Fat is an easily digestible nutrient that can be a very useful tool in a horse’s diet. It provides extra calories in a safe way and can also improve your horse’s skin and coat. Read on to determine if your horse could benefit from supplemental fat, which fat source to choose, and how to incorporate it into your horse’s diet correctly.
Why Add Fat to Your Horse’s Diet?
Appropriate fat sources offer horses several benefits:
Energy-dense calories without extra starch and sugar. Fat provides far more calories per pound than carbohydrates do, boosting a feed ration’s energy density. This is helpful for horses that need to gain or maintain weight (e.g., senior horses, hard keepers) or for athletes that need extra calories but not necessarily extra grain. Many performance feeds contain added fat for this reason. Fat can also help meet the caloric needs of horses with grain limitations (e.g., metabolic horses, those with a history of laminitis).
“Cool” calories. Some horses respond to high-starch and -sugar feeds with increased excitability. Replacing some starch and sugar with fat can still provide ample energy with less tendency to cause behavior changes or metabolic swings. In addition, performance horses that have adapted to higher fat diets might be better able to delay the onset of fatigue.
Health and appearance benefits. Fat often improves coat, skin, and hoof condition. Certain fat sources (such as omega-3s) might even offer anti-inflammatory benefits that can benefit joint and respiratory health.
Useful for horses with special needs. Senior horses with poor dentition or decreased appetite can get extra calories from fat without needing to consume large volumes of feed. Horses with insulin sensitivity issues need diets lower in starch and sugar. Incorporating fat into the feed allows you to reduce the starch and sugar without reducing the feed’s caloric value.
Related Reading: Feeding Senior Horses: Everything You Need to Know
Types of Fat
- Vegetable oils (corn, soybean, canola) are good general-purpose energy sources. They’re highly digestible, easy to top-dress, and a fast way to add calories.
- Flaxseed (linseed) oil or whole/flax products are rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid. Flax can be useful if you want to improve the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio in your horse’s diet, which can affect inflammatory responses and overall health.
- Fish oil/marine sources provide long-chain omega-3s (EPA/DHA) that alter tissue fatty acid profiles, though some horses don’t like the taste. Research shows marine oils can raise EPA and DHA in muscle.
- Stabilized rice bran or rice bran oil is a popular choice for weight gain and coat condition. It’s palatable, energy-dense, and also contains protein and micronutrients. Just be sure to use stabilized rice bran, as raw rice bran can go rancid and lose nutrient content.
- Commercial high-fat, high-fiber feeds combine fat with balanced vitamins/minerals so you aren’t impacting nutrient balance by adding oil alone. This can be a simpler, safer route for incorporating fat into your horse’s diet.
- A balanced high-fat supplement like Sentinel Care Omegatin is designed to provide additional, low-starch calories without increasing the grain ration.
Regardless of the fat source you choose, store it in a cool, dry place to prevent it from going bad. If an oil becomes dark or cloudy or develops an unpleasant smell, it’s likely rancid and should be thrown away.
How Much Fat Should You Feed?
Horses can tolerate fairly high levels of added fat. In fact, many performance feeds are formulated with ~ 6-12% fat. Precise safe limits, however, depend on the individual horse and the amount of fat in the rest of his diet (forage plus concentrate feed). Talk to your veterinarian or equine nutritionist for guidance.
A practical plan is to start small. For instance, if your horse has never had oil added to his feed, begin with 1-2 tablespoons/day (roughly 15-30 mL) for several days, then increase the amount gradually over 1-2 weeks. Many owners top out at 1-2 cups (240-480 mL) of vegetable oil per day for an average-sized horse needing substantial extra calories. If you’re simply trying to add shine to your horse’s coat, 0.5 cups of oil per day should be sufficient. Divide the daily amount over two to three meals.
Sources like rice bran and commercial fat supplements will have different serving sizes, so follow the label’s directions.
How to Introduce Fat to Your Horse’s Diet
- Consider your goals. Are you trying to address weight, performance, metabolic concerns, coat and skin, or inflammation? Different fat sources might suit different goals (e.g., flax for omega-3s, rice bran for palatable calories).
- Do it gradually. Increase supplemental fat slowly over 7-14 days to prevent digestive upset. Rapid, large increases in fat can also cause loose stool. If you are transitioning to a high-fat commercial feed, replace 25% of the old feed with the new one and gradually increase the percentage of new feed versus old over two to three weeks.
- Balance the rest of the diet. Extra calories mean you might need to feed less concentrate. If you simply add oil without adjusting the overall ration, your horse might become overweight or you might dilute the other nutrients. Consider switching to a formulated “fat-added” concentrate if you want to offer extra calories and maintain balanced nutrition.
- Watch body condition, manure, and behavior. If your horse’s manure becomes loose, back off on the amount of fat. Also reassess fat content if he gains too much weight or shows undesirable behavior changes.
- Consult a professional for complex situations. Talk to your veterinarian or equine nutritionist before making diet changes for horses that are pregnant/lactating, metabolic (EMS/PPID), laminitic, on medication, or dealing with other health conditions.
Take-Home Message
Fat is a safe, highly digestible, and useful calorie source for many horses when chosen for the right reason, introduced gradually, and balanced with the rest of the diet. Whether you want to help a senior horse gain weight, give a performance horse more calories without extra grain, or add omega-3s for their potential health benefits, fat can help. Incorporate it slowly, watch your horse’s response, and when in doubt, consult your vet or an equine nutritionist.
Related Reading:
This article is brought to you by Sentinel Horse Feed.
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