Oats

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Sults

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Could anyone that feeds oats please say which type they feed and and how much they feed please?
Also what changes it has had on the horse!

Thanks!
 
When I fed oats I fed half a stubbs scoop of crushed oats. I was feeding them for energy but they had no effect on my mare at all.
I now have half a bag of spare oats.
 
Oats. All of mine get them with a little Alfa a in varying amounts. I can't begin to tell you how much to feed. I feed whole oats and pour boiling water on for them to crack and plump up.

Oats do not make horse's nutjobs. We have been conditioned lately to think that by big feed companies. I have issues with soya and my horses and yet you never here a mention on that because it's a cheap protein source in EVERYTHING.

No problems with oats at all. I have TB's and Warmblood TB crosses. Amount depends on work level and what you want to accomplish with oats. My fatties are on a handful only to keep them happy. When working they live on about 2 pounds daily. Everyone else is about 4 pounds per day. Also get a vit and min supp, flax, and Brewers Yeast.

Oats do not give a sugar rush despite the myth. It's the lowest of all the grains on the GI index. They are high in fibre. Why on earth would people send kids to school with an oatmeal breakfast if it spiked sugar and made kids nuts? It has slow release energy. They are high in phosphorous compared to the calcium so I feed with the Alfa. But really I've had no issues. No colics, not nutjobs, and no skinny horses. Love, love, love oats!

Terri
 
I feed crushed (hard rolled) oats, one Stubbs scoop a day. I have fed all my horses oats, TB, ID, WB and ponies and never had a problem. Much better for them than these bags full of sugar and rubbish and much cheaper too.
 
I think most oats come crushed or rolled. Whole oats can be more expensive. But crushed and rolled go off quicker. I get my whole oats off a local farmer for a very good price.

Terri
 
oats only cause 'heating' if they are over fed and start to ferment before they are digested;), i feed rolled oats to the 2 horses, both in light work so they only have half a scoop each. i used to feed mixes but since really looking into feeding correctly for barefoot i have changed to feeding straights the old fashioned way:) Now i know we've had an easier winter than last year but i am happier with their condition at this stage than i was this time last year:)
rolled or crushed oats are easier to digest meaning the horse gets the nutrients instead of it being passed out as a whole grain at the other end;)
 
Sults said:
Can i ask why you choose the crushed version?
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'Cause when I fed bruised a lot of them came out whole in their poo, with crushed they don't.

I buy mine direct from a farm, they do them crushed (they call them 'flat'), bruised and whole. They charge the same for each but there is more volume in a sack of flat 'cause they are made fluffy by the rolling.

Ditto whole oats keep better, which is why they are rolled as needed at the place I buy them.
 
I feed rolled oats to my horses, half scoop twice daily along with their other feeds, I find they are a good straight feed that doesn't make the horse 'crazy', mine look good on them and they keep weight well. Love feeding oats!
 
We feed all our ponies from weaning on oats, chaff and a little sugar beet. We buy them whole but are lucky enough to have a machine (sorry, can't think of proper word!) that crushes them so they are fed fresh. All the ponies look well on them and are certainly not headcases on them.

I was once at a yard where the YO fed everything from tiny ponies to 17hh hunters on a diet of mainly oats and again they all looked well and no crazys there either!

I was told that when you suddenly feed a quantity of oats to a horse who hasn't had them before they have a hallucinogenic effect and thats why they have a bad rep.
 
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It's good to know people haven't been scared off oats. I personally like the old fashioned 'straights.' Horses did marvelous things 50, 60, 70 or more years ago, made records which have yet to be broken, worked harder on farms and at war than any of ours would know how to. All on oats, barley and chaff.
I feed rolled oats, because i can't get crushed oats at my feed store. I learned while studying that crushed are best as they are most easily digested being released from the husk. Whole oats are nearly un digestable, hence they come out in the poo.
*What a great idea to pour hot water on them though. I like that, might use that.
My horse is a 16hh 'wired' and somewhat sharp sec D gelding who hunts every weekend. The oats make no difference to his temperament whatsoever, he's always been spritely and alert and the oats certainly don't make him worse but just give him the fuel he needs for the job he does.
He gets 1 1/2 round scoops a day, so not huge amounts. Though i'm considering cutting out his pasture mix and upping the oats and adding a feed balancer. Saracen oats are nice. I used to get them but my store doesn't stock them now. (Why do i still go there??) Do get good oats though. I got a cheap bag once... yes from that store....... which were grey compared to the Saracen oats and also had dust and feathers included for free!!!
 
Equimo said:
It's good to know people haven't been scared off oats. I personally like the old fashioned 'straights.' Horses did marvelous things 50, 60, 70 or more years ago, made records which have yet to be broken, worked harder on farms and at war than any of ours would know how to. All on oats, barley and chaff.
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I agree with this.

I feed Equilibra and Tiger oats. I like the Tiger oats as they contain a balancer. Horses look well on them, hold their condition and do not need a lot.
 
If oats are not being digested it's because horse isn't chewing properly. But I also said I pour boiling water on mine and steep for a few mins. I have no oats in poo. You do lose nutrition by buying crushed and rolled.

Te
 
I'm glad reading through this others are oat fans too. They get such a bad rap. And of course people think, oh you're being cheap feeding oats and barley.

Tell me this, how many issues with IR were around before the big feed company explosion in the last 15 years? An odd pony. I do agree people feed way too much but that's because we are conditioned to by big feed companies. This is also where the bad rap on oats came from.

My oat info came from an old timer at the track many moons ago so while he didn't have a fancy degree, he was an amazing horseman.

Terri
 
Equilibrium Ireland said:
If oats are not being digested it's because horse isn't chewing properly. But I also said I pour boiling water on mine and steep for a few mins. I have no oats in poo. You do lose nutrition by buying crushed and rolled.

Te
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Yes, still see the odd few oats in poo on crushed oats but not near so much as would be with whole oats. I don't think thats because the horse isn't chewing properly. More because the horse doesn't chew every single oat sufficiently.
I know my teeth are currently in good order, but when i eat sweetcorn........... ok i won't!
Boiling water and steep a few minutes. Ok got that :)
 
I am an oat fan myself as in porridge - yum and my horses have them too including my little mare who has IR. I don't have any issues with excitability etc. But then they are fed sensible amounts and I introduced them gradually starting with a handful.
 
Equilibrium Ireland said:
Tell me this, how many issues with IR were around before the big feed company explosion in the last 15 years? An odd pony. I do agree people feed way too much but that's because we are conditioned to by big feed companies. This is also where the bad rap on oats came from.
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Much agree! Though i'd say 20 years ago. Back then i was a keen teenage 'clinger on' at livery yards begging and borrowing rides for work. I do remember mollychop was quite popular, sickly sugary sticky yuk! I also remember feeding straight peas, maize oats barley etc. I seem to remember bits of figs in some feed.. anyone recall that? Bailey's no.....4? (Like crumbs) or something was brand new and ultra scientific and course mix was growing in popularity.
Oh how things have changed!
I'm glad sugarbeet is still around
 
Another oat fan here. I tried crush, rolled, naked and tiger oats to little effect. In a last ditch attempt to add a bit more sparkle I tried whole soaked oats, and have been seriously pleased with the results. Once I got into a routine with soaking and draining them they've been so easy, just add a bit more when I need etc. I have none coming through in dropping which was a problem with both naked and tiger oats.
 
Couple of questions for oat fans as I have never fed them but am genuinely interested in feeding straights as I have a mare with EMS who I bred and has only ever been fed mass produced feeds.

1. on the whole oats front - how much boiling water to say 1/2 a stubs scoop
2. Exactly how many minutes do you leave same? and exactly what should it look like when ready - porridge like??
3 what else do you mix in and what quantity ie 1 scoop alfa a per feed plus 1 scoop sugar beet with 1/2 scoop whole oats
4 What suppliment do you use if any a general purpose multi vitamin or a specific one - ie bran you should use limestone flour
5. which part of the feed would you increase/decrease for weight gain/loss - the alfa a / sugar beet or the oats

Would be very grateful for responses
 
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I used oats as a training aid, to get my horse to lie down for longer, I put them in a shallow scoop as they're slightly more difficult to eat than carrots

Apart from that no behaviour change, wasn't using big quantities though
 
Whole oats are not as easily digested as crushed or rolled, which is why you would see the husks in droppings :)

It is such a pain if you feed whole oats & there are chickens about!!
Crushed/rolled oats are easily digested but some of the "goodness" is lost in the crushing/rolling process.
Maize has a higher energy than oats afaik! :)
 
With regards to the hot water on oats I just barely cover, then give a good stir, pop a plate on top and wait about 5 mins. Usually put the "oats" on while getting ready to go out to the yard. It's very easy to fit it in around what I'm doing. Alright not as easy as just lobbing a scoop out of a bag, but it's just second nature now do don't really think about it being a hassel.

Terri
 
Oats are an excellent feed, I have used them in the past for everything from youngstock to old ponies.

Sadly I can't feed them anymore as I have a pony with a severe allergy to them and I can't risk the chance of cross contamination.

It is nice to hear so many still feed them though, I thought feeding oats was becoming a thing of the past!
 
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