I have a horse that the owners are adamant that the horse needs to have cooked oats. I’m not a huge believer, but if I must I will.
I was once told that cooking oats somehow increases the likeliness of ulcers. Thoughts?
I started cooking oats about 2 months ago(when I came to Cali) The vet figured it would make them eat better, the one with ulcers has improved off the cooked outs. However he still gets his meds. I am finding the horses all do eat better, and have gained some weight.
If you don’t mind me asking, which vet?
Keep in mind heat of cooking will alter the nutritional content.
Ya, I do object. I need to put weight on the horse, I need to do alot with the horse. The first step was yanking all four shoes and he will training barefoot… as well as gastrogard. The list is endless.
Blinkers I sent you a PM, which track are you at?
Thanks, I got it. Santa Anita
Had a filly who stopped on her feed many years ago. Nothing worked to get her appetite back. Bloods came back clear, vet’s couldn’t find anything specific. (I think she simply hated being at the track, but there was no choice) She started dropping weight like crazy.
I started cooking her oats. Did it with hot water, adding some cinnamon and a couple of handfuls of bran to the oats, and then putting that pail into a clean muck bucket filled with hot water. Kept changing the water in the muck bucket through out the afternoon. (didn’t want to chance a fire by using a bucket heater.
She started eating them from the first day, picking at it then with more enthusiasm as the days went by. She regained the weight, her coat was unreal and her entire attitude changed (for the better) She would actually call and dance for supper instead of sulking.
I can’t speak for nutritional changes from cooking, but I can say that made all the difference in this case. I have used it with other horses since then and it has worked well.
Sounds to me more like you were soaking, not actually cooking.
They were steaming and swollen open. You could smell them all through the shedrow. And they were hot to the touch. I call that cooked. (the H2O there was set really high and I changed the exterior water frequently.)
I worked at barn once that had one of those big old oat cookers. They would feed the entire barn , 30 odd horses, coooked oats every day. The smell was wonderful and the horses looked great. I would do it in a minute if I ever run across another oat cooker.
It does smell yummy!!
I don’t know if you’d call it “cooked” or not, but I pour boiling water over a mix of oats, beet pulp and flax seed, cover it and let it sit for 20 minutes and serve it HOT. I have a couple who will nibble to begin with and a couple that just dive in for big mouthfuls no matter how hot.
Well it sure makes the barn smell good! As far as getting an oat cooker, we’ve used a big pot for steaming crabs, or a turkey fryer!
