PG.38
AQHA VET NEWS
The PUFAs in corn, sunflower, safflower, soy and rice bran oil
are mainly Omega 6, which tend to aggravate inflammation.
Oils with a high level of Omega 3 fatty acids don’t intensify
inflammatory processes – in fact, they reduce them. Vegetable
oils with higher concentrations of omega 3 fatty acids include
linseed, flaxseed and fish oil (Table 2).
TABLE 2.
Omega 6 and Omega 3 levels in common feedstuffs
Feedstuff Omega 6 Omega 3
(Linoleic acid) (Linolenic acid)
Grass (cold season C3) 3.8 8.2
Grass (warm season C4) 3.6 4.6
Lucerne hay 3.9 7.9
Canola meal 12.1 3.5
Barley 10 1
Flax seed 59 226
Linseed meal 2.1 7.3
Oats 23 1
Rice bran 71 3
Soy meal 5.9 1
Sunflower seeds 230 0.6
Canola oil 186 91
Coconut oil 18 0
Corn 532 12
Fish (salmon) oil 17 10
Linseed oil 127 533
Olive oil 98 7.6
Peanut oil 320 0
Rice bran oil 334 16
Soy oil 504 68
Sunflower oil 289 0.4
Several factors need to be considered when
supplementing oil:
• horses need up to 4 weeks for their gut to adapt
to added oil
• start with total daily addition of 50ml and increase
by 10-20ml per day
• muscles need 6 to 11 weeks to adapt - begin
well before a strenuous event.
How much oil?
The ideal amount of oil varies with workload, body condition
and how much grain you want to replace. Horses can tolerate
up to 20% of the diet as oil - 750-1000ml of oil per day. Vitamin
E intake needs to increase to 1mg (or International Unit i.u.)
per ml of added oil (200-250 i.u. of vitamin E per cup of oil)
and because oils contain no protein, minerals or vitamins, these
nutrients will also need to be balanced – especially in young
growing horses and pregnant and lactating mares.
Omega 3 oils are a critical part of the balance of antioxidants,
vitamins and minerals needed in correct amounts for
resistance to disease and control of inflammatory/allergic
reactions. Vitamin E, selenium, copper and zinc, are other big
players here and if these are deficient, results from Omega 3
supplementation will be limited. Jenquine all-4-feet® can be
added to any diet or oil-enriched diet to meet protein, vitamin,
mineral, anti-oxidant and biotin requirements.
While the benefits of many so-called ‘ergogenic aids’ remain
to be confirmed in horses, the advantages of oils and especially
omega-rich oils are real. For both ourselves and for hardworking
horses, it is important to ensure an adequate daily
intake of oils – especially omega 3 oils.
DISCLAIMER All content provided in this editorial is for
general use and information only and does not constitute
advice or a veterinary opinion. It is not intended as specific
medical advice or opinion and should not be relied on in
place of consultation with your veterinarian.
There is considerable evidence that omega 3 oils reduce
inflammatory reactions in joint disease in humans. Recent
international equine research indicates that similar responses
may be expected in horses.
www.jenquine.com
AUSTRALIAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION - www.aqha.com.au