Time to buy more supplements and I’m debating on whether the ground flaxseed (Omega Horseshine) is worth the cost for benefits. It does seem to be making a shinier coat, but for a healthy 8 year old horse in a pretty intense work program (he could use the tiniest bit more weight/muscle, but otherwise is in fantastic condition), are there tangible benefits other than the shiny coat that make it worth staying on? Not sure if the tiny bit of extra shininess to the coat is worth ~$20 a month…
I put my now 20 year old on it when I got him. Yes, the shiny coat and hair growth is a plus, but I have seen other benefits. He had a really nasty grass allergy when I got him that the flax has reduced - it hasn’t cleared up completely, but it is better. His joint movement is improved - there have been some studies showing flax is a good, natural joint supplement. He hasn’t had any type of maintenance injection in 2 years. The other added benefit that I found out when I was researching it was that ground flax naturally absorbs water, so the benefit is that it helps bring more water and moisture into their gut and helps keep everything moving through. I do feed pure ground flax from Manna Pro. I feel that the cost of the tub (~$35) is worth the benefits.
My farrier recommended it for my guys that had trouble keeping shoes on, cracks etc. It’s been worth every penny and we buy a 50lb bag at our feed store for $50. Since we have several on it, it’s worth it to buy in bulk.
GROUND FLAX! I live by it. I’ve had the barn on it for three months now. Coats are beautiful. Four of the five are retirees, and everyone seems to be moving around more freely. My performance horse is quieter and has put on a lot of weight; she’s normally a very hard keeper. I’m in Virginia, I can get a 50 pound bag of ground for $35. Beware though, during the humid summer months it does need to be stored in a cool, dry place. It does mold quickly.
DO it. You don’t need the ground stuff. Omega is fine, but if you have a feed store that sells flax, it’s dirt cheap. I have three horses and buy a 50 lb bag that lasts six months or so. It helps with weight and coat and probably a lot of other things.
How much are you all feeding?
1/4-1/2 cup a day is what we did in the past.
flax has a fair amount of omega 3, very high fat (40%+), and is anti-inflammatory. i have heard more than once that flaxseed helps increase joint function and mobility, as well as helps horses who have seasonal issues like allergies or sweet itch.
i used to feed it to my guys but it got too expensive… but there was a definite difference.
I feed 1/2 cup a day.
I feed half cup a day of whole flax seed.
Does anyone feed Start to Finish Cool Omega 40? I have started my mare on it and she shines like a copper penny, but also she needs a fat supplement and this does the trick. I used to feed her just the Cool Calories but the Cool Omega has more of the good stuff (like flax) and it really helps with her skin issues (scratches). But it’s $22 for 8lbs of it. I feed 4oz a day. The Cool Omega adds protein and fat without making her hot and it really seems to be working well. Everyone tells me how great she looks, even with her winter coat just starting to shed out.
IMHO OHS is an over-priced ground flaxseed. It’s not fortified enough to be of any real benefit.
Whole flax is just fine and way, way cheaper. If you feel you must grind it, grind it daily right before feeding, otherwise any length of time without feeding is a greater loss of nutrients.
I love flax!!
Been feeding it 1/4- 1/2 cup per day to my guys.
Started feeding flax to the horses back in the 70’s - then it was skin and coat, now that we know more, it is even more worth it.
I do a beet pulp in the am, so I just add the flax to the beet pulp (whole flax), let it soak for 10-30 minutes, and feed it.
I had a horse nutritionist tell me that ground or whole did not make a huge difference, with the whole, some does go through undigested, but most gets digested.
With the ground, I have read that it goes rancid pretty quick, so if you want to grind it up, do about a week at a time.
I feed Triple Crown Omega Max. One of my geldings gets 1 cup per day and the other gets 1/2 cup a day. I think it helps everything, skin, coat, hooves, joints. I used to feed Omega Horseshine but it’s more than twice the price of the TC and I see no difference in results.
I feed 1/2 cup whole flax per day.
I think it is very helpful. My one is prone to scratches and keeping him on flax keeps his pasterns tidy despite the massive mud pits. I also like that it provides healthy gel-like fiber for their bellies. Worth the ~$25 per month experiment (for both horses) in my eyes. I buy the giant 50# bags for about $40.
I feed Omega Horseshine, and while it’s definitely expensive, I’m scared to switch them onto another brand/form of flax. I tried once, to the Triple Crown brand, and the horses just didn’t seem to do as well on it as they did the Omega HS.
I can testify that it is borderline miraculous in terms of anti-inflammatory properties. I have two older (one 27 and the other 19) geldings who both haven’t had the easiest lives (one was in a harsh training program as a youngster before I got him and the other sustained a serious hind leg injury). The 19 year old also tends towards IR/pre-Cushings and has suffered chronic abscesses and tender feet. He also has chronic scratches. The 27 year old had gotten so arthritic he was barely able to creep around the pasture, and all three of mine (including the very sound 8 year old) were always coming up tender after their trims.
After they’d been on the Omega HS for a few months, I noticed how much better the older geldings were getting around, and how all of them showed practically no tenderness after getting their feet trimmed. I kept them on it for awhile, then tried to quit it due to expense. The next time they were trimmed they were all tender and hobbling around, and my poor 27 year old was so stiff and crippled up I found him laying in the pasture one day unwilling to get up. This horse NEVER lays down in the pasture during the day, and certainly not when a person is approaching him. I walked right up to him and he just laid there until I made him get up. I honestly thought he was telling me it was time for him to go. But, I gave him some bute and he felt better. I put everyone back on Omega HS that same day and have never taken them off again. The 27 year old is sound as a pound, runs around swapping leads in the pasture, and the 19 year old hasn’t had a single abscess or sore foot, plus his scratches have gotten better.
It’s expensive, but I think it’s good stuff. Really good stuff.
I can buy a 50 lb bag of flax for 25 dollars,grind up a weeks worth and put in frig…keeps good for the week.
Why pay almost 40 dollars for OHS 20lbs that’s just plain nuts,there’s nothing special in it pretty much pricey flax… Fleet farm here their OHS is 39$ for a 20 lb bag…Way more then i’am willing to spend for flax…my horses wouldn’t get fed flax for that price.
[QUOTE=sassy45;8611219]
I can buy a 50 lb bag of flax for 25 dollars,grind up a weeks worth and put in frig…keeps good for the week.
Why pay almost 40 dollars for OHS 20lbs that’s just plain nuts,there’s nothing special in it pretty much pricey flax… Fleet farm here their OHS is 39$ for a 20 lb bag…Way more then i’am willing to spend for flax…my horses wouldn’t get fed flax for that price.[/QUOTE]
I don’t know. Like I said, mine didn’t do as well on the Triple Crown flax supplement. And I’m not going to grind whole flax and store it in my fridge.
OHS is the only supplement I feed, so I don’t mind the expense.
I have been feeding 1 cup a day, along with 2cups of Equilizer (vitamin/mineral supplement in pellet form soaked to make a mash) and a table spoon of salt, no grain just hay and they all look great.
I feed about 1/2 cup plain ground flax to my mare per day. She thinks it’s very tasty, and her coat and hooves are just lovely.
1 cup/day of whole flax.
