Whole Oats, the Perfect Horse Feed?
Part 1
by Yvonne Welz ©2006
This information is provided to complement the diet recommendations
of Dr. Hiltrud Strasser -- however, I personally no longer recommend feeding
oats (or regular grains) to horses, because of the high incidence of EPSM,
Insulin Resistance, Cushings, and other metabolic disorders in our horses
today.
*Note: Some horses are grain-intolerant, such as EPSM or insulin-resistant
horses, and should never receive any grain, including oats. Especially if
you own a Quarter horse, draft or warmblood, please visit this webpage http://www.ruralheritage.com/vet_clinic/index.htm
to read all about EPSM (Equine Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy), to know what
symptoms to look for. Other breeds can have this condition, too, so EPSM should
be considered if a horse ties up, is stiff behind, has unexplained back soreness,
or any kind of chronic hind end lameness. Avoid feeding oats if you suspect
EPSM, and discontinue oats if you notice any problems with your horse.
The topic of equine nutrition was a featured presentation at
the 2003 Internat’l Conference for Strasser Hoofcare. Prepared by Dr.
med. vet. Dorothe Meyer of IWEST, Germany, every stage of the horse’s
digestive process was covered in detail.
One of the highlights was the information that in order for
the enzymatic processes of the small intestine to properly function, there
has to be a limited acid concentration. This partly depends on the starch
content of the feed. When a high ratio of starch arrives in the small intestine,
the contents of the small intestine become more acidic, to facilitate the
digestion of this starch.
However, below a pH of 6 (too acidic) the enzymatic breakdown
doesn’t always happen, and things like gas and ulcers can occur. This
is more likely to occur when feeding large quantities of cereals that contain
starch, which is difficult to break down, such as corn and barley. The enzymatic
consequences of feeding large amounts of corn and barley is a disruption of
the pH of the small intestine, which leads to the transition of undigested
starch into the large intestine (colic, gas, acid feces, insufficient absorption
of minerals).
Which leads us to oats, which have 90% starch digestibility,
compared to around 30-35% for barley and corn. So when oats are fed (in appropriate
amounts), they are easily broken down in the small intestine, and the enzymatic
processes are not disturbed.
Whole oats are ideal because:
• high proportion of mucilaginous substances
• high proportion of husks
• high prececal starch digestibility even before breakdown
• high fat content
• ideal to chew taking into account the horse’s dentition
• very high palatability
Another reason for whole oats (instead of crushed) is that you
need the intact kernel in order to receive the fat content of the whole grain.
The husk of the whole oat is very important for correct chewing and digestive
processes. A horse with good teeth and proper dental care will chew and digest
the whole oat, leaving only husks in the manure. If oats are coming out undigested,
there could be a tooth or digestion problem going on, so be sure to investigate
that.
How many whole oats? Of course, that would depend on the workload—if
the horse was not worked and was on good pasture, perhaps none at all. If
the horse receives significant exercise (as all our horses should) and/or
is not on pasture (hay only), or is recovering from a problem, it will most
likely benefit from the addition of some whole oats to its diet.
It was recommended that oats be fed broken up into many small
meals, with a maximum of up to 2.4 kg per meal for a 600 kg gram horse (converts
to around 5 lb per meal for a 1320 lb horse—remember that is the maximum,
not the recommended!). Also, the oats should be introduced gradually, of course.
German SHP Peter Speckmaier told me that when horses are fed
too many oats, they get lazy, and not too energetic—I imagine he’s
speaking from experience—so you can tell if you are giving too much when
the horse lacks energy. I also heard from quite a few people that the addition
of whole oats has increased hoof growth. I’ve fed whole oats for many
years, but not in any significant quantity, so I upped the oats on my own
horses. Things are looking very good so far.
Dr. Meyer contends that a problem with sport horses today is
that they often do not have a sufficient supply of the fatty acids to fulfill
their energy requirements, and actually panic from the feeling that they do
not have the energy they need, and take refuge in flight. Therefore, some
horses may appear hyper and uncontrollable (and then the owner cuts down on
the oats!) when what they really need are more oats to give them enough energy
to do their job, and they won’t be so hyper.
More interesting information from Dr. Meyer was that the job
of the bacteria in the large intestine is to produce the volatile fatty acids
which are the horse’s very energy source. Dr. Meyer said we should avoid
anything that will harm these beneficial bacteria, as anything that endangers
them, endangers the very life of the horse (one of the reasons to be so careful
with antibiotics!)
Jane Kempton, UK SHP, comments about her experiences feeding
whole oats to her horses: “I have noticed a change and relaxation in
his being since he has been on the oats for nearly four months. Hoof growth
has increased and the coats of all the horses look fantastic. They don’t
grab at the buckets quite the same as they did before, and Hugo and Mouse
produce enough dripping saliva to turn the bowl into a sort of porridge as
they are eating. It’s being digested even before it goes into their mouths!!
“The droppings are slightly different, too. In the beginning
quite a few oats were coming out whole, simply because in their excitement,
the horses weren’t chewing them properly. Now it is only a few husks
that appear. Feeding whole oats is a complete novelty in England. You have
to order the bags specially as there is no demand. To start with, it seemed
a huge amount to feed, but our horses are doing fine, too well, in fact…”
Erica Lynall, UK SHP, told us about feeding whole oats to her
formerly foundered mare: “My mare, Moose, has been on whole oats for
2 years, but I upped the amount in the summer after talking with Peter Speckmaier.
I fed too much, and she did start to get lazy—it was really weird, and
I thought something was wrong with her. Now she’s on the right amount,
and she’s full of energy and fantastic to ride. Before that, I wasn’t
feeding enough.
“Peter told me that ammonia in her liver was causing her
to be sensitive on stones (she’s ex laminitis). He said the ammonia seeps
out through the skin, eyes and lamellae, but it actually sits in the lamellae
and causes this sensitivity. Moose has suffered runny eyes since I’ve
known her, but they are 85% better now (the eyes are on the liver meridian).
The protein and fat in the whole oats helps heal the tissues, and I’ve
also been treating her liver with herbs and homeopathics to speed things along,
as otherwise it could take 6-7 years of natural living! I’ve also added
extra lysine & methionine, as these are 2 amino acids oats are low in.
This makes for a more complete and digestible protein.
“Now, she is stomping over stones like they aren’t
there! I can hardly believe it, as I’ve battled with this for so long.
Back in the summer she was walking on them okay, but carefully, and now there
is a big, big difference. Her eyes continue to clear up, too, and she is much
easier to handle, as she is more mentally alert.
“I’ve had 5 particularly bad laminitic ponies to trim
this past summer, and I told all their owners to start using whole oats. They
were a bit worried, as most vets would keel over at this idea, but they trusted
and fed them. The healing has gone so much faster and easier for them since
the oats. They’ve all had crests and fat deposits, which are softening
and disappearing.
“In a book on human nutrition, by John Gray, he states
that beer bellies are actually a sign of liver problems/toxicity. The reason
they are also known as “middle-age spread” is that it takes until
middle age for the liver to start causing this bloated appearance. I’ve
noticed masses of horses in their teens who appear to be fat, but on second
look actually just have a pot belly. John Gray states that no amount of exercise
gets rid of this—only detoxing the liver will!”
Note: Organic whole oats are highly recommended if they are
available.
Click here for Oats part 2.
