08/07/2023
A REVIEW OF THE BENEFITS OF DIFFERENT OILS COMMONLY FED TO HORSES
WHEAT OIL
+ palatable
+ provides small amounts of Vitamin E and K
+ cheap (very cheap as a raw material so should be cheap as a finished product)
– low in Omega 3 (7g/100ml of oil)
– very high in Omega 6 (55g/100ml of oil)
OAT OIL
+ palatable
+ some Vitamin E & K
+ cheap (very cheap as a raw material so should be cheap as a finished product)
– low in Omega 3 (2g/100ml of oil)
– very high in Omega 6 (39g/100ml of oil)
LINSEED OIL/FLAXSEED OIL
+ highly palatable
+ highest in Omega 3 (53g/100ml of oil)
+ low in Omega 6 (13g/100ml of oil)
+ Omega 3:6 ratio of over 4:1
+ provides a small amount of Vitamin E
CAMELINA OIL (false flax, gold-of-pleasure, and sometimes wild flax)
Part of the rapeseed family
+Moderate omega 3 (not as high as linseed) - 35g/100ml oil
+provides a source of Vitamin E
+ 2:1 omega 3:omega 6 ratio
-high omega 6 (17g/100ml oil)
-not widely available in the UK
-expensive
CHIA OIL
+palatable
+high in omega 3 (less than linseed oil)
+Omega 3:6 ratio of over 3:1 - not as good as linseed
-very expensive
-not suitable as an energy source due to cost
CORN OIL
+ very cheap
+ reasonably palatable
+ widely available in Supermarkets
+ provides small amounts of Vitamin E and K
– highly processed
– very low in Omega 3 (1g/100ml of oil)
– very high in Omega 6 (54g/100ml of oil)
SNAKE OIL
+Widely available
+Treats, Improves and Cures EVERYTHING!
-Can have adverse effects which manufacturer will not take responsibility for
-Will seriously damage your wallet
-When you work it out you will feel so embarrassed!
H**P OIL
+ moderate amount of Omega 3 (21g/100ml of oil)
+ low in saturated fat
– high in Omega 6 (59g/100ml of oil)
RAPESEED OIL (CANOLA OIL)
+ cheap
– Low level of Omega 3 (9g/100ml of oil)
– Moderate amount of Omega 6 (20g/100ml of oil)
COCONUT OIL
+ palatable
+ low Omega 6 (2g/100ml of oil)
+ low in polyunsaturated fat
– very very high in saturated fat
– NO Omega 3
– provides almost no vitamins
RICE BRAN OIL
+ palatable
+ provides small amounts of Vitamin E and K
– low Omega 3 (2g/100ml of oil)
– very high Omega 6 (33g/100ml of oil)
COD LIVER OIL
+high in omega 3 (20g/100ml)
+High Omega 3:6 ratio
-low palatability when fed at amounts required to get an effect e.g. on immune system, respiratory health, joint health, etc
-expensive
-not suitable as an energy source due to cost
SOYA OIL
+palatable
+provides small amounts of Vitamin E and K
+provides some Omega 3 (7g/100ml of oil)
-very high in Omega 6 (50g/100ml of oil)
SUNFLOWER OIL
+ provides small amounts of Vitamin E and K
+ cheap
– NO Omega 3
– very high Omega 6 (66g/100ml of oil)
OLIVE OIL
+ provides small amounts of Vitamin E and K
– low in Omega 3 (1g/100ml of oil)
– high in Omega 6 (10g/100ml of oil)
Buglossoides Arvensis SEED OIL (AHIFLOWER OIL)
+ high Omega 3
+ low Omega 6
+ good conversion to EPA and DHA
– long term feeding safety in horses and people still to be determined
– very expensive (e.g. around 7 times more expensive than linseed oil)
– vitamin E content unknown?
DECIDING WHICH OIL TO FEED
I particularly avoid using WHEAT oil and OAT oil (no matter that some products claim special processing – it’s still wheat oil or oat oil), corn oil, h**p oil, rice bran oil, soya oil, olive oil and sunflower oil for horses with or prone to gastric ulcers, loose droppings, colic, respiratory or skin disease. Coconut oil is borderline acceptable as an energy source and is low in Omega 6 but provides no Omega 3’s and is relatively expensive. Ahiflower oil could be a good option but is currently very very expensive and as it has only just appeared we have no indication of the long term effects of feeding it to horses. Linseed oil is still the best oil for horses based on profile, palatability, availability and price.
DECIDING WHICH OIL TO BUY
Here are some general guidelines to help you decide which oil product to purchase.
1) Particularly avoid wheat oil, oat oil, corn oil, soya oil, rice bran oil and sunflower oil – ALL HIGH in Omega 6 and LOW in Omega 3
2) Don’t buy any oils that are in clear or light coloured plastic containers. Oil is oxidised by even very low levels of UV light
3) Avoid products with a large airspace above the oil – the more air in the container the greater the oxidation
4) Oils with antioxidants added (synthetic or natural e.g. rosemary) improve storage and reduce oxidation
5) Cold-pressed oils will have lower levels of oxidation than highly processed oils
6) Adding oil to the diet requires more Vitamin E (at least 1IU per ml). So if you are feeding 300ml per day your horse needs at least 300IU of Vitamin E more in the diet. Alternatively, you can buy some oil products with the correct amount of Vitamin E already added for you.
http://davidmarlin.co.uk/portfolio/oil-fired-the-value-of-feeding-oil-to-horses-and-how-to-choose-which-oil-is-best/
