Re: Wheat Bran

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

> Just a quick question about Wheat Bran,
>     Does this have any nutrients, that is beneficial to a horse? Why feed
it?
>         Just curious!------Susan???-------
>                 Kori Byrd & Nantyka's April


Sure, it has nutritional value.  Without dragging out the texts, the energy
content is higher than whole oats, it has a moderately high protein content
and a variety of minerals.  Most horses like it and will eat it in a mash,
which is a good way to get more moisture into the horse at rides and hide
other goodies you might want in there, like e'lytes or medication (at home,
of course) or whatever.  You just have to remember that brans of any kind
(wheat or rice) are extremely high in phosphorus and especially for
endurance horses not being fed alfalfa diets, it's easy to run into
calcium-phosphorus imbalances.  When it's fed to horses also being fed a
diet high in SW-grown alfalfa, it might have a contribution to the formation
of enteroliths (gut stones).  It's been thought to have laxative effects
(which it does for humans), but doesn't for horses---so it will NOT prevent
colic, or constipation or keep the guts moving any better than any other
comparable feed of similar bulk.  So it's not a horrible feed by any means
(especially when used sensibly), but it also doesn't have any magical
properties, other than it makes owners feel all warm and fuzzy when they
give their horse a nice warm mash. :-)))  Nothing wrong with that.

Susan G