Essential Fatty Acids In Equine Nutrition

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Essential Fatty Acids In Equine Nutrition

Dr. Martin Adams, PAS - Equine Nutritionist for Southern States

You’ve probably noticed lots of ads for omega-3 fat supplements for horses, usually containing flax seed meal or oil, marine algae or fish oil. Studies in humans have found many health benefits with supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet. While research benefits for horses have not been as numerous, the research with omega-3 supplementation for horses has also shown some healthy results. The following information is to provide you with an understanding of essential fatty acids and how you may improve the diet and health of your horse.

Each molecule of fat or oil consists of three fatty acid molecules and one glycerol molecule. The horse needs a certain amount of fat in its diet, and all fats contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Horses require these two types of polyunsaturated fatty acids, the major ones are linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid) and linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid). These fats are termed essential fatty acids (EFA) because the horse’s metabolism can’t synthesize them; they must be consumed in the diet to be provided. Although the exact EFA requirements for horses have not been established, they have been demonstrated as necessary for all animals and humans for many normal body functions. Deficiency of EFA in humans and animals includes hair loss, skin problems and impaired immune function.

Fatty Acids In Pasture Grass & Hay

Pasture grasses and hay, although containing only 2% to 3% fat, have greater concentrations of omega-3 than omega-6 fatty acids. Cereal grains, such as corn and oats, contain much higher levels of omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acids in reference to their total fat content. Both rice bran and soybean oils are higher in omega-3 and lower in omega-6 content than corn oil. And oils from flax and canola seeds contain the largest amounts of omega-3’s, with higher levels of omega-3 than omega-6 fatty acids. Flaxseed oil is the most concentrated plant source of omega-3 fatty acids or alpha-linolenic acid, which is also called ALA and LNA. Fish oil is the greatest source of omega-3 fatty acids, with the highest omega-3:omega-6 ratio, and contains the omega-3’s eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA). Horses can convert ALA into DHA and EPA in their body tissues, which are used in various physiological functions, so these are not required but may be limited in the horse’s diet.

Proper Balance in Horse Feeding

The horse needs a balance of omega-3’s and omega-6’s to function at an optimal level, but the exact amounts or ratio of omega-3:omega-6 is not known. Research has focused on adding more omega-3’s, which increases the dietary ratio of omega-3:omega-6 fatty acids in the equine diet. Studies in horses have shown that high concentrations of omega-6 fatty acids increase inflammatory processes by increasing the formation of prostaglandins. And the addition of omega-3 fatty acids to horse diets has been shown to reduce inflammatory processes by decreasing prostaglandin formation. For example, a study with actively worked reining horses found that supplementation with soybean oil compared to corn oil reduced inflammatory response in horses with the soybean oil dietary addition.

Fat Supplement Comparison For Trip Crown Omega Max, Legends Omega Plus & Legends Pelleted Rich Bran

Guaranteed Nutrient or Feature	Triple Crown Omega Max	Legends Omega Plus	Legends Fortifed Pelleted Rice Bran
Crude Protein (min)	16.0%	12.0%	12.0%
Crude Fat (min)	34.0%	25.0%	18.0%
Crude Fiber (max)	30.0%	8.0%	8.5%
Calcium (min)	0.15%	0.70%	1.25%
Calcium (max)	0.20%	1.20%	1.75%
Phosphorus (min)	0.42%	0.40%	1.50%
Potassium (min)	No Guarantee	1.0%	1.30%
Magnesium (min)	No Guarantee	1.0%	0.45%
Zinc (min)	No Guarantee	No Guarantee	No Guarantee
Copper (min)	No Guarantee	No Guarantee	No Gurantee
Iron (min)	No Guarantee	No Guarantee	100 ppm
Niacin (min)	No Guarantee	No Guarantee	45 mg/lb
Riboflavin (min)	No Guarantee	No Guarantee	1.2 mg/lb
Biotin (min)	No Guarantee	No Guarantee	0.15 mg/lb
Free Fatty Acids (max)	No Guarantee	No Guarantee	4.0%
Selenium (min)	No Guarantee	0.30 ppm	No Guarantee
Vitamin A (min)	No Guarantee	3,000 IU/lb	No Guarantee
Vitamin D3 (min)	No Guarantee	400 IU/lb	No Guarantee
Vitamin E (min)	No Guarantee	300 IU/lb	300 IU/lb
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (min)	20.9%	5.0%	No Guarantee
Omega-6 Fatty Acids (min)	5.9%	10.0%	No Guarantee
Feeding Rate	6 ounces to 1 lb/day	½ to 2 lb/day	½ to 2 lb/day
Balanced Ca:P Levels	No	Yes	Yes
Added Vitamins & Minerals	No	Yes	Yes
Shelf Life	2 years	4 months	1 year
Net Weight (lb)	25	40	40

Triple Crown Omega Max is a high quality, extrusion-stabilized ground flaxseed product. Recommend it to horse owners to replace lower quality, non-stabilized ground flaxseed that has a much shorter shelf life, situations where whole flaxseed is ground before feeding and more convenience is desired (Omega Max is ground extruded flaxseed and omega-3 fatty acids are intact and stable), and for horses needing improvements in hair coat, hoof condition, semen quality and other anti-inflammatory benefits.
Legends Omega Plus is a flaxseed-based extruded particle with vitamin and mineral fortification. It can be fed at higher levels than Triple Crown Omega Max and won’t unbalance the nutrient profile of the total diet. We recommend it to horse owners for hard keepers, show and performance horses for improvements in body condition, hair coat, hoof condition, stamina and other health benefits. It is also a source of “cool calories” meaning that it can be used to decrease the amount of grain fed due to its higher caloric density and can reduce the amount of dietary starch and sugar for reduced excitable behavior. Changes have recently been made in Legends Omega Plus to provide a better appearance and longer shelf life for an increased feeding safety margin. The manufacture date is printed on the back of each bag of Legends Omega Plus, so you can track the shelf life of this product easily.
Legends Fortified Pelleted Rice Bran is an extrusion-stablized rice bran product in a pelleted form with added calcium and vitamin E. It can be fed at higher levels than Triple Crown Omega Max and won’t unbalance the nutrient profile of the total diet. Recommend it to horse owners for hard keepers, show and performance horses for improvements in body condition, hair coat, hoof condition and stamina. It is also a source of “cool calories” meaning that it can be used to decrease the amount of grain fed due to its higher caloric density and can reduce the amount of dietary starch and sugar for reduced excitable behavior.

Use Of Omega-3 Supplements In Horse Feed

Generations of horse owners have fed flaxseed oil or ground flaxseed and observed improved hair coat condition in their horses. Equine nutrition research studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation including improved hair coat, lowered skin inflammation when challenged with inflammatory substances, reduced inflammatory blood metabolites, increased sperm concentration and motility in older stallions, reduced joint inflammation, reduced heart rate during exercise and increased immune response.

The benefits of boosting the immune system and reducing inflammatory responses would be beneficial for horses that are aged, involved in intense exercise, or affected with allergic reactions, emphysema or heaves, degenerative joint disease and laminitis. Also, horses on high-grain diets and horses with allergic conditions and poor hair coat would benefit from higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

Fatty Acids In Southern States Horse Feed

All Southern States horse feeds (Select, Southern States, Legends and Triple Crown horse feeds) use soy oil as the source of fat, which provides increased amounts of omega-3’s compared to horse feeds manufactured with corn oil. Also, all Triple Crown horse feeds contain added flaxseed, and all Triple Crown feeds except Lite contain added rice bran; and both of these ingredients increase the omega-3 content of these feeds. The two Legends Performance horse feeds also contain rice bran and flaxseed for increased omega-3 content.

Southern States also has several fat supplements available that allow you to increase the omega-3 fatty acid level of your horse’s diet. Triple Crown Rice Bran Oil Plus contains a combination of rice bran oil, flaxseed oil and soy oil to provide a high level of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. Triple Crown Omega Max is an extruded flaxseed supplement with 34% fat and a guaranteed omega-3 fatty acid guarantee of 21%. Legends Fortified Pelleted Rice Bran is an extruded pellet with 18% fat. Legends Omega Plus is an extruded flaxseed-based fat supplement. Legends Omega Plus has a fat content of 25%, a guaranteed omega-3 fatty acid guarantee of 5%, and is recommended for show, breeding and performance horses.