Oils in Your Horse's Diet
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
Oils are a valuable source of energy, promoting a glossy coat, supporting joint health, and aiding with digestion.
Significant oil intake is not in a wild horse diet. Non-domesticated horses would access oils in the seed heads of grasses only in the seasons where the grass is producing seeds, along with eating the husk and stalk.
Oils are useful in domestic situations, particularly for horses with EPSM/PSSM, or for adding weight for underweight horses that are prone to laminitis, however forage and fibre should still make up the bulk of your horse's diet.
Oils can be a valuable addition to a horse's diet to provide essential fatty acids. It's important to introduce oils slowly to prevent digestive upset.
Here's a summary of how canola, flaxseed, and sunflower seed oil are used in equine nutrition. Flaxseed is also called linseed. We’ll call it flaxseed for the purposes of this article.
It's important that you understand the differences between oils. Aside from choosing to add them into your horse's diet - oils are incorporated into many pelleted, extruded or micronised horse feeds. Recently, many chaffs have oils included to reduce dust. You may already be feeding oils daily without being aware of it.
What's the difference between Omega 3 & 6?
Omega-3 and omega-6 are both essential fatty acids, meaning the body needs them but cannot produce them on its own. The key differences lie in their functions and sources:
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Anti-inflammatory: Helps reduce inflammation, supporting heart health and brain function.
Sources: Found in fatty fish (salmon, sardines), flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and algae.
Types: Includes ALA (from plants), EPA, and DHA (from marine sources).
Benefits: Supports cardiovascular health, cognitive function, and joint health.
Omega-6 Fatty Acids
Pro-inflammatory: While necessary for immune response and cell function, too much can contribute to inflammation.
Sources: Found in vegetable oils (sunflower, soybean, corn), nuts, and seeds.
Types: Includes LA (linoleic acid), GLA, and ARA.
Benefits: Supports skin health, metabolism, and hormone regulation.
Canola Oil: Offers an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (2:1), making it a popular and affordable choice for providing slow-release energy. It's widely used for weight gain and coat health.
Flaxseed Oil: High in omega-3 fatty acids (4:1 ratio), making it ideal for supporting joint health, reducing inflammation, and improving coat condition. It's particularly beneficial for horses with inflammatory conditions.
Sunflower Seed Oil: Contains a high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (40:1), which can contribute to inflammation if not balanced with omega-3 sources. It provides energy but is best used in moderation, or in combination with a higher omega 3 source.
History
Canola
Canola oil originates from rapeseed, a plant in the mustard family. During World War II, rapeseed oil was widely used as a lubricant for ships and steam engines due to its ability to stick to wet metal. After the war, demand for rapeseed oil declined, prompting Canadian scientists to develop a new variety of rapeseed with lower levels of erucic acid, which was linked to health concerns that include the following:
Rapeseed oil feeding trials carried out with rodents indicated high levels of erucic acid in oil led to fatty deposits in heart and skeletal muscles and impaired growth of the animals. Glucosinolate in rapeseed meal (seed residue after oil extraction) was detrimental to poultry, swine and ruminants. Hydrolysis of glucosinolates produced isothiocyanates and other sulphur-containing compounds, which interfere with iodine uptake by the thyroid gland, contribute to liver disease and reduce animal growth and weight gain.
In 1978, the term "Canola" was coined, standing for "Canadian oil, low acid." This marked the birth of canola oil as we know it today. It has since become one of the world's most important oilseed crops.
Most canola crops are genetically modified (GMO) to improve oil quality and increase plant tolerance to herbicides. This means you can spray a herbicide over your crop to kill weeds without killing the canola.
Over 90% of the canola crops grown in the United States are genetically modified for herbicide resistance. Roundup Ready canola is approved for cultivation in certain Australian States. This means much of the canola will have been sprayed with glyphosate (Roundup) to improve yields.
Uses:
Canola crops are used to create canola oil and canola meal, which is commonly used as animal feed.
Canola oil is widely used as a cooking oil, salad oil and in making margarine.
Some other current and potential non-food uses of canola oil include hydraulic fluid, biodiesel, cosmetics, engine oils, heat transfer oils, demolding agents, solvents, lubricants, printing ink formulations and components of items made with plasticisers, such as tires.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed oil has been valued for its health benefits since ancient times. It comes from the seeds of the flax plant (Linum usitatissimum), which has been cultivated for thousands of years.
Flax was one of the earliest domesticated plants, dating back to around 6,000 BCE. It was used for food, textiles, and medicinal purposes.
Ancient Egyptians valued flax for making linen and used flaxseed oil in embalming practices.
Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician, recommended flaxseed for digestive health. Roman soldiers consumed it for strength.
King Charlemagne passed laws in the 8th century requiring people to consume flaxseed due to its health benefits.
In the 16th century herbalists praised flaxseed oil for its medicinal properties, including reducing inflammation.
During the Industrial Revolution Linseed oil became widely used in paints, varnishes, and wood treatments.
With the rise of nutrition science over the last 50 years, flaxseed oil gained popularity for its high omega-3 content and health benefits.
Uses
Physicians throughout history have recommended flaxseed oil for soothing digestive issues and promoting gut health. Due to its high omega-3 content, flaxseed oil was used to reduce inflammation and ease joint pain. Early civilizations believed flaxseed oil helped maintain cardiovascular health, though they may not have understood its role in lowering cholesterol. Egyptians and other ancient cultures applied flaxseed oil to wounds and skin conditions, recognising its moisturising and healing properties.
Sunflower Seeds
Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) were domesticated by Native American tribes around 3000 BCE. They used the seeds for food, oil extraction, and even medicinal purposes.
Spanish explorers brought sunflowers to Europe in the 1500s, where they were initially grown as ornamental plants.
An English patent was granted for extracting sunflower oil in 1716, marking the beginning of its commercial use.
Sunflower oil gained popularity in Russia during the 18th and 19th centuries, largely due to the Russian Orthodox Church allowing its consumption during Lent. By 1830, sunflower oil was being produced on a large scale in Russia, leading to widespread cultivation.
Sunflower oil has become a staple in cooking worldwide.
Economic Impact: Russia and Ukraine have historically been the largest producers of sunflower oil, but recent global events have influenced its availability.
Uses
With a high smoke point, sunflower oil is ideal for frying. It is used as a substitute for butter or margarine in baked goods. Its neutral flavor makes it a good base for dressings and marinades. Sunflower oil is used in moisturisers, haircare and skincare products, and topical creams.
Sunflower oil can be processed into biodiesel.
Sunflower meal, a byproduct of oil extraction, is used in animal feed.
4 Reasons to Choose Flaxseed over canola or sunflower.
1. With its anti-inflammatory properties, flaxseeds have the best omega 3 to 6 ratio of the three oils for horses. Sunflower seeds have an unacceptably high omega 6 content for horses that already have chronic inflammatory conditions.
2. Flaxseeds have the longest history of use as a superfood by people and for animals, whereas canola is a repurposed industrial crop.
3. Flaxseeds are generally not genetically modified or "roundup ready", which means they are less likely than canola to be contaminated with glyphosate, which is associated with various cancers like non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
4. Flaxseeds are grown in all States in Australia whereas a significant portion of sunflower seed oils are imported, which aside from a desire to prioritise supporting Australian businesses, reduces the likelihood of freshness. Quality will diminish with time.
The Flaxseeds that we supply at Sound Advice are grown in Australia.
We purchase our flaxseed (and chia seed - another great source of omega 3s) from a wholesaler in Central NSW.
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