Vegetable Oil

[Minxz]

On another thread someone mentioned giveing a horse vegetable oil to make his coat shiny. A reply voiced concern over the extra calories this would add to the horses diet. My queation is if I was trying to get my horse to gain weight on top of helping the coat would Veg oil be efficient for adding weight to my horse. I give him a supplement of Equine Senior about 4 times a week would it be a good idea to mix some vegetable oil in that? If so how much? Are there any side effects..making him hot..?
Thank you Everyone

[Allie]

vegetable oil is good for adding calories to the diet. You should start with a small amount - one or two teaspoons - and gradually build up. If I remember correctly, you can feed up to 2 cups before it loses the nutritional value. Feeding too much will not harm the horse, the oil will jsut be wasted. If his stool starts getting greasy or oily you are either feeding too much oil or have increased the amount too suddenly. I don't believe it has side effects, but I have not actually had to do it myself (my horses have the opposite problem).

Allie

[Wally]

We add veg oil to our horses feed in winter, they all live out and the extra calories can do no harm as well as give them a good coat and skin.

Horses are not designed to absorb huge quantities of oil, as Allie says over do the oil and they simply cannot absorb it and it passes through.

[Tammy]

This winter I started adding about one tablespoon of corn oil to the grain once a day, a little more if it is really cold. My mare is fat so that is plenty but my friend has a 28 year old gelding and he gets 1/4 cup twice a day in his feed. Helps keep his weight up and is inexpensive.

[Shelly_D]

What is the difference between veggie oil and corn oil as far as the effect it will have on your horse?

[Outrider]

Doesn't matter if you use vegtable oil or corn oil. No difference that I have ever seen. It is also good to clean a horse's insides if you have him in a sandy area alot, to prevent sand colic. I don't think it will help to add weight to a horse though. I don't know if you have anything like it in the UK(if that's where you're from) but I have used a product called "Calf Manna" that you can get from a feed store. There must be something like it over there if you have show cattle for kids to show. It really helps a horse to put on weight and it doesn't take a lot to do it with. Happy Trails!

[Shelly_D]

Does this Calf Manna make the horse hot?

[Allie]

isn't calf manna supposed to be used to fatten up calfs for slaughter? Just curious...can't remember its intended purpose at the moment...

Allie

[Outrider]

Calf Manna is usually used to put weight on calves for showing here in the US. No, it doesn't make a horse hot at all. It is a great weight builder, but you have to watch how much you use, as you can easily overdue it. Just a small scoop per feeding is enough. The scoop being the small kind found in some products.

[Dizzy]

Just out of interest, what is calf manna made of?

[Tammy]

corn or vegetable oil will add weight or help keep it on, it has 120 calories per tablespoon and is commonly used in some thoroughbred breeding stables here.

[Minxz]

This is great info people. What about (I think my spelling may be off) Natural Glow I have had several people recommend it to me. It seems a little pricey compared to some things I've been looking at (about $25.00) Has anyone used it? Is it as great of a product as I heard?

[Outrider]

Dizzy, I'll hve to make a visit to the feed store to get the ingredients. I'll let you know.

[Dizzy]

Thanks, I know we have sort of growth and weight promoters over here for both horses and cattle, though like you I don't know whats in them, I too shall have a look.

Lesley

[silly mare]

Hi Minxz - I added a small amount of oil to my TBs feed, and the difference in his coat was amazing in a very short space of time! However, I did have to cut it right out because it made him VERY fizzy. (Not good, because we are only meant to be walking right now due to tendon damage - he insisted on spinning, prancing and running backwards!) Affects different horses in different ways, so try it and see! Good luck!

[DavidH]

Current research suggest that feeding horses a fat rich diet is actually beneficial to them. It has the effect of assisting in muscle repair and regeneration, particularly with damage through vigorous exercise and can be benificial for diseases such as shivers. However, the oil will increase the energy level available to the horse, not a problem if horse is living out in winter where the simple act of keeping warm will burn off yhe extra energy but for horses that are stabled and kept artificially warm then a reduction in carbohydrate from other feed stuffs is usually a good idea.

[liz--y]

i feed veg oil for wieght gain and shiny coat but it can make some horses fizzy

[Gulliver]

Just wondering, what about Olive Oil and Canola Oil? I was wondering if there's any kind that will make a horse's coat glossier, but not let the horse gain too much weight. As I might be getting a wild mustang, I think that he could use some ah, polishing... :)

[Tammy]

I would stick to corn oil...it is made of something we already feed our horses......

You don't need to feed a lot. I use only one tablespoon a day.

[Gulliver]

Ok then! I'll remember that next time i go to pick up the feed. But, does the corn oil add any calories like the veggie oil??

[M-A]

Yep, corn oil adds a similar amount of calories. Olive oil can also be fed, and the same applies.

One tip I got from an equine nutritionalist is to rotate the oil you use between veg, corn and olive. In other words, when you are about to run out of one type, you get a different one and change over. This way if there are any useful trace elements lacking in one type of oil, it won't matter a great deal, as you will soon be moving on to another.