Flaxseed for Dummies

[faluut42]

I want to start feeding my horse flaxseed. I was always told it HAD to be cooked before feed to horses. Now I am hearing it can be ground up.

What is the easiest way to prepare flazseed for your horse?

[Seven-up]

We always fed it whole. There are people who will tell you it must be soaked or ground up, but you don't have to. That's what teeth are for. ;) Our horses were so shiny you needed sunglasses to look at them. So the easiest way would be to grab a handful and throw it into the bucket. :D

If you just can't force yourself to feed it whole, you can grind it with a coffee grinder (one feeding at a time, it doesn't store well) or set it out the night before in a small cup and fill the cup with water, then feed it in the morning.

I wouldn't bother with all that. Just dump some in with the feed. Someone will come along and say I'm crazy, but that's ok. It's kind of true. :lol:

[fourmares]

Grind it up in a coffee grinder. I've fed it cooked, ground and whole. What I've found is that it makes the most significant difference when cooked, next best when ground, and least effect when fed whole. Cooking was too much of a PITA, grinding is simple. If I'm in a hurry I'll feed it whole.

[amdfarm]

Not trying to hijack, but more flax questions. Where do you get it and how does it come? I've never been able to find it at the feed stores, but they have BOSS. Is it expensive? I'd like to try it sometime on my group and see if I notice a difference.

TIA

[Seven-up]

Most feed stores have it. If they don't they should be able to order it. You could probably get it at a whole foods store but it would be more expensive. It is kind of costly, but you only feed about a cup or so at a time, so it lasts a long time. I want to say my feed store charges about a dollar a pound, but that might be wrong; haven't bought it in a while. Ages ago, we could buy a 10 lb. bag, but my current feed store sells by the pound because they only get 50 lb. sacks. I've fed flax and BOSS, and I think flax works better as far as shine goes. There's also flax seed oil, but I've never used it.


ETA: Plan on using 1/2 to a whole cup per day per horse...so buy as little as you can as often as you can. It will go bad fairly quick. I think it keeps a little longer if you refrigerate it.

[amdfarm]

Thanks. So you have to buy it in bulk? I should be looking for bins instead of bags, got it. I will ask next time I get feed, which will be this weekend sometime.

I've not had any feed go bad since I feed it so quickly. I have MANY horses to feed and they eat as a group, except for the ponies. I tried BOSS a couple winters ago and they didn't like it, picked through it so they didn't eat it. It fed the birds instead.

[Seven-up]

Unless you have 50 horses, I wouldn't buy the 50 lb. bag. I was going to buy 5 lb. for my 3 horses, and I expect that to last 2 or 3 weeks, I guess. How many cups are in a pound?:confused: So I guess it doesn't go bad that quick. Anyway, they literally need no more than a handful at a time.


I'm surprised to hear your horses didn't like BOSS. My horses will knock you down to get it. It's like crack for horses. :lol:

[amdfarm]

Oh heck no, I don't have THAT many. I have a dozen.

So since I fed them as a group and they eat together, if one would happen to get more than a cup will it hurt them? I would mix it in w/ their other feed (senior, alfalfa pellets and oats.) I have a breeding stallion, broodmares, an old gelding, ponies and youngsters. So five in one pasture and seven in the other. And yes, they actually all share very well.

And if the flax doesn't work I can do the oil thing, which has worked well in the past, but it turns to syrup and freezes in the cold and I'd have to leave it in the house and then take it up. I'm forgetful, so that's probably not a good idea. I have added it to their water tanks before and that worked also.

Nope, they thought BOSS was poison. Similar mix of feed like the above, but they picked through it well. Mine are not what I'd call food picky either, they'll pretty much eat anything, but they never gave BOSS a chance, even mixed in w/ oil, which they love. It amazes me how they can pick out such small pieces of food stuff they don't like.

Thanks again.

[Seven-up]

I think as long as you mix it up well, it should be ok. I don't think it would hurt if they get more, but I'm not real sure what a flax seed is made of... :lol:

[copper1]

Whole flax seed keeps just as any feed, keep in a dry place. It is unstable when ground so you wouldn't want to grind a whole bag! I grind in a coffee grinder as I make up the feeds. Most feed stores can get you flax seed if they don't already carry it. If you only have one horse, you can buy a box of ground flax at WalMart-about $1 for a pound box in the flour/sugar section. Need to be refridgerated after it is opened.
Flax is a plant that is grown for not only the seeds, but the stalks are split and the fibers are spun into thread to make linen.

[marta]

is that a fact?

my mare hates it and i keep lowering the amount she's getting to get her to eat her food but i'm worrying that if i give her less, she will not benefit from it.

so how much? really a handful?

[Posting Trot]

I think you can feed any amount from a handful to 8 oz or even a pound. Have you tried Horsetech's Nutraflax? Horsetech will add a flavoring to the flax to increase palatability for a picky horse.
I've never had that problem, but it's a nice option.

[Tif_Ann]

I use brown flax, my sister uses golden flax - I'm not sure what the difference is. I give my boys 2-3 oz of brown flax per day, that's it, and they have the shiniest and softest coats they've ever had. The brown flax is more expensive than the golden, and is much finer. Does anyone know the difference?

[Seven-up]

is that a fact?

my mare hates it and i keep lowering the amount she's getting to get her to eat her food but i'm worrying that if i give her less, she will not benefit from it.

so how much? really a handful?

:lol::lol::lol: No, I can't really say that's a scientific fact. That was just how we fed 14 or so horses at a time...grab a handful, toss it in with the feed, move on to the next one. It was a time management issue.

I have smallish hands, so I'd say it was maybe half a cup? It worked great. In fact, my trainer probably fed even less to make it last longer. If I end up feeding it again, I'd go with no more than about a cup a day. I know someone else who soaks hers overnight, and what she does is fill one of those paper dixie cups up halfway with flax, then fill it to the top with water. If you know how small those cups are, that's probably 1/4 c. measured.

[cloudyandcallie]

Seminole distributes the Canadian flax seed in 50 pound bags, and it is stabilized and can withstand a hot Georgia summer without going bad. I found Seminole's price and product is the best deal around here, cheaper than wal-mart or tractor supply.

Or buy the Buckeye ultimate finish and use a little of that every day. I don't feed for coats but for health, but the ultimate finish puts a great shine on coats, but it also makes horses get portly too.

Both have lots of omega 3 for healthy horses.

BOSS has too much omega 6.

[fourmares]

I buy 50 lb sacks of whole flax. I feed 6 horses. I lasts 4 - 6 weeks. Store it in plastic bins. I've never had it go bad. It won't matter if one horse gets more than it's share.

[tpup]

Posting Trot, I just started Nutraflax and my guy is getting loose stools - not diarrhea but loose and "ploppy". I started with only 1/2 scoop. It might be 1/4 cup? Now I've cut that in half to see if it helps. I'd love to hear more about how much everyone feeds.

[stuge]

I have some more questions. I still didn't see how much is good to feed if you are feeding for the omega 3s. Also, if you get whole seed and grind it, how long is it good for? Like could I grind a week or two at a time? For one horse would it just be best to feed something like the Omega horseshine?

[Posting Trot]

As far as the loose stools go, it will just take a few days for the horse's system to get used to the flax. Flax is high fiber, and also gels when it hits water (in the g-i system), and that can move things along pretty rapidly at first.

As far as how much you need to feed goes, a lot depends on what else the horse is eating. A horse on fresh pasture probably doesn't need that much additional Omega-3 that's found in flax. A horse that is eating hay mostly for forage could benefit from more, since Omega-3s in grass tend to break down as the hay is cured and dried.

Flax is also relatively high in protein, but a horse that is already getting sufficient protein of various types from other sources may not need a lot of additional from flax. A horse that is on just forage or a lower protein feed may benefit from a slightly larger quantity.

Basically, unless the horse has some serious nutritional or metabolic issues, you can just determine the right amount by trial and error. My horse has been getting 6 oz a day of Horsetech's Glanzen GL for several years, and she has a great coat and great hooves. I initially put her on flax because she'd had a bout of rainrot and somewhat shelly hooves. I wouldn't attribute all of the changes to flax, but I think it certainly helped.

[HandsomeBayFarm]

My feed store only had Flax Seed Meal. Does this have the same benefits? How is it different?

[Simkie]

My feed store only had Flax Seed Meal. Does this have the same benefits? How is it different?

Flax seed meal is what's left over after the oil has been extracted. It might be a decent protein supplement, but pretty much everything you want when feeding flax has been removed.

The whole seed will keep nearly forever, as long as you keep it dry.

As soon as you grind it, the good stuff in the seed starts to oxidize and will be significantly less useful in hours. If you grind it and keep it in the fridge or freezer, it should last a couple days.

Seeds are sort of like canned goods--they'll keep for a good long while as long as the can is intact. Open the can and leave it at room temp, and it's going to be something you don't want to eat pretty quickly.

Heat stabilized ground flax keeps for months, so if you really don't want to deal with the whole seed, that's an option. I am curious how the heat stabilize it while keeping the omega 3s intact, as they are very sensetive to heat...

[Texarkana]

.
Heat stabilized ground flax keeps for months, so if you really don't want to deal with the whole seed, that's an option. I am curious how the heat stabilize it while keeping the omega 3s intact, as they are very sensetive to heat...

I've always wondered the same thing, especially in regards to those who cook their whole seeds prior to feeding...

[purplnurpl]

horsetech carries Flax.

And they send a little bag of Famous Amos cookies with the order.
lol.

they are so nice at Horsetech. I hadn't ordered from them for at least a year and they even sent a thank you Holiday Card.

sweet.
and yummy cookies.

[AnnaCrew]

I was told to add flax to the feed to help the horse's digestive system; nice coat is just a side effect in my case.

I feed grinded flaxseeds (we have proper grain grinder, so I'm getting a bag of seeds, grind them and keep in my kitchen - never went bad).

In my case the recipe is - pour over the handful of flaxseeds a hot water (must be at +70 C ) and let them soak in, add pellets and serve - they all like it.

Grinding just helps to reduce the amount needed by half as horse can diggest it better (faster) before it is out of system again.

I rather give rough hard grass hay all day long for their teeth, but try to save on lax seeds (they are quite expensive here, about 1 $ per lbs.)

[craz4crtrs]

Another thought on the runny stools, flax is even more efficient that psyllium for removing sand. It gels up and moves sand along with it, but it is also nutritious, unlike psyllium. Maybe the flax is cleaning your horse's system out of sand.

I feed it whole along with BOSS. Balanced omega 3's and 6's is a good thing. I have oldies and they don't have any trouble digesting the flax and boss. Most of the hulls that pass are empty, been digested. Just the outer hulls left. The birds clean up the rest.

I honestly have very few flax or sunflower plants on my 5 acres.

1/2 c measure whole flax to 3/4 c boss.

[Melyni]

Whole flax seed is about 50% digestible. The whole seeds have a higher ALA content, and are much cheaper and easier to store.
So I'd recommend feeding whole seed, and doubling the amount.
OR grind or wet JUST before feeding.
I feed 50 horses so no way to grind it for each horse just before feeding, we wet it at feeding time, and feed it whole.
The horses do great on it.
MW

[jaimebaker]

For those that soak it, how long do you soak? I soak my BP shreds in warm water about 30 minutes before feeding. Could I just soak the flax when I soak the BP and it do a good job?

[fourmares]

You could soak it with the beet pulp. I don't know that 30 minutes is enough to make a difference. When you cook it you put it in a crock pot with double the amount of water and cook it on low for at least three hours. Plan on never using the crock pot for any thing else again... Ditto whatever you use to scoop the slime out of the pot when feed it.

[strawberry roan]

I buy Equine Omega Plus from KVVet that is cold milled and supposed to be stable for 22 months. My horses just eat it up, don't mind it at all.

[partlycloudy]

I mix my boss and flax meal together (about 50/50) and then I add it ,along with salt to the beet pulp. Soak overnite. then I add a little boiling water in the morning (cold here) and mix it up with whatever oats each horse gets. really doesn't take long and have never had any not gobble it up!
Since it is pretty well like living in a refridgerater here, mine has not gone bad....25 kg bag of ground.

[ASB Stars]

I grind mine in a blender each AM/PM. I have to grind a bunch, but it only takes about five minutes to do, altogether.

For those who insist that feeding it whole is fine- I would point out (as a minor example) that oats are crimped and rolled to allow maximum digestibility from them. Yes, a horse can eat whole oats, but why?

In this day and age, I want to get the maximum use out of each of the things I am putting into my horses- and 50% ain't it.

Just grind it! :winkgrin:

[lauriep]

We use ground from here http://gettyequinenutrition.biz/Products/nutraflax.htm?gclid=CPKV67yzs5ICFT00FQodtVKERQ . Shelf life is 6 months. We have a lot of horses, so it goes quickly. The improvement in coats (and ours were already great) is amazing.

[godoget]

Grinding flax seed releases an enzyme in the seed coat which damages the fatty acids and promotes oxidation. Since the enzyme is a protein, heating will denature it and inactivate it. Flax that has been ground without heat stabilization oxidizes very rapidly unless it is protected from air and refrigerated. Heat stabilized flax can be stored at room temperature for as much as 12 months.

Whole flax has a very low digesitbility. The number of 50% digestible is extremely optimistic. The seed themselves are very small and so are not very likely to get chewed sufficiently to make any difference in digestibility.

What's the correct amount of omega 3's for horses? The answer is: Nobody knows. The ratio of 1:1 between omega-6's and omega-3's is based on the fact that that is the ratio in fresh grasses. It does not necessarily follow that that is the best ratio for horses. There is also evidence that the form of omega-3's from fish oils (20 carbons) has more benefit than those from flax (18 carbons). Other than in Iceland, I don't know of any horses that eat fish as part of their normal diet. Point being that if something as unnatural to the horse's as fish provides the best source of omega-3's, why would we assume that grass has the best ratio just because it is a natural part of the horse's diet. The jury is still out.

[WhisperHeart]

i feed my three Omega Horseshine which is stabalized flax from omegafields.com. does great things for them and their so shiny and silky and it makes their mane and tails grow.

i bought a 50lb bag last year around september and just ran out last week! it lasts a long time so do try to buy smaller quantities enlse you have 3+ horses

[Alexie]

can someone tell me, is there a difference between flax and linseed? or are they the same thing?

[Melyni]

can someone tell me, is there a difference between flax and linseed? or are they the same thing?

They are the same, linseed is what the Europeans call it and Flax is what it is called on this side of the pond.
MW