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Feeding fats or oils to performance horses is a safe, tested method of increasing available energy in the diet without increasing ration volume.

There are two distinct issues when comparing oil supplements;

1) When it comes to providing energy from oils, all oils are equal. Omega 3, 6 and 9 oils all provide equal amounts of energy from equal volumes.

2) When it comes to the other significant anti-inflammatory and immune effects of oils, not all oils are equal. RACING OIL is carefully blended to provide balanced levels of the two essential fatty acid groups, Omega 3 and Omega 6, so that inflammatory, antioxidant and immune response pathways in the stressed performance horse are carefully regulated and maintained. The Omega 9 oils are present in all feedstuffs, including RACING OIL and require no supplementation for maintaining health, immune status or inflammatory processes. They are able to be manufactured by the horse, and are not essential fatty acids. They simply provide digestible energy, and act to help balance the Omega 6 and 3 levels.

3) Every oilseed and plant has different levels of Omega 3. 6 and 9 fatty acids. The trick is to balance the choice and source of oil to correctly supplement the levels of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. RACING OIL is formulated carefully to provide balanced Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids for performance horses. While most plant and oilseed products provide excess Omega 3’s, it is much more difficult to provide sufficient, balanced Omega 3 fatty acids in a palatable formulation.

There are a wide variety of quoted issues relating to fat use in horses; many of which are not founded in fact.

The facts are these:

Oils contain approximately 2.5 times the available energy as an equivalent volume of hard feed (starch). Most trainers feed some form of fat to horses. This may be vegetable oils such as corn (maize), soyabean, sunflower or canola oil, or commercial high fat feeds and supplements. The horse is evolved to utilise dietary fat as an energy source. Even normal pasture diets contain about 4% fat, and standard oats diets are usually about 5% fat. Horses can tolerate levels of fat up to and including 10% of the diet.

Oils increase the energy density of the diet.

That means that more energy can be provided in a smaller amount of volume. Many horses will refuse to eat diets which are too high in volume, so oils allow trainers to add extra energy to the same volume of feed they know the horse will eat. Many current practices to increase dietary energy rely on increasing grain component, with a decrease in forage intake. This practice generally predisposes the horse to a wide variety of gastro-intestinal disturbances including acidosis and colic, laminitis, diarrhoea, exertional myopathy, stable vices, and the reduced forage levels decrease water and electrolyte storage ability in the large intestine (of most benefit during endurance exercise).

Dietary oils actually decrease the amount of heat produced (and the amount of energy used for heat production) during digestion. This is important, as dietary oils decrease the heat load on horses. This is of particular value in hot, humid regions where horses often find it difficult to cool down. This is why oils are known as ‘cool” feeds – they don’t produce as much heat during digestion.

Dietary oils therefore reduce the heat produced during digestion, thus increasing the energy available for physical activity and glycogen storage.

One study showed that addition of fat to a horse diet decreased the total heat production by 14%, and had no effect on the amount of energy needed for maintenance, thus leaving more energy available for physical work or energy storage (Scott et al, 1993). As a result, even though their energy intake was unchanged, over 60% more energy was available for use.

A high fat diet therefore decreases the amount of dietary energy needed for maintenance of body weight, and decreases the volume of the diet.

Horses fed high fat diets also appear to have greater muscle glycogen utilisation during anaerobic (sprint) activity, whereas in aerobic (sub maximal, long duration) activity there was muscle glycogen sparing (Oldham et al, 1990).
This means that horses fed high fat diets are able to spare the muscle glycogen stores until maximum exertion is required, thus extending endurance. Fats largely provide the energy for the aerobic part of competition. Fats cannot fuel anaerobic (maximum exertion) activity, but using fats for all work at less than maximum intensity means that muscle glycogen stores are at maximum amounts to fuel the sprint work. Why is this important? – lactic acid is produced when glycogen and starches are broken down for energy at maximum exertion. Lactic acid is not produced when fats are broken down for energy during aerobic work. Therefore, using fats for energy during most of the competition actually spares muscle glycogen stores and reduces the production of lactic acid. This extends endurance and reduces or delays muscle fatigue and loss of performance.

As a result of these effects high fat diets have been shown in many trials to enhance both aerobic and anaerobic performance and to delay muscle fatigue. Pagan et al, 1987 confirmed that a high fat diet fed to horses appeared to be better than either a high starch or a high protein diet for both high speed and moderate speed exercise.

Further, McMiken, 1986 and Oldham et al, 1990, found that horses fed high fat diets ran faster at a constant heart rate, and faster before their plasma lactate concentrations began to increase sharply than did horses fed non-fat supplemented diets.
Harkins et al, 1992, and Scott et al, 1992, found that 14 out of 15 thoroughbreds fed a fat supplemented diet had faster race times, and when in moderate or moderately high body fat condition, utilised significantly more glycogen than when in moderately low body fat condition.

Fats increase endurance activity. Rich, 1998 showed that horses fed a diet with 10.5% added fat were able to trot for about 35 minutes before their heart rate reached 160 per minute, whereas this heart rate was reached after only 20 minutes in horses fed a diet with no added fat.

Complete metabolic adaptation to a high fat diet was shown to be achieved within 11 weeks, but not 6 weeks (Custalow et al, 1993)

Oils have other essential roles in the body, apart from energy provision.

Oils provide and assist in absorption of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E

Oils supply the essential fatty acids required to maintain stability and integrity of cell membranes. When horses are exercising, free radicals are produced in large amounts. These free radicals damage cell membranes. This damage creates the pain in muscles seen after hard work. Antioxidants work to preserve the integrity of cell membranes, thus reducing tissue damage during exercise.

Using oils reduces the volume of feed in the stomach and gut

Oils improve the palatability of rations, and reduce dust.

Omega 3:6 Essential Fatty Acids
Various oils all contain roughly the same energy. But each oil or fat has a blend of different fatty acids in its content. These are the Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Both are unsaturated fatty acids. A correct ratio of these fatty acids is essential, (ideally the natural balance in feeds should be up to 5:1 (Linoleic (Omega 6) : Linolenic (Omega 3)), as these are transformed in the body into highly potent regulators of a wide range of essential body processes, including inflammation and immune response.

For example, Omega 6 fatty acids (Linoleic acid) create the inflammatory agents stimulating an inflammatory or allergic response. These agents constrict blood flow, and are between 100 and 100 times more potent at causing inflammatory responses than are Omega 3 fatty acids. In contrast, the Omega 3 fatty acids (Linolenic acid) reduce or regulate inflammatory responses. High grain diets are very high in Omega 6 fatty acids and low in omega 3’s.

A correct ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids is critical to maintaining a healthy animal. Inflammatory responses such as laminitis, arthritis and skin problems can readily occur when the Omega 3:6 ratio is imbalanced

Many of the commonly available oils such as corn, cottonseed, sunflower and safflower oils have very high levels of Omega 6 (inflammatory) oils, and very little Omega 3 oils. These are often used for coat conditioning

Linseed and fish oils have the highest Omega 3 content, but are less palatable than other oils.
Canola oil is palatable, with a good Omega 3:6 balance
Grains are high in Omega 6 fatty acids, while grasses and hays are high in Omega 3 fatty acids.

While increasing available energy for performance is the major role of addition of fats to equine diets, there are significant advantages to providing a balanced Omega 3:6 oil blend – including;
(a) maximising immune responses (which do not become suppressed in mature working horses given balanced Omega 3:6 oils),
(b) reducing muscle damage and inflammation during exercise,
(c ) improving muscle/joint/connective tissue repair and recovery,
(d) maintaining normal cell membrane function for efficient oxygen, electrolyte and lactic acid transfer in and out of cells.

What is the Prime Function of Essential Fatty Acids Omega 3 and Omega 6?
The primary function, apart from maintaining cell wall structures, is the production of prostaglandins – hormone like substances that regulate almost all of the body functions, including; heart rate, blood pressure, blood clotting, fertility and conception. Prostaglandins also play a vital role in immune function because of the way in which they regulate inflammation, which is a major characteristic of many immune disorders. Prostaglandins both encourage the body to fight infection, and prevent the inflammatory response from getting out of hand. Essential fatty acids are used to manufacture prostaglandins. Without these, the immune response would not function.

There are basically two families of essential fatty acids: the Omega 3’s (made from alpha Linolenic acid), and Omega 6’s (made from Linoleic acid). Consuming both Linolenic and Linoleic essential fatty acids allows the body to make all the essential fats it needs. Both of these – Linolenic and Linoleic acids – are used by the body to manufacture other essential fatty acids. The body uses Linolenic acid (Omega 3) to manufacture both Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and uses Linoleic acid (Omega 6) to produce Arachidonic acid and Gamma Linoleic acid (GLA)

An ideal oil provides a carefully balanced formulation of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, designed to deliver all of the advantages of balanced Omega 3:6 blends, in a palatable presentation for daily supplementation to food.

What about Omega 9 Fats?

Marketing information from many companies will stress that Omega 9 fatty acids need to be in the Omega 3:6 balance. This is not generally based on fact. The Omega 9’s are the most abundant fats found in nature, and they are able to be manufactured as required by animals. In fact, it is almost impossible to exclude Omega 9’s from any oil based product. RACING OIL contains the Omega 9 fatty acids simply because they provide energy to fuel exercise. The correct balance of Omega 3:6 is much more important for the immune status, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.

The Omega 9 family includes two major fatty acids called stearic acid and oleic acid. Stearic acid is one of the most abundant fatty acids found in animal fats and is more likely to be used as energy than to be stored as fat. Also, it is readily converted to another Omega-9 fatty acid, oleic acid, which is the most abundant fatty acid found in nature, and is the primary oil produced by skin glands. Supplementation with Omega 9’s is not necessary since oleic and stearic acids are nonessential fats (produced naturally by the body).

What Actually is this Cell Membrane Damage from Free Radicals?

Cell membranes protect the contents of every cell in the body. These membranes allow certain substances such as electrolytes in, and certain products such as lactic acid wastes, out. If cell membranes are damaged, the cell may not get optimum nutrition, nor be able to expel dangerous wastes. Continual and cumulative damage to cell membranes erodes cell health and accelerates cell ageing. Cells do, of course, repair or replace membranes, but to do this they need essential Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Fatty acids are an essential component of every cell wall. Omega 3 fatty acids are the most vital for maintaining cell wall integrity and structure.

Technical Issues: Oils in the horse diet