Re: Re: Reply to Sarah's post

["Maggie Mieske" <mmieske@netonecom.net>]

And, of course, the feed companies and "their" wonderful fat supplements
will cost you an arm and a leg!  I have actually seen some oils packaged
with a pretty horse on it touting all the benefits of shiny coats and
bright eyes and whatever else sounds good and selling for only $10 or $15 a
gallon (my gallon of soybean oil costs me about $3.50) and if you carefully
read the ingredients it'll say "vegetable/soybean/ wheat germ" or whatever
kind of oil it is perhaps with a vitamin supplement added (which is
probably already in your feed!).  I feed various amounts of oil depending
on what the horse may need it for and do feel I have gained some
advantages...I can feed more oil instead of grain at a good price without
risking founder, colic, etc.  I believe my horse performs better now that
he is on oil....I am better able to maintain weight on him than I could
previously.  I don't like a "skinny" endurance horse.  I need to devise
some of my own little experiments with upcoming horses (I have 3 coming 3
year olds) to compare more accurately and precisely how fat does or doesn't
help my horses' performances.  I have no base for comparison for my 14 yr
old gelding...only my own experience of how he looks now and how I feel he
performs now compared to his first season.  I feed anywhere from 1/4 cup to
even 1 and 2 cups a day during heavy training/conditioning/ competing
(excuse me... NOT during a ride...I discontinue 2 days before the ride and
start again when we get home).  What I feel is different/better for my
horse is that he seems to maintain pace better (not faster... just more
consistent), even when he isn't wanting to eat or drink well at first. 
That is improving also (experience).  So, I can't attribute it all to "fat"
per se, but I do feel it can have its benefits for some horses, maybe not
all.  I like it for my horse and feel it has made a difference.  I have
also seen it help a lot of other horses though I cannot say for certain how
it affected their performance.  Bears looking into!!  What have others
found to be their experiences with fat, oil in particular?  


Maggie Mieske
Mieske's Silver Lining
McBain, Michigan
http://www.netonecom.net/~mmieske


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