Fat For Fuel, Is It Safe For Your Horse

FAT FOR FUEL, IS IT SAFE FOR YOUR HORSE?

Fat For Fuel, Is It Safe For Your HorseIs it safe to use Fat as a Fuel for Horses?
How can fat be introduced into the horse diet?
Can cooking oil be used in a horse diet?

IS IT SAFE TO USE FAT AS A FUEL FOR HORSES?

Fat is a safe option when looking to add additional calories to your horse’s diet.
Unlike adding carbohydrates (e.g cereal grains), fat is a cool (non-heating) source of calories free from sugars and starches.

The many benefits of fat include –

  • Highly digestible in the small intestine (95%)
  • Supports healthy coat/skin condition and hoof health
  • Can improve behaviour (calming effect)
  • No increased laminitis risk
  • Safe for horses with Equine Metabolic Syndrome
  • Helps alleviate tying-up symptoms
  • Safe for the microbiome in the hindgut
  • Performance advantage – less/delay in lactic acid production
  • It also offers nearly three times the calories of carbohydrates or protein, and is a great way to help meet energy needs to workload or if an increase in body condition is desired.
  • Vitamins: A, D, E & K are absorbed best in the presence of fat (fat soluble)

HOW CAN FAT BE INTRODUCED INTO THE HORSE DIET?

The addition of a quality oil is one popular way to introduce a fat source in the diet. For first timers, introduce oil into the diet at a lower dose, so the horse’s system gets used to digesting. Up to 10% of the total calories can be safely sourced through fat, and the grain portion of the diet can be reduced and replaced with oil.

CAN COOKING OIL BE USED IN A HORSE DIET?

Cooking oil should be avoided as it is meant for stir frys not horses, some are solvent extracted, high in Omega 6 and over processed.

Horses evolved on grass which contains fat in the form of Omega 3 and Omega 6 at a ratio of 4:1, it makes sense to choose Flaxseed oil which is more natural and has a similar Omega profile to grass. It is regarded as the best oil choice for horses by leading nutritionist worldwide.

Written by Bryan Meggitt (BMedSc. PGCrtMedSc.)

Biochemist / Senior Scientist and Co-founder of CEN Horse Nutrition

Bryan is a scientist and equine nutrition educator through the nutrition principles of Dr Juliet Getty and Dr Eleanor Kellon.

Bryan is passionate about improving equine health through natural nutrition according to science.

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