Page 140 - September 2019

FATS CAN GET RANCID
“Once the oil is poured out of the bottle and put on the feed, don’t leave the feed sitting around a long time before it is eaten,” she says. “As the oil is exposed to the air, it starts to oxidize and break down, and will become rancid. It won’t spoil in just a few minutes, but you wouldn’t want to keep something that’s mixed up in the morning to feed that evening, particularly in hot weather. In the winter, it might be okay for 24 hours, but not in the summer.” Horses are very sensitive in terms of smell and taste, and may reject something that smells or tastes rancid. You will know if a horse is eating too much
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“ “ r r o o a a d d a a p p p p l l e e s s ” ” w w i i l l l l t t u u r r n n i i n n t t o o s s o o f f t t e e r r “ “ c c o o w w p p i i e e s s . .” ”
The form of fatty acid in fish oil is already converted into the anti-inflammatories DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), meaning it is immediately available for the body to use.
that this can help with inflammation in joints.” Thus, it is very important to have the right balance between the Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, with not too many Omega-6’s.
In the past, around 25 years ago, most horses were given corn oil as the added fat in their diet. “It’s palatable and easy to feed, and you can buy it in large containers at reasonable price,” she says. “Then, we discovered that corn oil is pretty high in Omega-6 fatty acids. The Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio in corn oil is 56 parts Omega-6 to 1 part Omega-3.”
Grass is a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, even though there is not a lot of fat in grass. “What fat there is in grass is higher in Omega-3 than Omega-6,” she says. So, horses on a natural diet of grass get the proper balance for good health.
“We don’t know what the ideal ratio should
be in the horse’s body, but current recommenda- tions for humans are about 5 parts Omega-6 to 1 part Omega-3, which is the opposite of what we find in grass,” Crandell says. “Most oils are higher in Omega-6 than Omega-3. Corn oil is 56 to1, while linseed oil is 0.2 to 1, which means it is much
Options for vegetable oils are many, including
olive oil, corn oil, canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, cottonseed oil, linseed oil, coconut oil, palm oil, rice oil and chia oil.
higher in Omega-3 than corn oil is. The oils that are really high in Omega-6 are corn, sunflower (632 to 1 Omega-3 – basically no Omega-3’s), peanut oil, and safflower oil (700 to 39). Coconut oil is a little different because it is high in medium-chain fatty acids. If you look at the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3, it looks a little bad (almost 15 Omega-6 to 1 Omega-3), but most of the oil consists of medium-chain fatty acids; you wouldn’t be feeding coconut oil for the Omega-3’s. Palm oil is a little higher in Omega-6 (9%) and Omega-3 is only 0.2, so it doesn’t have a very good ratio, either – but it also contains some different fatty acids,” she says.
“Soybean oil and canola have a nice balance. Soy is 7 Omega-6 to 1 Omega-3, so it’s still a little high, but not bad, and this is the most commonly used oil in commercial concentrate feeds. Canola
is only 2 to 1, so it is higher in Omega-3 fatty acids than any of the other commonly used oils; it is 11% Omega-3 and 22% Omega-6. If you buy oil to feed for energy and also thinking about the Omega-3s, canola is probably the best one,” says Crandell.
In earlier research looking at corn oil versus rice bran, exercising horses had higher heart rates when fed corn oil. “Whether the Omega-3 fatty acids actually affect performance, we don’t know, but there are some indications that the oils that are really high in Omega-6 fatty acids can adversely affect performance,” she says.
There are a few new fat products on the market for horses, including hemp oil and camelina oil. “The camelina is high in Omega-3 fatty acids (about 39% Omega-3 and only 18% Omega-6). Hemp
oil is not as high in Omega-3; it is actually higher
in Omega-6 fatty acids than Omega-3, but people tout it because it also has Omega-9. The body can actually make Omega-9 fatty acids, however, so it’s not an essential fatty acid. It’s nice to have it in there, but not really necessary,” she explains.
138 SPEEDHORSE, September 2019
EQUINE HEALTH