Ground Flax vs BOSS for coat care?

luvs2ride1979 · 02-21-2011, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EternalSun

Thanks for all the info. I manage a barn and we feed the horses one cup of oats and one cup of ground flax once per day with a vitamin supplement (in addition to free choice hay) and they're all fat and have beautiful coats, so that's why I was leaning more towards flax. However I have a friend who didn't really have any luck with flax so I was considering the BOSS again. Lux gets 5 lbs per day of Blue Seal Grow and Excel, so would giving her 1 cup of ground flax twice per day help with weight gain or would I need to feed more? And is it true it loses it's nutritional value if it's pre-ground? I board her and would have no way of grinding whole seeds right before she gets fed.

I have only fed pre-ground flax, so I can't comment on the eficacy of feeding it whole or freshly ground. The only thing to worry about pre-ground is that it does have a shelf life. I would not buy more than a 2 months supply at a time. I take my 50 lb sacks and pour them up in big white buckets that have air-tight lids. That way I'm only opening and closing one bucket at a time, so the rest stays fresher longer.

1-2 cups a day is usually plenty for weight gain. I have yet to feed a horse more, but I like to put on weight slowly.

cher40 · 02-21-2011, 02:29 PM

Okay thank you! I've heard really good things about flax. So, I'm off to go buy some today!

Sarahandlola · 02-21-2011, 02:31 PM

I heard flax is good for helping horses to shed out quicker. I might try it too but in oil form =D

kitten_Val · 02-21-2011, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvs2ride1979

Yes, but that 1:3 ratio is for the WHOLE diet. Hay, pasture, and feed/grain is all backward, with more Omega 6 and trace amounts to no Omega 3 fatty acids, like 20:1 Omega 6: Omega 3. Only the best pasture grazing has any Omega 3s, and it's still not that high. Hay has almost 0 Omega 3s.

Oh, yes, I'm not arguing with you on that, luvs.

Definitely omega 6 is everywhere while omega 3 comes from very few sources. However some feeds do have both as well as min/vit mixes (I assume the makers are trying to balance). I'd be very curious to see the total calculation of the ratio based on hay/grain/supplements intake of the average horse, but I couldn't find any publication with such calculations.

Eliz · 02-21-2011, 07:20 PM

Haha I just feed about two tablespoons of ground flax a day to 16 oz bags work for me...

And I still see coat/hoof difference, though not really weight difference.

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