For the Health of It
Myth: A Shiny Horse is a Healthy Horse
by Juliet M. Getty Ph.D.
Fat from any source will make your horse shiny. A
fatty substance called sebum, secreted from the seba-
ceous glands in your horse’s skin, increases when the
diet is higher in fat. It coats the hair, making it reflect
the sun’s rays. Any fat will do; the type of dietary fat
doesn’t matter when it comes to making the hair coat
shine. But it sure does matter when it comes to your
horse’s health.
The converse is true – A healthy horse is a shiny
horse…
As long as he’s shiny for the right reason – because
you are feeding the right type of fat! With so many
feeds and supplements available, where do you start?
throughout the body.[i]
ALA reduces inflammation
Omega 3s block the formation of inflammatory
molecules that are readily formed from omega 6s. Take
a close look at the fat sources you are feeding to con-
firm that enough omega 3s are in the diet. Read the
ingredients and note the concentrations. Manufactur-
ers of products that are high in soybean oil, for exam-
ple, will often tout that the product contains omega 3s.
This is true, but misleading. Soybean oil does contain
about 7% omega 3s. But what they don’t tell you is that
50% of the fatty acids in soybean oil are from linoleic
acid (omega 6).
The table below provides a better understanding of
oils and oily feeds:
Start with what comes naturally
Fresh grass contains 2-3% unsaturated fat consisting
of a variety of fatty acids that vary in their
Approximate Fatty Acid Percentage in Oils and Oily Feeds
chemical profile. There are two specific
essential fatty acids that the horse’s body
cannot produce and therefore must be
Oils and oily portion
Monounsaturated
Saturated
in his diet: The omega 3 known as alpha
of feeds
(Omega 9)[ii]
linolenic acid (ALA), and the omega 6
Camelina oil
13
19
known as linoleic acid. Grasses contain
Canola oil
7
54
both of these in a 4:1 ratio of ALA to
Chia Seeds
10
7
linoleic acid.
Coconut oil[iv]
91
6
Most commercially prepared horse
Corn oil
17
24
diets, however, have an inverted ratio of
Flaxseeds
9
19
these two fatty acids because high linoleic
acid fat sources such as soybean and corn
Hempseed oil[v]
10
12
oils are added to boost the fat concentra-
Olive oil
16
75
tion. When the omega 6 content exceeds
Rice bran
17
48
the omega 3 content, you are asking for
Sunflower seeds
12
16
trouble.
Soybean oil
15
26
Myth: A Shiny Horse is a Healthy Horse - American Horse Publications
3/19/17, 1:22 PM
Alpha Linolenic Acid
Linoleic Acid
(Omega 3)[iii]
(Omega 6)
16
38
30 7
19 55
3 0
59 0
14 58
55 18
8 1
35 1
71 1
50 7
Wheat germ
18
25
50
5
Linoleic acid leads to inflammation
While some linoleic acid is important,
too much can exacerbate your horse’s
Hay has virtually no fatty acid content
Hay has virtually no fatty acid content
inflammatory response. Horses who are in training,
Once fresh grass is cut, dried and stored, the naturally occurring unsaturated fatty acids are destroyed by oxygen. If
Once
fresh
is critical
cut, that
dried
stored,
the more natu-
is the predominant forage
source
for your grass
horse, it is
you add and
a fat source
that o!ers
omega 3s
working, or performing produce inflammation hay in
than omega 6s. Ground flaxseed or chia seeds are best for omega 3s. When supplementing, limit the amount fed to no
rally
occurring
unsaturated
fatty
acids
are
destroyed
their joints and muscles that can worsen when more
high
than ½ cup ground flaxseed or ¼ cup chia per 400 lbs of body weight (120 ml per 180 kg of body weight). The
by
oxygen.
If hay per is 400 the
forage
source
for flaxseed oil
should
be 1.5 tablespoons
lbs of predominant
body weight (22.5 ml per
180 kg body
weight). for
amounts of linoleic acid are present. The aging dosage
joints
your
Not all equines are the
same horse, it is critical that you add a fat source that
of older horses are more painful when this omega
6
offers
more and
omega
3s tolerate
than as omega
Ground
Equines such as ponies,
minis, donkeys,
mules cannot
much fat as 6s.
horses.
They require flaxseed
some fat, but
fatty acid is fed in large amounts. And inflammation
generally 1/3 to 1/2 the amount given to horses, proportionate to their weight.
or chia seeds are best for omega 3s. When supple-
leads to oxidative stress, which can damage all Bottom
tissues
line
8 • Walking On
Read the ingredient label on any feed or supplement designed to add more fat to your horse’s diet. The ingredients may
be imbalanced. While it will make your horse shine, it may do nothing to contribute to overall health and worse, it may
actually increase inflammation.