Best (read: cheapest for the grade of nutrition) way to add fat to a horse’s diet? I’ve read so much conflicting stuff, “add oil”, “don’t add oil” :no: Mine currently are getting a 14 protein 4 fat and 25 fiber feed and a 50/50 mix of Alfalfa and Orchard grass hay. (2nd or 3rd cutting, I cannot remember). Need to add some fat to one’s diet and a lot to another’s (older Arabian). 
none are under weight currently but winter is coming…
I’m a big fan of the legends flax high fat supplement/feed. I haven’t had a horse or pony yet that would eat oil. It’s worked the best on all the seniors at our barn.
Most economical fat would be veg oil. Corn oil can be inflammatory.
[QUOTE=luvmyhackney;8902322]
I’m a big fan of the legends flax high fat supplement/feed. I haven’t had a horse or pony yet that would eat oil. It’s worked the best on all the seniors at our barn.[/QUOTE]
thank you 
i will see if anyone in our area carries that
[QUOTE=gypsymare;8902326]
Most economical fat would be veg oil. Corn oil can be inflammatory.[/QUOTE]
thank you i have been trying the vegetable oil and the older girl (who needs it the most, go figure) will not eat anymore than a cup a day… and that’s split between feedings as it is.
Cool Calories.
Powdered veg oil supplement. 99% fat, you only need a tiny scoop once or twice a day.
No issues with spoiling, freezing, going rancid, etc. Not messy at all!
[QUOTE=moving to dc;8902496]
Cool Calories.
Powdered veg oil supplement. 99% fat, you only need a tiny scoop once or twice a day.
No issues with spoiling, freezing, going rancid, etc. Not messy at all![/QUOTE]
I just ordered the Poulin Grain version of this for my extra special hard keeper TB. I’m cautiously optimistic.
You’ll get more weight gain per dollar adding more top quality hay than anything else.
[QUOTE=gypsymare;8902510]
You’ll get more weight gain per dollar adding more top quality hay than anything else.[/QUOTE]
In my case, horse has hay 24/7. I have 4 TB’s and IMO…it’s the only way to keep the weight on, but this one is relatively new (since June) and it’s been a bit harder figuring out his particular recipe for success.
[QUOTE=chism;8902520]
In my case, horse has hay 24/7. I have 4 TB’s and IMO…it’s the only way to keep the weight on, but this one is relatively new (since June) and it’s been a bit harder figuring out his particular recipe for success.[/QUOTE]
One of my harder keeping TBs requires additional protein to keep his topline fleshed out. I add TC30% to his ration when in work and it’s all he gets when idle, but many others swear by triAmino. Sometimes it just takes a flake of alfalfa.
[QUOTE=gypsymare;8902535]
One of my harder keeping TBs requires additional protein to keep his topline fleshed out. I add TC30% to his ration when in work and it’s all he gets when idle, but many others swear by triAmino. Sometimes it just takes a flake of alfalfa.[/QUOTE]
Horse gets alflalfa pellets with every feeding due to stomach issues… he’s a headscratcher for me. I’ve taken many TB’s off the track, but he’s just been a bit harder. We’ll figure it out.
My mare did nothing on Cool Calories but gained a lot of weight on Coca Soya oil. It smells great and she LOVES it. She would wait anxiously until my BM put it on top of her feed and licked her bucket clean every day.
Just plain coconut oil works well. It is solid at room temperature, and in the winter, if you have cold temperatures, it’s a pain to deal with it. But horses love the taste and it does make horses’ coats bloom. You can buy it in your grocery store.
Uckele’s Coco-soya is also a good supplement, but it’s a liquid, and it’s relatively expensive to ship.
[QUOTE=chism;8902573]
Horse gets alflalfa pellets with every feeding due to stomach issues… he’s a headscratcher for me. I’ve taken many TB’s off the track, but he’s just been a bit harder. We’ll figure it out.[/QUOTE]
Alfalfa though high in crude protein can be low in the limiting essential amino acids: lysine, methionine and threonine. If one of those are low then no matter how much crude protein is in the feed, muscle building, hair and hoof quality and wound repair can suffer.
I’m not saying it’s your issue but it seems to be a common one with TBs judging from the reviews for TriAmino I’ve seen on this board.
[QUOTE=Posting Trot;8902586]
Just plain coconut oil works well. It is solid at room temperature, and in the winter, if you have cold temperatures, it’s a pain to deal with it. But horses love the taste and it does make horses’ coats bloom. You can buy it in your grocery store.
Uckele’s Coco-soya is also a good supplement, but it’s a liquid, and it’s relatively expensive to ship.[/QUOTE]
Cocosoya is just soybean oil and coconut oil blended, for like $20 a gallon. You can probably get 5 gallons of soybean oil at CostCo for the price of a gallon of Cocosoya. Bulk Apothecary has 5 gallon buckets of coconut oil for $60, with shipping around $27 to my location. I am guessing that Cocosoya has more soya than coco in it, so if it’s a 2:1 ratio, you could have about 15 gallons of it for around $130.
OTOH, I don’t know why they use soybean oil. When I was feeding my PSSM gelding liquid oil, I used canola as a compromise on price vs Omega 3:6 ratio. Many will argue that canola is a nasty industrial seed oil (it is), but it has a better ratio than the others, and not much more expensive than “veg oil” which is usually soy and whatever else they can throw in.
As far as feeding, we would just pour it on his hay and he ate it no problems, but he’s never been fussy.
Alfalfa is typically pretty high in lysine, as are legumes in general.
What feed at the horses getting, and how much, in how many servings?
You could just buy whole flax seed and grind it up yourself. That’s quite cheap.
You could try Renew Gold.
[QUOTE=Obsidian Fire;8902697]
You could just buy whole flax seed and grind it up yourself. That’s quite cheap.
You could try Renew Gold.[/QUOTE]
My recommendation too… I would add a bit more flax to Renew Gold, since it is pretty high in Omega 3s, but it is a decent source of fat. No messy oils, makes it easier to feed. Some boarding places won’t allow oil because it is MESSY. Some horses won’t eat it too. And oil goes rancid pretty easily.
Or can you just change their grain? There are several high fat grain mixes commercially manufactured. You are feeding a really high fiber feed which significantly lowers the ‘calorie’ content of your feed.
[QUOTE=Justmyluck;8902744]
Or can you just change their grain? There are several high fat grain mixes commercially manufactured. You are feeding a really high fiber feed which significantly lowers the ‘calorie’ content of your feed.[/QUOTE]
I was going to say this. Depending on what you are feeding, it may be most economical to change your feed to something with higher fat. Something in the double digits, preferably. The higher quality the feed, the less you have to feed, the more economical it gets.
Otherwise, some version of oil.
