Oats - The good, the bad and the ugly

[Alterration]

@Lost_Shoe

I feed whole, triple-cleaned “race horse” oats with Life Data’s ration balancer designed to be fed with oats and forage. I fed a similar diet 20 years ago, then fed processed safe choice grain for years, then returned to oats a few years ago. The horses look great! One in particular has never looked or behaved better; I had suspected that one or more ingredients, perhaps soy, in the safe choice grain he was on did not suit him, and the evidence appears to bear that out.

I was wondering if anyone fed that RB - it looked nice (and palatable).

As an update to the oats experiment here…

I started giving some oats mixed with alf pellets last week to all but my hard keeper (just started giving him some yesterday afternoon - he was on 6 lbs of strategy and some alf pellets, so I just added a cup of oats to his ration).

One of my horses (not the hard keeper) is normally a zingy dingbat, but this morning he came out of the stall just as sedate as could be - and it was a little chilly this morning, which normally would cause weird jumpy behavior. Even the bus coming by didn’t set him off quite like it normally does.

The hard keeper cleaned up his ration which honestly was delightful. Normally he leaves mouthfuls of strategy in his bucket. While he still attempted to crib on his feed pan (he is a hard core cribber) he didnt really crib but rather just mouthed it a bit. That was encouraging. When he went out he did the same thing on his favorite board.

The other two in my barn eat anything - so they aren’t good experiments except that it did seem to slow them down a bit. I have whole oats, and I notice it takes a lot of chewing to eat them. They still have their alfalfa pellets, so it’s a cup of oats and a cup of alf pellets.

They normally get mag, E, vitamins, a coat supplement, feed through fly control and white salt added, so I’m continuing to add those.

[Alterration]

@Bonnie2

When you buy a bag of whole oats you do not know what is in the bag. Different varieties from different soils in different climates with different fertilizing and weed control produce different fiber protein and mineral content. My biggest hesitation with feeding whole oats is that their nutritional value is affected by the horse that is consuming them. Both dental issues and bolting feed will leave you with whole oats in manure which the birds love to pick out.

You make a good point that if you have untested oats you don’t know what’s in the bag, but mine still have a feed tag with data on it. It may vary, sure, but I can’t imagine it would vary enough that the other things that they are fed (vitamins, alfalfa, grass hay) wouldn’t cover it.

@Bonnie2

I knew a guy who worked at a commercial bakery and his horses ate past sell by bread and poor pasture grass.

That’s amazing! We had neighbors bringing their refrigerator veggies to my horses (before we caught them, and I asked politely for them NOT to feed them, because I so carefully balance their diets LOL). They were certainly happy to have the veggies and leftover bread, and I never found evidence in their paddocks. It wasn’t until one of my staff happened to be out and saw them doing it that we even knew it was happening.

@Bonnie2

You have been wise to consider the source when reading articles, and I am a great believer that knowledge is power, but don’t over think it.

Usually there’s more of a consensus in articles so I can feel reasonably comfortable on my path. What confused me about oats was that it was ALL over the map!

[2DogsFarm]

I fed oats when I brought my horses home.
Based on a barn I boarded where Trainer/Mgr was German-educated & barn was literally built to his specs (by wealthy BO/patron).
He fed a mix of steam-rolled/crimped oats & my horses thrived on this -along with good, grass hay - for the 4yrs we boarded there.
This after nearly 10yrs boarding where various mfd pellets were fed.
I switched to whole oats about a year in to save money.
Never looked back & 20yrs later, 3rd trio of geldings, 2 are thriving on oats. #3 is a mini who, after 4yrs of oats, decided founder might be an option.
TG, caught early, so no lasting effects, but he gets TC Sr.
The current other 2 - 24yo Hackney Pony & 20yo TWH - are in great shape on twice daily ration of whole oats & BOSS.
Horse gets ~2 cups oats per feed, pony gets ~1 cup. BOSS is a 2T scoop - heaping for horse, level for pony, scant for mini.
No scientific measure, I eyeball quantity.
I don’t find hulls in manure (nor do I get volunteer sunflowers in my compost pile).
Vet compliments their condition, coats are soft & shiny year-round, good hooves on all.
For me, it’s a matter of KISS.
And, if a supplement or med is needed it can be top-dressed.

ETA:
I had a well-meaning neighbor who was loading feed buckets with assorted fruit/veg she bought for the horses.
Which I’d find as fermenting mess.
I told her to pls stop & that only the occasional single apple or carrot cut up! was allowed.

[RJC]

I decided to start sprouting oats for my boy. This is a bit “extra” but I already have a history of growing fodder for the chickens in winter and much of what the humans eat in this house (beans, nuts, seeds, grains) gets soaked and sometimes sprouted too.

I do 1-2 dry cups of oats sprouted, mixed at feed time with a pound of alfalfa pellets and his vit & min supplements (which stick wonderfully to the damp oats and roots). The whole pile is inhaled and he snuffles around the feed pan looking for dropped oats. I could hardly get him to eat a ration balancer if he suspected something might be added to it. Now he appears over the half door from turnout when he hears his dinner being prepared

It’s been two weeks and he’s doing great. If this is still working in fall, I’ll plan to let his rations grow into fodder so he gets some fresh greens in winter.

[candyappy]

@Alterration

As an update to the oats experiment here…

I started giving some oats mixed with alf pellets last week to all but my hard keeper (just started giving him some yesterday afternoon - he was on 6 lbs of strategy and some alf pellets, so I just added a cup of oats to his ration).

One of my horses (not the hard keeper) is normally a zingy dingbat, but this morning he came out of the stall just as sedate as could be - and it was a little chilly this morning, which normally would cause weird jumpy behavior. Even the bus coming by didn’t set him off quite like it normally does.

The hard keeper cleaned up his ration which honestly was delightful. Normally he leaves mouthfuls of strategy in his bucket. While he still attempted to crib on his feed pan (he is a hard core cribber) he didnt really crib but rather just mouthed it a bit. That was encouraging. When he went out he did the same thing on his favorite board.

The other two in my barn eat anything - so they aren’t good experiments except that it did seem to slow them down a bit. I have whole oats, and I notice it takes a lot of chewing to eat them. They still have their alfalfa pellets, so it’s a cup of oats and a cup of alf pellets.

They normally get mag, E, vitamins, a coat supplement, feed through fly control and white salt added, so I’m continuing to add those.

Almost a month later and have you continued feeding Oats with a good result?

I am picking up a bag tomorrow to start with my guys. My local MFA carries Triple Crown oats which are really clean and good quality.

My gelding is reacting ( digestive wise) to something in the RB and while not terribly messy he is dirty from a tiny bit of FW that I would like to see if a diet change helps.

[Alterration]

Yep - everyone looks shiny and healthy, and still eating with gusto!

[adultammylife]

The way the grains are prepared also has a massive effect on digestibility. Micronization is the most effective process that allows for more digestibility as opposed to grains that are simply cracked or whole.

(Shameless plug, all of Keyflow USA feeds are micronized and extruded!)

Sources: https://www.capstonehorsefeed.com/micronization/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0737080623007980

[JumpWithPanache]

Sorry to revive an old thread @Alterration, but how’s the oats experiment still going and what are you using as a ration balancer? I’ve also been feeding oats for a while now, with very good results, but am questioning whether or how much ration balancer I need. He’s currently eating 2.5 qts oats, 1 cup Keyflow Pink Mash, SmartDigest Ultra, 1 cup Purina Enrich+ (ration balancer), and 2 cups Keyflow Stay Cool (for flavor). Previously he was fed Sentinel LS and was hot, hot, hot… spooked at EVERYTHING! His mind and body condition improved drastically on oats and exponentially when I added to the Pink Mash. I’m wondering if the Stay Cool is sufficient as a balancer without the Enrich or if TC Balancer Gold (soy free) might be a better choice to ease that last bit of spook off him.

Thanks, and again… sorry for the revival!

[Scribbler]

@JumpWithPanache

Sorry to revive an old thread @Alterration, but how’s the oats experiment still going and what are you using as a ration balancer? I’ve also been feeding oats for a while now, with very good results, but am questioning whether or how much ration balancer I need. He’s currently eating 2.5 qts oats, 1 cup Keyflow Pink Mash, SmartDigest Ultra, 1 cup Purina Enrich+ (ration balancer), and 2 cups Keyflow Stay Cool (for flavor). Previously he was fed Sentinel LS and was hot, hot, hot… spooked at EVERYTHING! His mind and body condition improved drastically on oats and exponentially when I added to the Pink Mash. I’m wondering if the Stay Cool is sufficient as a balancer without the Enrich or if TC Balancer Gold (soy free) might be a better choice to ease that last bit of spook off him.

Thanks, and again… sorry for the revival!

I don’t know these various products.

However I do know that oats are primarily a carb source, for energy or weight, and the best of the traditional whole grains (better than corn or barley).

Oats do not provide any of the trace minerals or protein in significant amounts.

So at a minimum you should continue with a comprehensive vitamin mineral supplement or pelleted ration balancer that gets you copper, zinc, magnesium, biotin, and Vitamin E in sufficient doses.

In my market the best choice for coverage and cost is Madbarn Omneity Premix in a mash of beet pulp pellets, alfalfa cubes and salt. The mash grows exponentially so a bag of beep lasts me 3 plus months. If I want I can add oats at any amount.

You need to read labels and see what ration balancers or VMS in your market give you the best coverage for the price. Some are surprisingly skimpy on some key ingredients. Even some of the hoof specific supplements have less copper, zinc and biotin than the Omneity.

A mash is important for feeding powdered supplements because the supplements blend better. Also a mash looks and feels like a huge meal to the horse when it’s only a cottage cheese container of beep and a scant handful of alfalfa cubes but about 2 plus gallons soaked!

If you have a palatable ration balancer most horses just eat it like grain.

[Montanas_Girl]

@JumpWithPanache

I’m wondering if the Stay Cool is sufficient as a balancer without the Enrich or if TC Balancer Gold (soy free) might be a better choice to ease that last bit of spook off him.

Do you have a copy of the tag for this ingredient? The nutrition information on the website doesn’t include any mineral or vitamin guarantees.

Looking at the ingredients, since this product contains grains and is higher in NSC than a typical ration balancer, I would be more suspicious of it being the cause of any behavior issues.

[Simkie]

@JumpWithPanache

Previously he was fed Sentinel LS and was hot, hot, hot

Ha! I also had a couple horses go BONKERS on this feed. Such a surprise.

Fwiw, I feed alfalfa pellets + Vermont blend pro and add oats depending on need on a horse by horse basis. I’ve been super happy with this approach and the horses all look great.

You may also want to look at the Vermont blend options and how they fit in. It’s worked very well in my barn.

[RhythmNCruise]

@JumpWithPanache

TC Balancer Gold (soy free) might be a better choice to ease that last bit of spook off him.

This is what I feed, and I swear my guy is the calmest and most unflappable he’s ever been in his life. He’s also 16 years old now, so that could help, but he’s just so chill about everything. At one point a few years ago I was feeding calming supplements, extra Magnesium, extra B12, gut supplements, and anything I could think of to help chill him out. The culprit was mostly ulcers, which got taken care of eventually, but he’s one that also tends to react to his feed (can’t have high carb, for instance…no oats for him)

TC Balancer Gold has a lot of magnesium in it and an awesome gut package, and I often wonder if that is what makes the difference. He just seems so…content. I definitely recommend it. I feed mine with Unbeetable Forage Only (and hay of course).

[adultammylife]

@JumpWithPanache

Previously he was fed Sentinel LS and was hot, hot, hot… spooked at EVERYTHING! His mind and body condition improved drastically on oats and exponentially when I added to the Pink Mash. I’m wondering if the Stay Cool is sufficient as a balancer without the Enrich or if TC Balancer Gold (soy free) might be a better choice to ease that last bit of spook off him.

Hi! Stay Cool is a complete feed and can be fed without a balancer if you are feeding within the feed rate (which is about 1.5qt 2x day or 4-8lb/day). Stay Cool is a lower fat feed that provides calm energy. Most people who make the switch to Stay Cool notice a difference in the energy level of the horses (some trainers have even told us their prep is easier!)
Alternatively, Keyflow has a hybrid balancer/museli which is more concentrated than our complete feeds (Sensi Care, Stay Cool, Maestro) and has a lower feeding rate of 2.75-3.3lb/day. This is also a great, non-heating option.

To address the starch concerns that someone else mentioned. We use a process called micronization, meaning our starches are “predigested” and the nutrients are easier for the horses to digest. It’s a different process than the pelleted process that is used for many other companies. This is a great article that explains further, its a really cool process! https://www.capstonehorsefeed.com/micronization/

[Alterration]

It’s been awhile! Yes, so they are still doing very well on oats. It’s just gotten into “spooky-season” here, and I appreciate the reduction in dingbat behavior. I did buy some of the medalist sprout pellets (I’m forever experimenting) to see if it has any advantages over straight alfalfa.

Right now I’m using Gro-N-Win as a ration balancer, but I may switch to Omneity with additional biotin to assist one of my guys who has terrible feet.

[quietann]

I have no experience with oats, but everything here is reassuring. My Morgan pony Lola is out in Michigan on pasture board at her breeder’s farm, and the breeder feeds oats, although not in large quantities for most of her horses. They are healthy although some are a bit overweight. All are barefoot and she hasn’t had problems with laminitis.

Lola and I are second from the right. Yes a lot of her horses are fun-size!

[Montanas_Girl]

@adultammylife

To address the starch concerns that someone else mentioned. We use a process called micronization, meaning our starches are “predigested” and the nutrients are easier for the horses to digest.

If micronization truly increases starch digestibility in the small intestine (I’d like to see a citation for that claim, if you have one), then, while it is “safer” from a hindgut acidosis perspective, it will actually increase blood glucose (and therefore insulin) spikes post-feeding.

[Bluey]

Decades ago we fed our weanlings oats and alfalfa for a few months after weaned, as per our vets best for them.
He said alfalfa has too much calcium, but an excellent balance of all other nutrients for a rapidly growing body and oats had phosphorus to complement the extra calcium.
We watched and if any had the rare ankle misstep/buckling, he said to add a phosphorus supplement to the oats.

Our foals looked great and went on to win their share of races and make long lived, healthy and sound ranch and western type show/rodeo horses.
A local breeder would fill an aluminum water tub full of oats for his broodmares to pick on all day long as they came and went from their native short grass prairie grasses to their pens and water.
Her mares and foals looked always well and didn’t have any health problems from that management.
We were afraid to try that.
Her vet recommended free choice oats to complement the high calcium in our grasses.

We used to raise our own oats and keep enough in a bin in the barn to feed all year, fed straight without processing.
When buying any, those were crushed oats, but had to be fed soon, didn’t keep long.

[JumpWithPanache]

I might try a sample of the Vermont Blend… he’s super picky about powders, but it might bind well to the pink mash.

[JumpWithPanache]

Thanks, I’ll take a look at those two balancers! Glad to hear your crew is also doing well on the oats

[RhythmNCruise]

I just saw that Vermont Blend comes in a pelleted version now.