twisteddiamond
Well-Known Member
as post title and would you feed it as a staple feed or would you feed it with something else
what are the benefits of feeding bran mash
- Thread starter twisteddiamond
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scribble
Well-Known Member
I think it is historically given to horses retunring form a days hunting and is laced with salts to replace those lost. It is warming, easily digesteable and easy on the stomch after poss a hard days work. I believ you have to be careful feeding it all the time to add Calcium? to it been a good many years since i looked at my BHS stages. los good for old horses who poss lost teeth or dont have many. can add oil to it and also molasses etc to make more palatable.
Slinkyunicorn
Well-Known Member
Usually add a handful of Epsom Salts to it - and yes was very common after a days hunting.
teddyt
Well-Known Member
I wouldnt feed it at all. It is of no nutritional value and very badly balanced in relation to calcium/phosphorus. It is high in fibre but the fibre is very indigestible.
If a horse is ill or on sudden rest then changing just for one day a week (for example) to a bran mash isnt very good for the digestive system. If low feed value is needed, for admin of medication, for example, then a low energy chaff is better.
It really is of no benefit to the horse. People who use it as a laxative should look at the rest of the diet as to why the horse is blocked up in the first place! Ditto for a horse with the runs.
It is an old fashioned feed that really has no value in modern day feeding.
If a horse is ill or on sudden rest then changing just for one day a week (for example) to a bran mash isnt very good for the digestive system. If low feed value is needed, for admin of medication, for example, then a low energy chaff is better.
It really is of no benefit to the horse. People who use it as a laxative should look at the rest of the diet as to why the horse is blocked up in the first place! Ditto for a horse with the runs.
It is an old fashioned feed that really has no value in modern day feeding.
MerryMAL
Well-Known Member
It's for ill and tired horses - not a staple feed but I'm afraid I don't agree with @teddyt, it can be a real help for a horse coming back cold and exhausted. It's like coming home to shepherd's pie - not the most nutritious thing in the world but comforting nonetheless!
kerilli
Well-Known Member
i feed it, wet and sloppy, twice a day to a horse on box rest, never at any other time.
it is good roughage and gives the gut something to do.
a good equine vet told me that he thought the whole calcium imbalance thing has been blown out totally of proportion, and that he thinks more horses die of impactions from box rest, which might have been averted if the horse was fed bran, than will ever be ill from the calcium balance problem.
it is good roughage and gives the gut something to do.
a good equine vet told me that he thought the whole calcium imbalance thing has been blown out totally of proportion, and that he thinks more horses die of impactions from box rest, which might have been averted if the horse was fed bran, than will ever be ill from the calcium balance problem.
teddyt
Well-Known Member
It is only palatable (above other feeds) if mollasses or cereals are added to it, as with an old fashioned bran mash theory. Unfortunately both mollasses and cereals further unbalance the calcium to phosphorus ratio, which is already dire!
Modern research has shown that the fibre in bran is relatively undigestible (lignin), so not very good for an ill or tired horse.
It does provide water to a hard worked horse (possibly dehydrated) but as i said earlier, there are other, better alternatives that are more nutritionally valuable to the horse and hence not a waste of money for the owner.
There really are better alternatives to bran for any of the uses mentioned. Better for the horse and your wallet!
Modern research has shown that the fibre in bran is relatively undigestible (lignin), so not very good for an ill or tired horse.
It does provide water to a hard worked horse (possibly dehydrated) but as i said earlier, there are other, better alternatives that are more nutritionally valuable to the horse and hence not a waste of money for the owner.
There really are better alternatives to bran for any of the uses mentioned. Better for the horse and your wallet!
twisteddiamond
Well-Known Member
i was just wondering as some new people have come to the yard i am at, and this is all they feed, their horses are all pretty poor, and get exercised daily with lots of fast work
i didnt think it would be very nutritious
i didnt think it would be very nutritious
VioletStripe
Well-Known Member
at my riding stables they feed it around once a week to make sure the horses get plenty of fibre. to make sure ratio of calcium to phosphorus is right they add sugar beet to it as well. many people feed it to their horses if they are unwell so need to clean out their system and get some form of food in them, and after very very hard, tiring work. hope this helps
xx
Puppy
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't feed it, it's useless nutritionally and if you need some easy fibre for your horse there are plenty of preferable alternatives - high fibre cubes, quality chaffs etc
Maesfen
Extremely Old Nag!
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It's for ill and tired horses - not a staple feed but I'm afraid I don't agree with @teddyt, it can be a real help for a horse coming back cold and exhausted. It's like coming home to shepherd's pie - not the most nutritious thing in the world but comforting nonetheless!
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Yes, I agree with this and it's interesting that the most often fed feed at Leahurst Veterinary Hospital is
bran !
Contrary to some opinion, bran seems easily digested by the horse as long as dampened with something, be that hot water, sugar beet, apple juice, molasses, whatever and I've never met a horse that has turned up their nose at a feed with bran in, they usually eat it with relish. It is very useful for adding medicines too and you can also use it as a very effective poultice. When I had the orphan foals last year, they were being given a handful of warm damp bran with some Suregrow in to encourage them to eat it (they were almost three weeks old) until they could eat the Suregrow neat. It certainly doesn't deserve the bad name it's been getting although I am the first to agree that it is nowhere near the quality that it used to be.
It's for ill and tired horses - not a staple feed but I'm afraid I don't agree with @teddyt, it can be a real help for a horse coming back cold and exhausted. It's like coming home to shepherd's pie - not the most nutritious thing in the world but comforting nonetheless!
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Yes, I agree with this and it's interesting that the most often fed feed at Leahurst Veterinary Hospital is
woolyjumper
Well-Known Member
Bran has no benefit. If fed only once a week or so, it has negligible laxative effect and negligible nutritional value. It won't do any harm but it won't do any good either. If fed daily (enough to make a difference to gut movement) it can lead to nutritional osteodystophy - I've seen this disease, it's horrible. If you've got a horse on box rest and you want to give it a laxative, far better to offer sugerbeet - it is full of fibre, hydrating and nutritionally balanced. If you feel the need to give your horse something warm to eat after a days hunting, just make up some speedibeet with hot water, or make a linseed gruel or similar.
joshuaada
Well-Known Member
According to my vet who also hunts and would remember the cure all days of 'give him a bran mash' it has no value whatsoever in a stable yard anymore.
DunRoamin
Well-Known Member
Everything on my yard gets bran as part of they're staple diet, always have and always will, no adverse effects at all and this is on a yard of 70 horses/ponies of all types, differing work loads, shapes and sizes, and if anything does become ill Bran mash is the way to go feed wise and works wonders, So why change a good thing...
R2R
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Everything on my yard gets bran as part of they're staple diet, always have and always will, no adverse effects at all and this is on a yard of 70 horses/ponies of all types, differing work loads, shapes and sizes, and if anything does become ill Bran mash is the way to go feed wise and works wonders, So why change a good thing...
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I have always fed bran, I dont beleive the hype about it and my horses look fine on it- teddyt you remind me of the woman in my local feed shop who shares your opinions!
I agree with MFH and whoever said it was comforting - but I have also found it really usefull with the ex racers on my yard as it seems to almost settle their stomachs and keep things moving properly.
I am not particularly 'old school' with my feeding but mine do get epsom salts after hard work and half a scoop of bran in each feed.
Everything on my yard gets bran as part of they're staple diet, always have and always will, no adverse effects at all and this is on a yard of 70 horses/ponies of all types, differing work loads, shapes and sizes, and if anything does become ill Bran mash is the way to go feed wise and works wonders, So why change a good thing...
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I have always fed bran, I dont beleive the hype about it and my horses look fine on it- teddyt you remind me of the woman in my local feed shop who shares your opinions!
I agree with MFH and whoever said it was comforting - but I have also found it really usefull with the ex racers on my yard as it seems to almost settle their stomachs and keep things moving properly.
I am not particularly 'old school' with my feeding but mine do get epsom salts after hard work and half a scoop of bran in each feed.
eggs
Well-Known Member
My vet always tells me to give a very sloppy bran mash after a horse has had a mild bout of colic and they are happy there are no further problems. Only had one horse who refused to it and he would normally eat anything!
Unfortunately I am old enough to remember the pre-Anamalintex days when we all added bran to our horses feed and as someone has already said, it made a pretty effective poultice.
Unfortunately I am old enough to remember the pre-Anamalintex days when we all added bran to our horses feed and as someone has already said, it made a pretty effective poultice.
Bowen4Horses
Well-Known Member
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Everything on my yard gets bran as part of they're staple diet,
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and because my horse came from this yard, i have kept some bran in his feed... though no longer in his daily feed. but sometimes, if it's cold and miserable and i've been too mean to put his rug on... when he comes in for the night, he has a lovely rub down, and some warm bran mash added to his dinner. i often get in trouble for leaving the kettle in the feedroom and not returning it to our house...
Everything on my yard gets bran as part of they're staple diet,
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and because my horse came from this yard, i have kept some bran in his feed... though no longer in his daily feed. but sometimes, if it's cold and miserable and i've been too mean to put his rug on... when he comes in for the night, he has a lovely rub down, and some warm bran mash added to his dinner. i often get in trouble for leaving the kettle in the feedroom and not returning it to our house...
NOISYGIRL
Well-Known Member
I would not feed a bran/bran mash unless advised by a vet.
And what teddyt said...... its too much of a shock to the system
And what teddyt said...... its too much of a shock to the system
teddyt
Well-Known Member
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I have always fed bran, I dont beleive the hype about it and my horses look fine on it- teddyt you remind me of the woman in my local feed shop who shares your opinions!
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Just so you know, my opinions on bran arent based on hype and hearsay, thats just not me.
They are based on scientific research in peer-reviewed journals. That means that respected researchers have produced a research project that has consequently undergone a rigourous process of evaluation before being allowed to be published.
Someone cant just say, we did this project and bran is cr*p! They have to prove it under rigorous scrutiny!
So research, not hearsay, over recent years has shown-
* The fibre in bran is relatively indigestible. It is also much lower in overall % than other feeds of better nutritional value, such as hay and sugar beet (i.e not a good fibre source)
* Bran has approx ten times more phosphorus than calcium, so 1:10, when the ideal ratio for horses is 2:1. Bran further limits calcium absorption
* Fed wet or dry, faecal water is not significantly affected by feeding bran
* The laxative effect is attributed to digestive disturbance and the killing off of beneficial bacteria due to a sudden change in feed
*Hot Bran does not warm a horse up. The process of digestion of fibre produces far more warmth for the horse than a hot bran mash AND bran has lower fibre content compared to hay (etc) and it is relatively indigestible. It makes people feel better but his is a human feeling, not fact!
Overall, as long as you balance the calcium/phosphorus ratio, you will not be doing your horse much harm. However, bran has been proven not to have the benefits that people think it does and in short you are wasting your money! So by all means carry on feeding it for those that do (but you must balance the calcium deficiency) but your horse really isnt getting that much benefit from it!
Just wanted to clarify that I havnt based my opinion on hype
I have always fed bran, I dont beleive the hype about it and my horses look fine on it- teddyt you remind me of the woman in my local feed shop who shares your opinions!
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Just so you know, my opinions on bran arent based on hype and hearsay, thats just not me.
Someone cant just say, we did this project and bran is cr*p! They have to prove it under rigorous scrutiny!
So research, not hearsay, over recent years has shown-
* The fibre in bran is relatively indigestible. It is also much lower in overall % than other feeds of better nutritional value, such as hay and sugar beet (i.e not a good fibre source)
* Bran has approx ten times more phosphorus than calcium, so 1:10, when the ideal ratio for horses is 2:1. Bran further limits calcium absorption
* Fed wet or dry, faecal water is not significantly affected by feeding bran
* The laxative effect is attributed to digestive disturbance and the killing off of beneficial bacteria due to a sudden change in feed
*Hot Bran does not warm a horse up. The process of digestion of fibre produces far more warmth for the horse than a hot bran mash AND bran has lower fibre content compared to hay (etc) and it is relatively indigestible. It makes people feel better but his is a human feeling, not fact!
Overall, as long as you balance the calcium/phosphorus ratio, you will not be doing your horse much harm. However, bran has been proven not to have the benefits that people think it does and in short you are wasting your money! So by all means carry on feeding it for those that do (but you must balance the calcium deficiency) but your horse really isnt getting that much benefit from it!
Just wanted to clarify that I havnt based my opinion on hype
tullystud
Member
Anyone heard of bran having calming affects. My horse has become a real handful and I have been told some eventers add it to feeds as it has a calming affect. Anyone any any comments.
Persephone
Well-Known Member
Totally agree with TeddyT. Bran has outlived it's usefulness IMO.
I would far rather offer a big sloppy feed of warm Speedibeet with Applelytes tbh. Full of fibre, palatable and doesn't mean a change of diet in my horse's case.
I would far rather offer a big sloppy feed of warm Speedibeet with Applelytes tbh. Full of fibre, palatable and doesn't mean a change of diet in my horse's case.