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Equine Omega Complete

Horse Care
#1

Equine omega complete yay or nay?

I have a 7yo OTTB. Had him a year now… got him straight off the track. First few months were touch and go. Had some hoof issues (couple absess after pulling shoes) skin/ coat issues (the flies ate him alive and he’s very allergic) and weight issues(prob due to stress from all the life changes). He has been perfectly sound for 8 months now, has put on a great amount of weight and his winter coat looks lovely. He’s in work and a good boy :slight_smile:

Currently on a complete feed twice daily with biotin, U7 (gastric aid) and smartpack weight gainer… and 24/7 hay of course.
I would love to drop the supplements and just do the Omega complete with his grain but afraid to mess with good results…

Any recommendations or experiences would be appreciated. Thank you!

#2

Nay.

I’m sure people who have experienced positive results will chime in, but the EOC really doesn’t give you much bang for your buck. However, if you want to spend the $$$ for marginal ingredients, go for it. :wink:

The omega 6:3 ratio (5.39:1) of EOC is higher than basic canola oil (2:1), and the total amount of omega 3 per serving (8g) is lower than a cheaper flax-based supplement like Glanzen (17g) or just basic ground flax.

There have been limited studies on DHA/EPA supplementation for horses, but one particular study fed 26g of DHA per and 7g of EPA per day. The EOC contains 1g DHA, 1.5g of EPA - so only a fraction of what has been reported to have benefits.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0737080614000392

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#3

EOC isn’t comparable to what you’re looking to drop. Absolut is right - it’s not something I’d spend money on. The O6:O3 ratio isn’t the worst out there by any means, and at the amount fed, while not doing any real benefit, likely not causing any real harm either. But at a whopping sarcasm 28IU Vit E per dose,it’s a “benefit” they’re touting that is useless. And many horses won’t eat fish oil, so…

What feed, and how much, is he getting? There are likely options for what you need that are better than what you are using now.

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#4

100% what ^ they said!

EOC is popular due to its great marketing, IMO. When it comes down to it it is nothing more than a mix of soybean oil and fish oil, with soybean making up a large majority of that mix. All the “transformations” they post of horses gaining weight or becoming very shiny are simply because the owner is feeding oil (ANY oil will do this). The recommended feeding rate for EOC is 4 ounces a day, IIRC. That’s 1/2 cup oil a day. I’m willing to bet the farm that you would see the exact same results from feeding 1/2 cup/ day of canola oil. At $2+/ day it is not worth it at all (compared to canola’s $0.15/ day at the same feeding rate).

If the rest of your diet is in order (as JB mentioned) and you are looking for an omega supplement, I cannot recommend KPP’s Contribute enough. It is fish oil with Total omega-3 fatty acids: 10,780 mg per oz, Eicosapentaenoic (EPA): 3,210 mg per oz, Docosahexaenoic (DHA): 2,320 mg per oz which gets you a lot closer to the amounts Absolut Equestrian mentioned. The recommended feeding rate is 1-2 ounces per day (half of EOC’s feeding rate). It smells amazing - a mixture of cherry and bubblegum - and I have not had an issue getting horses to eat it. It is cost effective at $0.45/ ounce (so between $0.45 - $0.90/day depending on if you feed one or two ounces). I noticed that when my horse is on it she has less inflammation in her body, however I don’t think any one supplement is a cure all like EOC claims.

You could certainly just feed flax for omegas, however, if you are looking for DHA and EPA (only found in marine sources I believe) Contribute is by FAR the best bang for your buck.

1 Like
#5

I used it to help my horse eat the dry supplements, not sure if it’s been beneficial health wise, but it sure helps her gobble up her supps.

#6

Since horses didn’t evolve eating anything out of the sea, I’m not concerned about DHA and EPA, unless I was looking to support an issue. There’s some research that suggests DHA can help some airway issues, for example.

#7

Your complete feed “should” be giving him what he needs. What are you using and how much? If he is at the weight you want him to be and you think you can back off, then I’d drop the weight gainer first. If the hoof quality is good, drop the biotin also. And when you get a new horse, you must post pics!!!

#8

Except none of them provide enough Omega 3, so if the horse isn’t getting enough fresh grass… many of them don’t provide enough Vit E when fed at the lower range, but may when fed at higher ranges. And, there’s the copper and zinc issue that may not be adequate either, depending on the forage.

2 Likes
#9

OP, if you are concerned about omegas, this is a good article, written by a DMV who is also well versed in equine nutrition. Since you are feeding a forage based diet, it’s unlikely that your horse is not getting enough omegas, and they are most likely in the correct ratio. But since you have not posted what complete feed you are feeding, or a hay analysis, there is no way to know for sure. But please don’t get worried about posts that generalize when they don’t really understand what they are dealing with - they just like to spout off.

https://www.doctorramey.com/omega-omg/

#10

Most commercial grains have a higher Omega 6 content than 3, and that doesn’t serve the horse. Fresh grass has more O3 than dried grass, both as a function of the % of fat, and as the % of the O3 of that % fat… Whether there is enough in the hay is up to that horse. Adding a feed with a high O6:O3 ratio (and most are), especially if the % of O6 is high, isn’t in the horse’s best interest either.

“Fresh grass, depending on its maturity, will vary between 3% to 5% fat, with about 40% to 55% omega- 3’s, and hay, depending on maturity, might vary between 1% and 3% fat, and will contain 18% to 35% omega-3’s.”

That could be quite a drop.

1 Like
#11

OP, here is another good article by a DVM.

https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-omega-3-fatty-acid-supplements-for-horses/

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