December 2013 . . .
Reprinted from
Winning Nutrition:
Solutions For The
Skinny Horse
It’s more than throwing more feed at him.
S
ome horses can’t maintain a
healthy amount of flesh, and
it’s frustrating. Giving these
horses more to eat is necessary, but
it’s not that simple. First, make
sure there isn’t an underlying problem. Be sure to check for:
1. Dental and mouth problems.
The most common reason for
weight loss is poor teeth. Watch for
wasted forage around the feeder
or feed dropping from the horse’s
mouth while he’s eating. Nasal
discharge, foul-smelling breath and
swelling around the face may also
indicate the horse’s teeth or gums
need attention.
2. Worms. Inadequate internal
parasite control can lead to weight
First, rule out potential problems, like
dental issues.
loss. Taking a fecal sample to your
vet for an egg count drug recommendation to target specific parasites is wise but not always practi-
cal. If this isn’t your cup of tea, then
choose a broad-spectrum drug,
like ivermectin or moxidectin, and
deworm your horse.
3. Disease. Illnesses can go unnoticed in the early stages, especially
when you see the horse every day.
Always involve your veterinarian
initially in weight-loss problems. In
addition to an exam, expect him to
do blood tests, like a CBC (complete
blood count) and liver enzymes.
The Basics. Hay and grass are
equine dietary staples. Offer hay
free-choice 24/7.
Maximize grass hay, but consider
alfalfa, too. Alfalfa complements
grass by providing amino acids, the
building blocks of protein. It can
be fed as hay, cubes or pellets (be
sure to moisten the cubes or pellets
to prevent choke). Approximately
30 to 40 percent of the total hay ration can be fed as alfalfa, but avoid
feeding more than 50% to prevent
enteroliths.
Concentrated feeds add calories,
Probiotics May Help . . .
. . . especially if the horse is somehow under stress, whether due to age, illness or activity.
You can feed the best forage available and your horse won’t get its maximum benefits if his digestive enzymes
aren’t up to snuff. Normally, billions of beneficial bacteria work in the digestive tract to produce enzymes
needed for digestion. If their numbers diminish, then digestion isn’t optimal. If the horse has trouble holding
his weight, battles an illness (especially if antibiotics are used), is under stress (like shipping or stall confinement) or is experiencing diarrhea, a probiotic might help.
A prebiotic is different than a probiotic because the prebiotic doesn’t contain any live microbes. Instead, a prebiotic feeds and strengthens the existing bacterial flora. The result is weight gain, since the horse gets more
calories from what he eats. Prebiotics are listed as “fermentation products,” derived when bacteria ferment
various carbohydrate sources. Ration Plus (www.rationplus.com, 800-728-4667) is a good prebiotic choice.
A probiotic consists of live microbes and replaces the beneficial bacteria destroyed by stress, pasture restriction, or antibiotic therapy. Cultures of live yeast organisms are also used as probiotics. Yeast benefits the horse
by stimulating the growth of fiber-digesting bacteria. The most common strain of yeast fed as a probiotic is
Saccharomyces cerevisiea.
Probiotics also help promote the formation of B vitamins, which stimulate the appetite, protect the digestive
tract lining, and synthesize body protein (e.g., muscle, red blood cells, enzymes, antibodies and specific body
tissues). Not enough B vitamins can result in weight loss due to malnutrition at the cellular level.
When shopping, check the number of colony forming units (CFUs), which tells you the number of microorganisms. There should be at least one billion (denoted by 109) CFUs per organism. More is preferable. If the
product shows 106, 107 or 108, we don’t consider it concentrated enough for a significant benefit. Yeast+ from
Horse Tech (www.horsetech.com, 800-831-3309) contains a high number of yeast organisms.
but don’t automatically reach for
oats or sweet feed. Both are high
in carbohydrates but not calories. Instead, consider feeding fat
sources, as fat has more than twice
the calories of carbohydrates. If you
feed a commercially fortified feed,
check the label for one that offers
a high amount of fat—at least 8%.
Good sources to see on the ingredients label are alfalfa meal, beet
pulp, soybean meal, rice bran and
ground flaxseeds without added
cereal grains and molasses.
You can also easily supplement
fat, if you don’t want to disrupt
your choice of a grain/concentrate.
Choices include soybean oil, corn
oil, flaxseed (ground or oil), rice
bran and its oil, chia seeds, and
hemp seed oil. While all contain
the same 9 kilocalories per gram,
they vary in fatty acid content, and
that’s important to your horse’s
overall health.
The goal is to simulate the types of
fatty acids found in living grasses:
a ratio of 4:1 of alpha-linolenic acid
(an omega 3) to linoleic acid (an
omega 6). Unfortunately, commercial feeds usually include soybean
and corn oils, which are high in
omega 6s. Therefore, to maintain
the optimal balance, we like to
add ground flaxseed or chia seeds,
which are excellent sources of
omega 3 and provide high-quality
protein.
Chances are you can purchase
flaxseeds from your feed dealer
and grind them yourself. However,
most of us find ground stabilized
flaxseed a much simpler choice.
Many supplements are flaxseedbased, but if you want to add pure
flaxseed to your horse’s diet to increase his fat, we like the flaxseed
from HorseTech (www.horsetech.
com, 800-831-3309) and OmegaFields (www.omegafields.com,
877-663-4203). Note of caution on
OmegaFields’ OmegaShine: It does
contain a small amount of oats, so
may not be a good choice for insulin-resistant horses. HorseTech also
carries chia seeds.
If yet more fat is needed, consider
adding rice bran, or olive, canola, or
rice bran oils, since they’re highest
in the monounsaturated fatty acid
known as oleic acid (an omega 9),
which does not promote inflammation in the body.
Oils are heavy products to ship,
so it may be wise to purchase them
locally, if you can. We found good
choices from: MannaPro (www.
mannapro.com, 800-690-9908),
Kauffman’s (www.ka-hi.com,
800-332-5244), McCauley’s (www.
mccauleybros.com, 800-222-8635),
Triple Crown (www.triplecrownnutrition.com, 800-451-9916), and
AniMed (www.animedproducts.
com, 859-737-3441). We also like
the oil form of Equi-Omega (www.
uckele.com, 800-248-0330), which
is a good mix.
All oils contain a combination of
different types of fatty acids, but
some are higher in one type over
another. The table below compares
commonly fed oils.
How much fat? When adding oil,
start with only one tablespoon per
meal. You can slowly build up to
one cup (240 ml) per day for the
maintenance horse and as high as
two cups per day for the intensely
exercised horse. However, many
horses don’t like oily feed, so take
your time and prepare to back off
if necessary. When feeding ground
flaxseed or chia seeds, build up to
½ cup (120 ml) per day per 400 lbs.
(180 kg) of desired body weight (a
1,200-lb. horse would work up to
1½ cups of ground flaxseed).
The best commercial product for
weight gain probably isn’t going
to be cheap. In reviewing various
products specifically marketed for
weight gain, we felt that the manufacturer’s goal was often to make
the product inexpensive and easy
to handle and store. So, we eliminated any from our choices that
didn’t meet our minimum requirements:
1. The fatty acid composition of
the fat source should be common
to what horses would naturally eat.
Therefore, no hydrogenated oils or
fats high in saturated fat.
2. To ensure a balance of fatty ac-
Generic Oil Choices For Adding Fat
Oil/Fat
Source
Comments
Canola oil
54% monounsaturated fatty acids – omega 9s (not inflammatory). Provides 10%
omega 3 and is relatively low in omega 6 at approximately 30%.
Chia seeds
Slightly lower levels of omega 3 than ground flaxseed but still provides an excellent
3.3:1 ratio of omega 3:6. Chia seeds are approximately 30% fat with 20% of it as
omega 3s.
Coconut oil
91% saturated medium chain fatty acids, not found in living grasses. There are no
omega 3s.
Corn oil
No omega 3 and higher in omega 6s than soybean oil. Corn oil is the poorest choice
of the oils.
Fish oils
Concentrated in omega 3s: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid
(EPA). Significantly reduces inflammation. Not all horses accept fish oil in their diet.
Flaxseed
(ground or
oil)
Both forms provide a 3.8:1 ratio of omega 3s to 6s, which compares to grass. Ground
flaxseed has approximately 30% fat with 21% as omega 3 and 5.7% as omega 6.
Flaxseed oil is 100% fat and provides 56% omega 3s and 15% omega 6s.
Hemp seed
oil
Has an inverted ratio with more omega 6s (60%) than omega 3s (20%). Higher in
omega 3s than most oils but cannot compare to flaxseed or chia. Some of the omega
6s (approximately 4%), however, are in the form of another omega 6 called gamma
linolenic acid (GLA), which is anti-inflammatory.
Olive oil
Best source (75%) of oleic acid (omega 9). Good to add when additional fat is needed
beyond flax or chia supplementation. Contains approximately 8% omega 3s.
Peanut oil
Mainly contains monounsaturated omega 9s. Some horses do not like the taste. Some
horses may experience an allergic reaction to peanuts, though not well-documented.
Rice bran
and rice bran
oil
Rice bran is approximately 22% fat; the oil is 100% fat. Only 1% of the fat content is
in the form of omega 3s but it is low in omega 6s (approximately 30%) and high in
monounsaturated fatty acids (approximately 45%).
Soybean oil
Only 7% omega 3s and 50% omega 6s, therefore too much soybean oil can
contribute to inflammation. Some horses also exhibit intolerance to soybean.
Sunflower oil
and seeds
Very high in omega 6s (71%), therefore highly inflammatory. Seeds offer some protein
but need to be balanced with a good omega 3 source.
Wheat germ
oil
While wheat germ is highly nutritious, the oil is very high in omega 6s (50%) with
only 5% omega 3s.
ids, the product should
safflower or sunflower
contain a mixture of fat
oils being included,
sources.
even though they’re
For us, the fat source
mostly omega 6s,
is critical. Most suppleas long as there are
ments designed to
omega 3s to balance
promote weight gain
them. However, we’d
will either be high in
avoid hydrogenated,
fat, pre/probiotics, or a
saturated and trans
combination of these.
fats.
The term “vegetable
Digestive enzymes
fat” on the ingredient
and protein are
label means the fat is
worthwhile suppleplant-based, and some
ment ingredients to
Kauffman’s Coat, Skin and
companies purposely
aid digestion. DigesWeight is our top commeruse that term to protect
cial choice.
tive enzymes can be
proprietary informarecognized by the
tion, which is under“ase” suffix at the end
standable.
of the word (e.g., protease, amylase,
If you’re concerned about exactly
lipase, etc.).
what plants are being used, call the
Products designed to build muscle
company and ask. Most will answer
are good for the underweight horse.
honestly, as they want what’s best
They often contain high protein
for your horse. If they refuse to aningredients (e.g., soybean meal, alswer or don’t know, you may want
falfa, whey), branched chain amino
to rethink the purchase.
acids, or the naturally occurring
There’s nothing wrong with soyanabolic steroid gamma oryzanol.
bean, corn, wheat germ, hemp seed,
These products enhance muscle
development during physical exertion, but they won’t have any effect
when given to a sedentary horse so
may not be worth your while for
less active horses.
HJ Recommended Weight Gain Products
Horse Journal Editor’s Choice
Bottom Line. Underweight is
not a normal condition, so rule out
health problems first, and then feed
a nutritious diet. Remember to adjust your horse’s diet slowly. It takes
a few weeks for a horse’s system to
adjust to extra fat, so be patient.
Be sure to:
• Feed ground flaxseeds and/or
chia seeds. These fatty feeds are
balanced with omega 3s and 6s.
• Add oil for calories.
• Choose a good pro/prebiotic.
• Mix protein sources to provide a
large amino acid pool.
Our favorite commercial supplement is Kauffman’s Coat, Skin and
Weight because of its high omega
3s, high protein, and high microbial
count.
Article by Contributing Nutrition
Editor Juliet Getty, Ph.D.
Product
Price
Main Ingredients
Comments
Amplify
www.horse.
purinamills.com
800-227-8941
$45/30 lbs.
$1.50 /l lb.
serving
Nugget: Rice bran, soybean
oil, soybean meal, flaxseed,
vitamins and minerals
High fat (30%) from a mixture of sources, including flax. Moderately high
protein (14%) from soybean meal. Sugar is 5%, a caution for insulin-resistant
horses.
Coat, Skin &
$90/15 lbs.
$1.50 /2 oz.
serving
Powder: Flaxseed, fish oil, alfalfa
meal, yeast, prebiotics
High-fat level (37%) and significant protein level (14.5%). Made with ground
flaxseed and fish oils, giving it a high omega 3 level (58000 mg per lb) and a
good omega 3 to 6 ratio (4.8 to 1). Very high microbial count (184 billion CFUs
per pound). Also contains prebiotic fermentation products.
Gain Weight
www.coxvetlab.com
803- 581-4747
$67.14/25 lbs.
35¢/2 oz.
serving
Powder: Flax meal, vegetable
fat, microbial fermentation
products, gamma oryzanol
Contains a mixture of fat sources, 50% from ground flax, as well as some
coconut oil and as gamma orzyanol, a naturally occurring steroid shown to
increase muscle. Offers prebiotics but no live microbes.
Gleam & Gain
Supreme 60
www.
adeptusnutrition.
com
866-233-7887
$26.99/30 lbs.
61¢/1 oz.
serving
Powder: Vegetable fats, flax
meal, yeast culture, rice bran,
seaweed meal
Very high fat (60%) from a combination of soybean oil and vegetable derived
fats that contain omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to provide a 3.8 to 1 ratio of
omega 3:omega 6. Some omega 3s are from seaweed meal in the form of
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
Hard Keeper
Solution www.
vitaflex.com
800-848-2359 $56.95/24 lbs.
69¢/2 oz.
serving
Granular: Soybean oil, ground
flax, yeast, pre/probiotics
High fat content (40%) with more omega 3s than omega 6s, in a 1.4 to 1 ratio.
High level of yeast CFUs, with more moderate levels of bacteria, though the
product contains a significant variety or microbes and their fermentation
products.
SmartGain 4
www.
smartpakequine.
com
888-752-5171
$27.95/28-day
Smart Paks
$1.00/2 oz.
serving
Powder: Dry yeast, whey,
brewers dried grains, pro/
prebiotics, flaxseed meal,
mixture of soybean oil and
coconut oil
Offers a combination of protein and fat. Significant source of protein (24%)
from a variety of protein sources. Moderate in fat (20%); contains a proprietary
blend of vegetable oils, diluted with ground flaxseeds. Pro/prebiotics are
concentrated with billions of CFUs.
Weight www.kahi.com
800-332-5244
Digital reprint with permission from Horse Journal™, ©2013 Cruz Bay Publishing, an Active Interest Media company.
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The goal of Horse Journal™ is to provide practical solutions and hands-on information readers can take into the barn and use. We work
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