The use of linseed in horse feed is a tradition in the Netherlands. Flax seed is the seed of the flax plant and has been cultivated in Europe for centuries. It is no stranger to me and it has a kind of "grandma knows what to do" status.
But there are many questions and uncertainties about the use of linseed. Here are the facts that people are most confused about.
Omega 3-6: About 40% consists of oil and about 60% is alpha-linolenic acid. This is a substance that can be converted in the intestine to Omega 3. Horses with intestinal problems may have difficulty with the conversion. As a result, the alpha-linolenic acid can potentially also be a burden for these horses. Therefore, never feed horses with intestinal problems pure linseed oil and limited linseed.
Furthermore, it contains approximately 15% linoleic acid (which can be converted to omega 6). This gives it a good omega 3 and 6 ratio (if converted). There is enough omega 3 in grass, so in the meadow season the need for linseed is small (if you feed it for that reason).
Toxic: The blue acid, which occurs during the digestive process (due to contact with certain enzymes), can be toxic in large doses. Theoretically this is only from 1 to 1.5 kg of uncooked / untreated linseed per day. The chance of poisoning is not present if you feed between 100 and 200 g of uncooked linseed per day. There is also a study in which even a dose of 500gr gave no complaints.
The blue acid cannot stack in the body, because there is also an enzyme that breaks it down.
Ground or unground: If the linseed is ground, it will oxidize from that moment. This makes it "rancid". If you buy pre-ground linseed, the oxidation process is already so advanced that it contains substances that are harmful to the body. Horses can eat unground linseed perfectly. Not everything will be 100% grinded by the teeth, but that is not a problem in principle. If you want it to be digested more efficiently, you can grind it just before the feeding moment with a coffee grinder.
Cooking: The idea that you should cook it stems mainly from the past. When horses were still used as work horses, linseed was often fed as concentrates (due to the high fat content). With larger quantities it is wise to cook the linseed because of the risk of poisoning. We now provide linseed for other reasons and often in much smaller quantities. The necessity to cook is only from 200 g per day (600 kg horse), then boil it for 10 minutes in a layer of water.
If you give it to promote recovery in the case of a stomach ulcer, cooking is preferable because it already enters the stomach slimy. To get rid of sand you can give it both cooked and uncooked. If the reason is to add omega 3, uncooked is fine.
Oil: The seed and oil is often seen as one and the same product, but the application is significantly different. The oil does not have the slime-forming quality (and lacks other ingredients) and is in particular a fat source. If you want to increase the fat consumption or energy in the diet, this can be done with oil. Note, if you use a linseed oil, it must be fresh, you must feed it in about 3 weeks or it will be rancid. If it lasts longer, then you will know that preservatives have been added to it and they are not always shown on the ingredient list of the product, but this is of cure that is less desirable and detracts from its therapeutic value.
Note , sometimes it says that the linseed is "cleaned", which usually means that it is washed in a substance which gives it a longer shelf life and / or less sensitive to fungi. I would not recommend it.
Micronized / stabilized: The seed is briefly heated and then ground. This would cause oxidation to occur less quickly (only after 1 month). But the chance that the product you buy has stabilized longer than 1 month ago is quite high.
Flaxseed meal: This remains after the extraction of oil. There is little more fat in it and also has lesser nutritional values. It is a residual product and is often used as a filler in compound feeds.
Pesticide: In conventional cultivation, spraying is usually done 2 times after the crop has emerged. This is done to against the earth flea and weeds. If you do not want that, buy organic linseed, no pesticide (and fertilizer) is used.
How much per day: Depending on the application, you can safely feed 100 to 200 gr unground linseed per day for a 600 kg horse.
You can give it for a longer time, I generally recommend 5 to 6 weeks max. Cures are usually 7 to 10 days.
There are cases that when you give it a longer time (months in a row) that it will work laxative.
Why would you use it?
Sand drift (psyllium husk is often used for this, but both work great for this purpose).
After colic symptoms or constipation
In case of diarrhea or to support the intestinal mucosa
To reduce summer eczema / itching
To promote moulting and give a shiny coat
For stomach ulcers
Spring is coming, this is the perfect time to have a linseed cure. When your horse's moulting starts, give 150 g uncooked linseed through the feed for 7 to 10 days. Possibly you can repeat this after a month.
Written by Pure Horse Jantine Steehouder .
Scientific articles on linseed in horses:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC227015/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/…/artic…/pii/S1090023307002109
https: // www .researchgate.net /… / Ethnoveterinary-Medicine-The…
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/…/j.1939-1676.2002.tb01265.x
https://www.cambridge.org/…/6FDD0FC9F70C987BB4123DF93BF502E2
https: / /academic.oup.com/…/article-abstra…/33/6/1274/4666892
https://www.sciencedirect.com/…/a…/abs/pii/S1871141307004337
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com /…/J.1939-1676.1997.tb00468.x