Talked to theses folks http://http://uschia.com/collections/products at the Pony Club annual meeting and am curious. Does anyone out there feed their horse chia seeds? Share your stories!
Yes I do feed chia to my 2. A few years ago a CoTher posted that her vet recommended chia seeds to help prevent colic. So I went to eBay and found “getchia.com.” A great company. I buy the human grade seeds. If you price them on eBay and on the company website, you can get some good deals by negotiating the price. I usually buy 12 pounds, but got a great deal on 24 pounds a few months ago, so we have plenty of chia seeds.
If you google chia seeds, the history and use by Indians is an interesting story.
I am not familiar with all of the different reasons people use Chia but I considered them solely for coat health a few years back. Once I priced it out I realized I could feed flax and fish oil for a fraction of the cost so it was not economical for me. I am interested to hear others perspectives/reasons for using Chia.
Yes, chia is expensive. But it is very rich in omega 3 fatty acids, and also turns into a gel in the gut, which helps clear sand, etc. and helps with hydration. A lot of marathon runners and other athletes use it for hydration. It’s a super food–great stuff!
Also, you feed much less than flax–1/3 cup a day versus a full cup of flax. My guy is currently on flax, but I do occasionally splurge on the chia.
[QUOTE=Frizzle;7978615]
Yes, chia is expensive. But it is very rich in omega 3 fatty acids, and also turns into a gel in the gut, which helps clear sand, etc. and helps with hydration. A lot of marathon runners and other athletes use it for hydration. It’s a super food–great stuff!
Also, you feed much less than flax–1/3 cup a day versus a full cup of flax. My guy is currently on flax, but I do occasionally splurge on the chia.[/QUOTE]
Do you have to soak it first to get the hydration benefits? I am interested in that, the skin benefits and help with a hard-keeper.
I feed Chia. For the gel it forms in the hindgut (I have hindgut ulcer issues with my boy). It was actually cheaper to feed than buying psyllium.
It also covers my omega-3 needs instead of also adding flax. I just put the seeds on top of my guys senior and he eats it up.
I get it at Costco and it is $9.99 for 2 lbs, organic. Haven’t been able to beat that price.
Also if it gets wet you don’t have to worry about it releasing cyanide gas like flax will do (if it sits wet for too long). And you don’t have to grind it.
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Obsidian, that Costco price for organic chia is amazing. I order mine in 20 pound containers, and it costs $7.75 a pound for me. I’ve heard chia from South and Central America has higher levels of trace minerals, so I’m not sure if that is the price difference, but still, that Costco price is really awesome! I feed my warmblood 1/4 cup 2x per day, and my daughter’s Welsh pony gets 1/8 cup 2x per day.
Here are my top reasons for feeding it:
– Omega fatty acid profile – very high in Omega 3s
– The gel is soothing and good for the gut
– It has a complete amino acid profile, including proline, which is a major constituent of collagen
My horses are not metabolic, but I’ve read it is also very good for the metabolic horse. It is also very shelf stable, so no need to stabilize it like is needed for ground flax or fish oil.
My horses get their chia sprinkled in their feed. Right before their feed is served, the barn staff adds some water to the feed bucket. They eat it right up.
I just started and also get mine from Costco.
One horse gets Flax instead because it is supposed to help with sweet itch. Started him on it now to get a head start on spring.
The rest get Chia.
So it sounds like this will be a good follow up (to start on chia) after a round of blue pop rocks. Still unclear if soaking is important or not needed? The prices are doable from getchia.com
Chia seed is great.
It really helped my horse. I also love Kombat boots.
It helps digestion and also helps horses utilize feed up to 40 percent more.
Right now I just use kombat boots, but in the summer my horses get chia seed. A little water helps the chia stick to the feed so it doesn’t fall on ground.
[QUOTE=pologirl27;7979193]
Do you have to soak it first to get the hydration benefits? I am interested in that, the skin benefits and help with a hard-keeper.[/QUOTE]
Nope, the chia does not need to be soaked! It will turn into a gel in the horses’s gut just fine if you feed it dry. :yes:
Kombat Boots looks really expensive. I feed Diamond V yeast. I have been very happy with the results.
I remember that old Chia thread! Too bad I do not live anywhere near a Costco. Not a Costco in the entire state of Oklahoma. 
Thanks for more intel! I am hoping this + Probios make for a happy horse.
I don’t feed chia by itself, but one of the vit/min supps from Horsetech I like, the Fuel formual, has chia in it.
Thanks for the Costco info–that’s much cheaper than I’m getting it for!
My guy gets 2tbs am and pm, mixed in with his grain and soaked in a couple of cups of water. He has a history of colic due to not drinking when the weather gets windy, but no episodes since starting the chia a year ago. Plus he’s super shiny!
I have just started feeding chia, my horse is insulin resistant and the medication he is on causes hindgut acidosis. so the chia is supposed to help, plus we live in Florida so the gel formation helps reduce the chance of sand colic (a win-win)
I got 6lbs from Amazon for $27
By soaking the chia you are adding water to the horse’s diet. Also, the gel the soaked chia produces has a soothing affect on the non glandular region of the stomach, especially if ulcers are suspected. As for the hindgut, the fiber in Chia seeks out water and attracts it like a magnet. I would personally not want the chia to be pulling water out of the small intestine. So I would ONLY feed if they have been soaked!
They do have the correct omega 3-6 ratios and a very nutritious.
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The chia does not pull water out of the intestines. It turns into a gel and helps with hydration, motility, etc., even when not soaked.
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Frizzle is right. Chia seeds help hydrate. They do not cause dehydration. Google chia seeds and read how the Indians in the SW used them. And they help move sand out of the gut. I do not soak the chia seeds. Well the other day I accidentally did, but usually I put them on top of the soaked grain where they are dry when my 2 eat their grain. The hens at the barn love the spilled seeds.
