Re: Rice bran vs. oil

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/13/99 10:38:10 AM Pacific Standard Time,
JOltmann@FANCYPUBS.COM writes:

<< So, in light of the recent information about rice bran, it
 would make sense to switch to an oil as a source of fat. I've heard,
 however, that too much oil can coat the intestines and interfere with
 absorption of nutrients. >>

I'll let Susan deal with nutritional quantities, but as to digestion of fat,
coating intestines, and that sort of thing, keep in mind that fat is fat, and
once through the stomach and into the intestine, it doesn't really matter if
it came from rice bran or oil.  We all (including horses) have to fine tune
our liver enzymes to deal with changes in fat sources, so one does not want to
make changes abruptly, but the main problem in the horse is that since he is a
grazer and designed to eat small amounts all the time, he has never developed
a gall bladder to store bile to dump out to digest big meals.  Hence if
feeding high quantities of fat, the more meals you can split it into, the
better he will utilize it.  In order to "coat" the intestines and prevent
absorption of other nutrients, though, you would likely have to feed more on
the order of a few quarts or more, rather than on the order of a cup or two,
as most folks would likely feed.  If you do want to increase the amount of oil
that you feed, my only suggestion is to build up gradually instead of adding
it all at once.

Heidi Smith, DVM