My horse has a dull coat and could stand to gain some weight, so my trainer suggested adding corn oil to his grain, for extra fat. But I’ve read recently that corn oil actually isn’t that good for horses – is that true? I’m confused! Thanks for your help, JR, Maine
Dear JR,
Adding fat to your horse’s diet is a great way to add calories for weight gain and essential fatty acids to improve the coat. But you’re correct that using corn oil isn’t the right way to go about it. In fact, you might be doing more harm than good!
That’s because all fats are not created equal. Corn oil contains almost all Omega 6 fatty acids—generally pro-inflammatory—and very little of the anti-inflammatory Omega 3 fatty acids that have so many health benefits. While our bodies need both types, keeping the proper balance between the two is important. For horses, experts feel that a ratio somewhere in the range of one part Omega 6 to two parts Omega 3 (a 1:2 ratio) or even a 1:4 ratio is ideal. However, our methods of modern horse keeping have shifted the balance by restricting access to Omega 3-rich fresh grass while providing feed high in Omega 6 fatty acids such as grain-based concentrates.
To help you better understand where these two types of essential fatty acids come from and how the balance easily becomes skewed towards the pro-inflammatory Omega 6 side, here’s a chart of the Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios in some common horse feeds:
| Feed | Omega 6:Omega 3 |
| Pasture | 1:5, good |
| Commercial, fortified grain | 8:1 |
| Whole grains: oats, corn, barley, wheat, rice | 24:1 |
| Vegetable oils: corn, sunflower | 87:1, 199:1! |
| Vegetable oils: canola, soybean | 3:1, 7:1 |
| Flax seed | 1:4, good |
| Fish oil (includes the specific Omega 3s EPA & DHA) | Virtually all Omega3! |
In a perfect world, we’d all keep our horses turned out on green grass for its benefits to the body as well as the mind! But since that’s not realistic for most people, just try to feed as little grain and grain oil as possible to avoid filling your horse with pro-inflammatory Omega 6 fatty acids—instead use a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement or ration balancer to fill any nutritional gaps from your forage. Then if you want to add fat for extra calories or a shiny coat, use flax seed or fish oil and fill your horse with healthy, anti-inflammatory Omega 3 fatty acids!
Lydia F. Gray, DVM MA, currently serves as the Medical Director/Staff Veterinarian for SmartPak Equine. Prior to joining SmartPak, Dr. Gray served as the first-ever Director of Owner Education for the American Association of Equine Practitioners. She has authored numerous articles in publications such as The Horse, Horse Illustrated, Western Horseman and a variety of veterinary journals and magazines. Dr. Gray is also a frequent speaker at horse expos, veterinary conventions and other locations. After graduating with honors from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and receiving her Master's Degree in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication, she practiced at the Tremont Veterinary Clinic for several years. Dr Gray is active in the American Veterinary Medical Association and Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association and enjoys training and showing her trakehner Newman in her spare time. Find Dr. Gray on Google+: Find Dr. Gray on Google+
what about olive oil? I imagine most horses would not be thrilled with the taste of fish oil.
Here is a good explanation you might still be curious to know about:
http://www.oliveoilsource.com/definition/omega-3-and-omega-6-fatty-acids
I think Camelina oil to be far better. It is high in Omega-3.
Relatively low in Omega 6 with an Omega 3 to 6 ratio of 3:1
Also it is loaded with Vit. E
Does whole corn have the same omega ratio as the oil? Why would you not feed whole corn? Or would? (I don’t but I have a client that does.) Thank you
Hi Kathy,
Whole corn has basically the same RATIO of omega 6s to omega 3s as corn oil, it just contains less of them since it is not pure fat but the whole seed. Many in the horse industry choose not to feed corn to their horses since it contains high amounts of sugars and starches which can make some horses “hot” and worsen certain metabolic conditions. It’s also not a high quality source of protein, since it does not contain enough of all of the essential amino acids, most notably lysine and tryptophan. There are probably better feedstuffs to provide your horse depending on if the goal is weight gain, shiny coat, warmth in the winter, better topline, increased energy and stamina, etc.
What feed stuff is better then corn. I was going to feed my horse corn, sweet feed with some oil added.
What would you recommend for a horse who is allergic to flaxseed in all forms. He’s on Triple crown senior, buckeye gro n win, vegetable oil and alfalfa cubes. Farm only provides first cutting hay at 5 flakes per day only. Reason for me adding alfalfa cubes to his diet. Any suggestions would be great!
I noticed this was posted 10 months ago…. I also feed Buckeye Gro n wim. It says it on the bag that it contains flaxseed. Just sayin’. ;:/
What about rice bran? I give rice bran pellets to help aged horses maintain weight and they love it.
Hi Joan,
Rice bran has an omega 6:omega 3 ratio of about 30 to 1. As a part of an otherwise balance diet, rice bran is an excellent way to add additional calories from fat. However because this ratio is on the higher side, we recommend also adding in an Omega 3 supplement when feeding a considerable amount of rice bran to help bring the Omega ratio back into better balance.
I already use the rice bran added to my Defiance Sr low starch high fat horse feed. When you say add an Omega 3 supplement, what is that? And how does it come? I am now feeding my 24 year old apendix 6 cans (each can is about 12 oz) of Defiance, 4 cups rice bran and 2 scoops of Equipride. What else can I add to this mixture that he gets once a day to add some weight on him. His teeth are pretty much ground down to the gums and he has even lost a few. I have found them in his feed pan.
Hi Kathy, thanks for your question. Our first recommendation is to consult your vet regarding your horse’s weight loss as well as his dental issues. Your vet will be able to help you formulate a diet that is safe and appropriate for him. Secondly, your question doesn’t mention if he is receiving any hay or long stem forage, but if he has few teeth, this may be difficult for him. If that is the case, then it is important that you add in a different source of roughage in his diet such as soaked hay pellets or cubes. For additional calories, you could also consider adding soaked beet pulp, another easy-to-chew source of fiber. Lastly you mention that he is fed once per day. Senior horses tend to do best with several meals spread throughout the day, so if you can, try to add in another meal daily to keep his intake up. Best of luck!
i am wondering about sunflower seeds? my horse was on them when i got her 3 months ago, coat looks great but are they balanced in omegas??
Hi Cookie,
Unfortunately Sunflower seeds have a very undesirable Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio. They contain nearly 200 parts Omega 6 Fatty Acids to 1 part Omega 3; therefore we recommend choosing an alternate product for coat health. A supplement that contains Flax Seed or Chia Seed can not only help you see a shiny coat but they provide an excellent Omega 3 to 6 ratio as well.
What is the ratio for Cocosoya oil?
Hi Betty,
We do not currently carry Cocosoya oil but can certainly speak to our product Cocosoya Ultra SP which comes as a powdered supplement. In the Cocosoya Ultra SP, we are providing a level of 2.4 to 1 omega 6 vs. 3. The addition of flax seed in this formula provides an extra level of omega 3 fatty acids. There is also a strong level of omega 6’s coming from rice bran in this formula vs. what would come in just the oil. If you are currently feeding a Cocosoya oil, we would recommend that you contact the manufacturer to see what the ratio of omega 6s to omega 3s is for that particular product. We hope this helps!
Coconut oil and chia seed?
My horses are currently getting soybean oil along with grain & hay in their diet. I was thinking of adding SmartOmega3 to their diet… how can I be sure they are getting the correct balance, in terms of enough of each?
You keep recommending Fax Seeds as a good Omega3 suppliment but I’m wondering how much do you feed per day in their feed? I.e. how many grams would be ideal? Do you just buy the normal Flax Seeds off the supermarket bench and mix in their feed?
Hi Hayley, thanks for your question. Typically flax seed supplements provide 1-3 ounces of flax seed per serving, depending on your horse’s size and needs. We recommend purchasing a ground, stabilized form of flax seed, which is available in many equine supplements. Flax seed is better utilized by the horse when it is ground, however it also needs to be stabilized or it can go bad quickly. Two customers favorites are SmartOmega 3 Ultra and Omega Horseshine. Please let us know if you have additional questions!
SmartOmega 3 Ultra: http://www.smartpakequine.com/smartomega-3-ultra-9887p.aspx
Omega Horseshine: http://www.smartpakequine.com/omega-horseshine-182p.aspx
What feed stuff is better then corn. I was going to feed my horse corn, sweet feed with some oil added. Also, does the supplements add the calories needed too?
Corn is a terrible food source for horses. Not only are the fat and omega 3 to 6 ratios off as explained above, but corn and corn oil has been linked to several different metabolic disorders. Corn is super high in starch and sugars, without getting super technical its the wring kind of sugars and a horse cannot digest corn anyway. (Neither can people digest corn but that’s another conversation!) Corn has also been directly linked to a resurgence of white line disease in the south. Corn also has the potential to make horses very hot and jittery. I feed southern States triple crown senior and triple crown complete. Both of those feeds are beet pulp based and contain distillers dried grains instead of raw corn. They are expensive and hard to find so if these are not options for you then look around at your local feed store. Try and find a grain with no corn or as little corn as possible. Good luck!
Hi I was just wondering about flax seed oil and whether it has the simular ratio as regular flax seed? I’ve got a young geldong that was abused and malnurished. We’ve got most of the weight back on but I wanted to add something to kinda help now that were working on building up his muscle.
Someone I know adds soybean oil to their horses sweet feed for extra calories in the winter. What do you think?
My vet recommended I feed my horse corn oil to help in digestion and for the extra fat. My horse does not sweat (it is improving, we are giving him medication) and is kind of overweight. I just read this article and I’m wondering if what she is saying is correct? I am feeding him the special formula safe choice and we just switched him over to T&A hay. What is your take on this..?
Hi, if anyone know, can i give “hazelnut oil” to my horse? it is cheap in my country and rich in omega 3. Or I will just give olive oil I guess.
I find this very confusing. I just had my daughters 13 y/o Arab examined by my vet because he seemed to be losing weight. She found no medical condition and we floated his teeth. Her recommendaiton was that I add 8 oz of corn oil to his diet and switch him from Purina Stragety to Senior. I already had him on Cool Calories and Beet Pulb (which he hates) and he has 24/7 access to a round bale.
Some vets it would seem are like some medical doctors who didn’t receive alot of education on Nutrition
Unfortunately, many vets receive pay outs from feeds they promote or recommend only one feed as a fall back. The trend I have noticed as a feed store employee is that 99% of customers that come in with vet recommendations all are given that exact same brand recommendation, regardless of their horses individual needs. As a nutrition consultant that has an educational focus on nutrition rather that vet science, I know that there are much better feed choices than what those vets are recommending and politely offer information on other feeds that would provide a balanced diet for their specific horse.
Will fish oil make my horse hot?
Thanks for your question, Karen! Fats are often referred to as a “cool” source of calories for horses. This is because adding additional fat to a horse’s diet does not impact blood sugar, and so fats should not cause a horse to become “hot” or have an increase in short-term energy. A key point to understand, however, is that generally fish oil is supplemented in smaller quantities with the goal of balancing the Omega 3 to 6 ratio to support cellular health, rather than as a source of energy for the horse. Essentially what this means is that supplementing your horse’s diet with fish oil should provide excellent health benefits without impacting your horse’s energy levels. – SmartPaker Casey
What about plain extra virgin coconut oil? I have a few picky eaters that won’t eat powders like SmartOmega. I’d like to work their dry itchy skin/coat issues internally rather than just externally.
Hi Sara, thanks for your question! extra virgin coconut oil is low in omega 6 fatty acids, however it offers virtually no omega 3 fatty acids. This particular oil would not make an ideal choice because it will not be able to help the omega 6 to omega 3 balance in your horse’s diet. We would encourage you to consider a different type of oil that will be able to provide a good source of omega 3’s such as flax oil or fish oil. – SmartPaker Casey
What are your thoughts on wheat germ oil? Thank you.
Hi Nicole, there are some health benefits to feeding wheat germ oil, such as it being a good source of lecithin, vitamin E and octacosanol. However, this oil is significantly higher in Omega 6 fatty acids than Omega 3 fatty acids. For this reason, if your goal is to help balance your horse’s Omega 3 to Omga 6 ratio, this oil would not be ideal. You would have better luck choosing fat sources that we know are higher in Omega 3 fatty acids such as flax seed or fish oil. – SmartPaker Casey
Hi. I have a 4 year old Peruvian Paso Stallion that I have been feeding Strategy Healthy Edge for some time now. How do you feel about the overall complete balance of this feed and do you recommend adding flax seed or fish oil to this. He is on limited grass with free choice high quality Bermuda grass hay? Any suggestions that would increase his health benefits WITHOUT making him hot would be greatly appreciated.