For the Health of It
menting, limit the amount fed to no more than ½ cup
ground flaxseed or ¼ cup chia per 400 lbs of body
weight (120 ml per 180 kg of body weight). The dosage
for flaxseed oil should be 1.5 tablespoons per 400 lbs of
body weight (22.5 ml per 180 kg body weight).
Not all equines are the same
Equines such as ponies, minis, donkeys, and mules
cannot tolerate as much fat as horses. They require
some fat, but generally 1/3 to 1/2 the amount given to
horses, proportionate to their weight.
Bottom line
Read the ingredient label on any feed or supplement
designed to add more fat to your horse’s diet. The in-
gredients 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.
Dr. Getty’s fundamental resource book, Feed Your Horse
Like a Horse, is now in paperback as well as in hardcover,
searchable CD and Kindle versions. All except the Kindle ver-
sion are available at www.GettyEquineNutrition.com -- buy
the book there and have it inscribed by the author. Print and
Kindle versions are also available at Amazon (www.Amazon.
com); find print versions at other online retail bookstores. The
seven individual volumes in Dr. Getty’s topic-centered “Spot-
light on Equine Nutrition” series are available with special
package pricing at her website, and also at Amazon in print
and Kindle versions. Dr. Getty’s books make ideal gifts for
equestrians!
Find a world of useful information for the horseperson
at www.GettyEquineNutrition.com: Sign up for Dr. Getty’s
informative, free e-newsletter, Forage for Thought; browse
her library of reference articles; search her nutrition forum
archives; and purchase recordings of her educational tele-
seminars. Find top-quality supplements, feeders, and other
equine-related items, at her online Free Shipping Supplement
Store[vi]. Reach Dr. Getty directly at gettyequinenutrition@
gmail.com.
[i] There is another omega 6 that is not as prevalent in
the horse’s diet, known as gamma linolenic acid (GLA).
GLA is receiving attention for horses’ diets because unlike
linoleic acid, GLA actually reduces inflammation. GLA is
found in significant quantities in hempseed oil (see note
v below), and is also found in evening primrose oil and spir-
ulina.
[ii] Omega 9s are another classification of fatty acids that
do not promote inflammation and may protect the heart
and blood vessels.
[iii] Fish oils are also high in omega 3s. However, ALA
from plants is converted to the longer chain omega 3s found
in fish oils.
[iv] Coconut oil is popular, but it has no omega 3s.
Therefore, if you feed this as your only source of fat, your
horse will become deficient in this essential fatty acid.
He’ll be very shiny, but he will be unhealthy. Coconut oil is
more than 90% saturated, with a smidgen of linoleic acid.
The saturated fatty acids exist mostly as medium chain
triglycerides (MCT), which is controversial because these
types of fatty acids do not exist in grasses. However, MCT
are metabolized differently from saturated fats and may be
beneficial for metabolically challenged horses.
[v] Hempseed oil also contain approximately 2-4% Gam-
ma Linolenic Acid, a beneficial omega 6 fatty acid known to
reduce inflammation.
[vi] http://horsesupplements.gettyequinenutrition.biz
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