Many horses crave fats, just as we do. However, not all fats are created equally. “Good” fats are called Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) because they are essential to live and function optimally.
An indication that your horse is extremely deficient in EFAs is dry and/or itchy skin and a dull hair coat. The brain and nervous system is composed primarily of fats.
The membrane of every cell in the body is made of fats. Fats are used to balance the immune system and inflammatory response. They are needed for hormone synthesis and vitamin absorption.
Fats help protect organs, including the liver, kidneys, and skin from damage. Fats provide long term energy during exercise.
No wonder the source and quality of the fats in the diet affects health and performance. Fats are fragile and are easily destroyed in processing (heat) or if exposed to air without being protected (stabilized or chelated) to prevent oxidation. Some “bad” fats, such as corn oil and mixed vegetable oils, are pro-inflammatory and can contribute to making muscles and joints sore.
Fats have different speeds for providing energy. Coconut oil provides energy almost immediately while Rice Bran is much slower and supplies fuel for the next day. Rice Bran, being digested in the small intestine, increases blood sugar levels and stimulates insulin production much more than other fat sources.
For these reasons, feeding a variety of “good” fats is best. Some of the best sources and ratios of omega fatty acids for horses are flax seed, hemp, rice bran, and coconut oil, which are found together in KAM’s ANS fat pellet.
Supplementing EFAs twice a day allows for optimal digestion and utilization of the fats. Feeding whole flax seed is good, but it needs to be soaked for hours to soften the hull so the horse can digest it and absorb the nutrients. If the flax seed is cracked or ground without being stabilized, the EFAs will be oxidized and useless in a matter of minutes. In short, fats are good but they need to be good fats!
This tip was brought to you by KAM Animal Services, home of KAM’s “Equine Learning Circle” FREE webinars, which take place monthly. These webinars are an expansion of KAM’s weekly tips. Go to www.kamanimalservices.com to sign up for the March 14 (Comfortable Jaw = Happy Horse) and March 28 (To Worm or Not to Worm, Fungus among Us, On the Road and Equine Jail). The FREE webinars will conclude with a question and answer session, so be ready with your nutrition questions. If you want to be able to listen to the past three webinars or download them, KAM offers a membership for $89. However, they are now offering a webinar special for just $49, but you must sign up before March 4th.
These EFAs are also good for the human. Our western diet is to high in Omega-6 and does not contain enough Omega-3, this needs to be reversed.
Have you heard of the new supplement from Denmark out on the market? Kompeet is a new development in fat supplements that increases stamina, muscle mass and coat quality! Sugar which is often what is used in high performance feeds only provides short term “high” energy which is often hard to work with. Kompeet is a revolutionary product that is pure usable fat for the horse. Typically horses can only use <20% of the fat they consume (rice bran, vegetable oil, flaxseed, etc..) wasting the rest. This vegetable fat has been converted for the first time ever to be water soluble. The horse can use it all and burn less energy doing so. It begins to emulsify as soon as it hits the stomach and is all drawn into the blood stream. There are reports of increased focused energy and stamina, muscle gain, better coat quality and more. People have even reported a more even temperament for ponies and stallions. The best part is that it's just vegetable fat that is converted, so there is nothing that will test! It can benefit any horse in any discipline! Visit the website and the Facebook page for more info! The word is spreading fast!!