Do you feed oil? What kind and why?

The title says it all.

I'm feeding my mare, who needs to gain quite a few pounds, coconut oil. I started with Cocosoya, but since I can't find it in any feed store, I switched to just coconut oil that I can buy in the grocery store. I loved the Cocosoya though. It put such a nice shine on Sky.

My reason for feeding oil is weight gain, and read that coconut oil is good for putting fat on a horses back, which is where Sky really needs it. But if there's an oil that is better for weight gain in general, I would definitely switch.

So what oil do you feed and why? Also, how much? I give Sky 6oz a day but wonder if I should give her more.

I feed linseed oil to my gelding. It keeps his coat healthy and prevents his joints from cracking, but I don't feed it too much - about half a teacup is enough, as linseed oil can also be a laxative. Also, a few of times a year I add milk thistle oil to his feed for a couple of weeks in row to keep his liver healthy.

Triple Crown rice oil.

I add canola or veggie oil to my mares feed in winter as an "extra". Canola has omega 3 in it (which corn and some other oils have not), also it's cheaper than buying, say, flax seed or rice bran oil in horse stores (that are VERY expensive). And I supplement with flax year around.

I have only one aged horse I top dress with oil. The others don't need it thank goodness!

Currently trying flax seed oil to put on weight. If nothing else I will have the shiniest horse :) It's about $11 a month so really not that expensive.

Really? I've seen it in my local store, and I remember the price was really high. Although I may mess it up with bran one.

Yeap, Rice bran oil was only $2 more. A gallon is $22 and you give two ounces a day so roughly 60 days. I have seen it cost a bunch but that is what my local feed store charges. Oh and the rice oil I think a gallon only lasts a month because you give more so that would double the cost.

I have fed canola oil in the past because its easy to find and cheep. I have also fed black oil sunflower seeds in the past and really liked how it put weight on my young calf horse and also made his coat really nice and shiney

I live a veggie oil appreciation life.


My mare has PSSM, so she lives on oil. Oil is the cheapest way to provide fat since it's almost 100% fat. I use to feed two cups a day; one in the morning and one at night. Miss Mare decided that was enough, thank you, and refused to eat such large amounts, so I had to start using rice bran to provide half of her required fat. I now feed half a cup of veggie oil in the morning and half at night. It's extremely friggin irritating and messy, so it's kind of love/hate. I can't deny how much I love that it's cheap. Without it, I'd have to feed five pounds of rice bran a day.