there were a few colicky horses on the weekend and noticed mine has been more gassy.

I have fed the Charnwood micronized linseed and never had a problem though i have switched to oil and horse is doing very well on that (then agaib, who knows how much or little linseed horse was getting but thats another story)
 
SpotsandBays said:
I’ve also not ever experienced any issues feeding it, although I have just switched to oil rather than micronised for ease. You could try Copra - they used to do a free sample if you go on their website (id recommend trying it first as I could not get my boy to even try a little bit. I thought it smelt lovely but he clearly thought it smelt like poison)
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Ah thank you - I'll go to the website and grab a free sample x I'm lucky that Rabbit is an absolute piglet for his feeds and food in general so I can get him to eat pretty much anything - he's even seen me put his wormer in his dinner and still polished the lot off! x
 
Hallo2012 said:
my TB was ok on it for a while (ingredient in a mash) swapped to oil and it gave him bad Fecal water, and now it seems ALL linseed products affect him badly.
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That's interesting cause Rabbit was fine on it when he had it for the first day or so and then he's just been cursed with fecal water - poor lad's getting rather pissed with me having to bathe his legs etc each night x
 
Thanks for all your help everyone - I pulled the linseed immediately from his bucket feeds and his poos are still a little sloppy but he's got his cheeky spark back and is acting more like the Rabbit I know - such a shame as I do really like linseed but I'm either going to go down the oil route, or try Copra x
 
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