Myth: A Shiny Horse is a Healthy Horse

oil is popular but it has no omega3s. Therefore if you feed this as your only source of fat your horse will become deficient in this essential fatty acid. Hell be very shiny but he will be unhealthy. Coconut oil is more than 90 percent saturated with a smidgen of linoleic acid. The saturated fatty acids exist mostly as medium chain triglycerides which is controversial because these types of fatty acids do not exist in grasses.
Once fresh grass is cut dried and stored the naturally occurring unsaturated fatty acids are destroyed by oxygen. If hay is the predominant forage source for your horse it is critical that you add a fat source that offers more omega3s than omega6s. Ground flaxseed or chia seeds are best for omega3s. When supplementing limit the amount fed to no more than a onehalf cup per 400 lbs of body weight 120 ml per 180 kg of body weight. The dosage for flaxseed oil should be 1 5 tablespoons per 400 lbs of body weight 22 5 ml per 180 kg body weight Hay has virtually no fatty acid content
Read the ingredient label on any feed or supplement designed to add more fat to your horses diet. The ingredients may be imbalanced. While it will make your horse shine it may do nothing to contribute to overall health and may actually increase inflammation.
i Omega9s are another classification of fatty acids that do not promote inflammation and may protect the heart and blood vessels.
ii Fish oils are also high in omega3s. However ALA from plants is converted to the longer chain omega3s found in fish oils.
iii Hempseeds also contain the beneficial omega6 fatty acid known as Gamma Linolenic Acid which reduces inflammation