Corn oil vs. new fatty suppliments?

[florida foxhunter]

I was speaking to an "old horseman" last night and he insisted there is nothing better than Corn Oil for putting weight and bloom on a horse. I am considering switching feeds to one with less fat than I'm used to (6% instead of 10%)....and want to be sure to keep the "bloom" on my (show) horses.....the new feed has Chrondrotoin Sulfate and Glucosomine IN it which sure seems easier and IS cheaper supplimentation.

I'm aware of the new "thing" of "NO CORN" to keep horses from getting hot from their feed (ie controlled starch and carbs)........would "corn oil" cause the hotness?????

What's your favorite fatty suppliment to keep the bloom on (within reasonable costs as I have 13 horses!!!)

[Rusty Stirrup]

I'm an "old horseman," (well woman), too, but I try to keep up with new research. Your friend probably remembers when there was limited alternatives (although 45 years ago we used flax seed, not corn oil). There have been studies on corn oil vs other types (you can probably find the studies on line) and it has been shown that corn oil can cause inflamation and thus, heat is the tissues of some horses. Canola oil was developed especially for livestock and is an inexpensive way to add fat to the horses diet.

[Bogie]

I give my horses flax seed for bloom. Flax is an anti-inflammatory (corn and soy are documented to have inflammatory properties).

As for weight, I've always used rice bran.

[JB]

Omega 6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory. O3 anti-inflammatory.

Both are necessary.

However, horses don't need more O6.

But there has been no correlation, that I've seen yet, that boss (high in O6) or oil leads to inflammation that wasn't there before in a horse. People, yes, but you can't just take that over to horses.

That said, I wouldn't give oil or boss to a horse with arthritis, just in case.

[deltawave]

Corn oil has none of the properties of regular corn re: starch/carbs. Corn oil is just fat, and is as good a source as any if that's what you want. :) A horse that's sensitive to sugar/starch/carbs is not going to have a problem with oil in that regard, regardless of the source of the oil.

[Riley0522]

Corn oil has worked great for my horse for years, even through his injury...it didn't cause any excess swelling that was apparent to me.

[pintopiaffe]

In light of the fact that my soy sensitive guy can have soy oil and not have any of the problems he has with *soy,* I tend to agree with DW. There ARE studies in HUMANS re: the omega 3 vs. 6, inflammation etc.

"Just in case", I would use canola, and DO use a combo of canola and flax for the ones who already have issues. Maybe overkill, but maybe not.

[deltawave]

Pro-inflammatory =/= inflammation =/= swelling =/= arthritis. :)

(=/= means "does not equal") Not all inflammation is bad or detrimental. :)

[ThoroughbredFancy]

I prefer Canola oil and flax. Helps their coats and adds weight.

I am not opposed to corn oil because I fed it to my horse awhile back and saw no negative results. Canola was on sale for a while so I stocked up on that.:D

[deltawave]

Canola was on sale for a while so I stocked up on that.:D

That generally is how I choose what oil to buy, too. :lol:

[Dirty Little Secret]

I use Glanzen for bloom and rice bran for calories/weight.

[manyspots]

Another vote for Rice Bran here...

I feed a pretty basic diet of beep and alfalfa pellets, but my gelding just wasn't "blooming" and was between 4.5 and 5 on the body scale. I tried Canola (stayed away from corn for many reasons above) and flax with little success on max amounts. He was also on oats too.

Five weeks ago I did I diet overhaul and eliminated the oats, oils, and flax. Introduced Rice Bran (Triple Crown). Up front cost was $26 for 40 lbs. I am still working on that bag and it will probably get me another 2 weeks. He is only on about 1 QT per day and looks fantastic. No high energy and overall, this will be a cheaper option for me. I anticipate being able to only have to use this during cold months when he has a harder time keeping wieght on... the rest of the seasons he doesn't need the help.

[ladipus]

I was speaking to an "old horseman" last night and he insisted there is nothing better than Corn Oil for putting weight and bloom on a horse. I am considering switching feeds to one with less fat than I'm used to (6% instead of 10%)....and want to be sure to keep the "bloom" on my (show) horses.....the new feed has Chrondrotoin Sulfate and Glucosomine IN it which sure seems easier and IS cheaper supplimentation.

I'm aware of the new "thing" of "NO CORN" to keep horses from getting hot from their feed (ie controlled starch and carbs)........would "corn oil" cause the hotness?????

What's your favorite fatty suppliment to keep the bloom on (within reasonable costs as I have 13 horses!!!)

I find that corn oil alone has made some of my horses hot...the only "oil" that i've used and liked was the Triple Crown Rice Bran Plus oil which i believe contained a blend of rice bran oil,flax oil,and corn oil and didn't make the horses hot.
here's a link about it: http://triplecrownfeeds.com/rice-bran-oil-plus.php

I also really like using extruded fat supplements that safely add cool calories such as :

http://buckeyenutrition.com/equine/UltimateFinish.htm or : http://prognutrition.com/envisionclassic.html

[BornToRide]

Also keep in mind that rape seed (canola) corn and soy are some of grown GE food crops. Unless you buy organic, you me be feeding a more pesticide-laden product to your horses, as pesticides tend to accumulate in fats.

[DMK]

That generally is how I choose what oil to buy, too. :lol:

veggie (soy) oil always wins, doesn't it? ;)

[deltawave]

I'd give them all olive oil if I could find it cheap enough. That's all I use to cook, other than peanut oil for stir-fry. But sometimes corn oil winds up cheaper than canola--it really just depends. Haven't bought oil for the horses in ages.

[foggybok]

veggie (soy) oil always wins, doesn't it? ;)

I've been having a hard time finding oil cheap enough anymore. It used to be a very cost effective source of calories. Now it's really not. The cost per calorie is not any better than some of the other high cal feeds.....

[dalpal]

Delta....I tried Olive Oil once and my horse wouldn't touch it. :lol: Go figure.

I use Omega Horseshine and Max E Glo (Stabilized Rice Bran)

[Lulu]

I am using Wellpride fish oil and have been extremely impressed with the change in just two weeks. He only gets two ounces a day, but I'm already starting to see results.

[<3OTTB]

I am using Wellpride fish oil and have been extremely impressed with the change in just two weeks. He only gets two ounces a day, but I'm already starting to see results.


agreed. I love Cod Liver Oil.:D I swear it calms down nervous horses as well.

I also like flax seeds, cocosoya, oil olive. But I get the best results with CLO. I don't use it on pregnant mares or real youngsters in case of heavy metals.

[deltawave]

Cod liver oil is nothing at all like fish oil! :eek:

[dwblover]

I fed corn oil for a long time and never saw any negatives with it. I do feed canola oil now though. I do Canola oil with a bit of olive oil mixed in. My horses don't mind the olive oil. My youngster has atrial fibrillation so I like to give him olive oil since it's so good for your heart. Wish I could feed just olive oil but it's way too expensive. But regardless of type, oil is IMO the BEST way to put/keep weight on horses since it packs so many, many calories into such a small amount.

[florida foxhunter]

I spoke at length with the nutritionist at Tribute Feeds this afternoon and Asked about the O"mega 6 vs. Omega 3 controversies stated above. He agreed that omega 6 can be inflamatory in people, but added that for a horse to get that amount would be extremely rare!

[DMK]

I've been having a hard time finding oil cheap enough anymore. It used to be a very cost effective source of calories. Now it's really not. The cost per calorie is not any better than some of the other high cal feeds.....

Good ol' "Le Mart de Wal" - $7/gallon. But I only feed 12 oz/day between 2 horses so it's not a real bank buster (uh, especially since the grain is $21/bag!)

[<3OTTB]

Cod liver oil is nothing at all like fish oil! :eek:

My mistake. I feed cod liver oil, not fish oil. I thought fish oil was a general term under which "clo" fell under. Feel free to talk more about fish oil.

[findeight]

Maybe 40 year back when I was a pup, I bought one of the first coat products introduced...maybe by Farnam?
Anyway, Dad was a research chemist and read the label, pointed out it was basically corn oil and powdered milk with some stuff to make it a powder that would last in a container. I spent the next 20 years or so "custom mixing" those ingredients...which went well with the alfalfa hay that was all we fed out west.

Nowdays, there is actually a good selection and I just started feeding a specific coat supplement again as my horse is aging and needs a little coat boost. I selected something from Smart Pak based on price and a high Omega content from various sources.

Have to say, very pleased with the results-really see a difference and shedding like never before.

As an old time horseman, yeah, used the corn oil, no problems. But today there are so many alternatives that work as well or better there is no need to improvise. Oils are a mess anyway.

[touchstone-]

veggie (soy) oil always wins, doesn't it? ;)

As it turns out, I was just buying oil last night, and the corn oil (which I usually buy anyway) was cheaper than veggie.

[ivy62]

I completely revamped my horses diet recently...EPSM so we do Higher fats and very low NSC...I use rice bran and a ration balancer as our basic feed...It has taken about 6 months or so and the change has been amazing! Oils of all kinds are messy and go rancid in the summer, we have no frig available. My horse probably would not eat it any way! His weight is good and his coat is good but the amazing thing is his tail....never had a tail go below his hocks and was scrawny now almost to the floor and full! Flax has a lot of good qualities I like the Nutra Flax as it is stablized and does not have to be ground or boiled....easier storage and dosing too.....Finish Hemp oil is good too....

[Lulu]

I don't know much about cod liver oil (except from what I saw on "Little Rascals".) You can read about the more purified fish oil I use at wellpride.com... I began using something similar on my dogs, both of whom are cancer patients, and now that my horse is dealing with cancer too (cutaneous lymphoma removed last month) I figured it couldn't hurt. Before my gelding's diagnosis, I was planning to put him on an oil to fatten him up anyway, and I have been very pleased with this product. In fact, I am taking it myself (they make a human version too.) It has many purported benefits, from immune system to ulcers to joints... the downside is that it's pretty darn expensive, about $50/30 oz. bottle.

[Draftlover]

I have been using 'bog standard' vegetable oil on all my horses plus all boarding horses for years, all are different breeds and are used at varying different levels of competition and non competition. From Quarterhorse to TB to Draft, from 2 years to 22 years. They maintain great weight, vitality and health and coat condition. You can't beat it !!

[yellowbritches]

I have had very good results with rice bran for both weight and bloom. It is easy to feed and MOST horses don't mind it a bit (I've run across a few, though, who rather not eat than eat rice bran, which is just terrific when you are trying to get them to GAIN).

And I've recently become a fan of flaxseed. My sensitive skinned, allergy ridden, dry and flaky boy has been on it about a month now and we've had no hives (I won't hold my breath on that lasting) and the dry skin and flakiness is rapidly going away and in place of that is a healthy, shiny bloom. Yay!!! He gets about 4oz a day, and he eats it right up.

I actually just had a talk regarding corn oil with a client today, who's horse is a little flaky, too. My only real objection to oil (of any kind) is the mess. Rice bran and flaxseed are just easy and neat to feed. And they work just as well, I think.

[deltawave]

Cod liver oil is basically mega (even toxic) doses of vitamin A and not much else. Fish oil is another thing altogether; the only resemblance between the two is the scaly source. :)

[kookicat]

I don't really find oil messy. I stick it into a big bottle, and use one of these:

http://www.purespadirect.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=VW-126327&click=10549

to get it into the bucket. I use whatever's cheap at the supermarket! :)