How do you prepare and feed flax seed?

I've heard that flax seed is poisonous if it isn't cooked. Is this true? Then I've heard some cook it for hours, some for 15minutes, other put it in water through night, etc...
How do you prepare flax seed before giving it to a horse and why?

And how much flax do you feed a day?

Im not sure if its cooked or not, I don't think it is though. My friend feeds her mare 1/4th cup a day with her grain with no water. She eats 2.5 cups of grain in the am and another 2.5 at night. Been on it for almost 3months now.

I've never heard that flax is poisonous unless cooked. I hope not, as everyone I know feeds it raw. I buy large bags of whole flax seed, and I grind small amounts every other day, as the ground seeds go rancid very quickly. I think the amount varies depending on the horse. For a thinner horse I was feeding 1/4 cup twice per day.

Don't feed whole flax seed as it doesn't get digested properly and you won't get the full benefits.

Thanks :)

I also researched a bit and I found this:
Flax Seed
Now I feel like a fool...
Making it short, it says that the best way to feed it is grinded, it's good not-grinded too, that recent research done on various seeds found that the nutrients were extracted from the seed hulls even if some seeds appeared "whole" in the manure.
That it's not poisonus like we believed, because 2 components that make cyanid don't make contact, but they do make it in water, so in water is more dangerous, but it's such a small quantity that won't do any harm.

Well, it answered my questions :P
Thanks for telling me the amount :)

I use an alternative to flax called canola meal it is so much less finicky and absorbs into their system better in stead of going through system into the poo. It is a great source of omegas and healthy fats and alot of people find helps make their coat super shiny too :) My mare has gotten into amazing shape and looks fantastic since putting her onto it I'll try to put up a photo.

I've never heard of canola meal, but only canola oil. How would this work?

You can cook or grind it immediately before feeding, but it's really not necessary.

In regards to the horse passing whole seeds, it's actually only the hull that they're passing. Any seeds that they do not already grind while chewing eventually have the nutrients extracted from them during digestion. I've seen a ton of people discontinue feeding whole oats for the very reason. They believe that because they see what appears to be whole oats in the horses manure, the horse isn't "getting anything" from it, which is not true at all. If a person were brave enough to examine a seed or oat post-digestion, they would infact notice it's only the hull with no contents inside.

I just spread into the pellets. BTW, I prefer to go with ground meal rather than seeds.