[PaintedRocket]

A friend and I were talking about bran mash yesterday.. and I was curious to know if wheat bran would be okay for a weanling. Say given maybe once or twice a month as a hot bran mash mixed with their grain?

What are the pros and cons and how would it affect their system in a positive or negative way.. if at all?

[sorrell]

Wheat bran used to be all the rage, but has lost popularity compare to rice bran and beet pulp.
I have forgotten the reasons now. Is it something about flushing nutrients? I'm not sure and would have to look it up, but don't think it would be wise for a foal.

[JBandRio]

If you're talking 1c or so, it's fine. But, wheat bran is not only not nutritional, but it's actually fairly abrasive to the digestive tract. Not something I personally would use when there are far better things.

If you want to make a "bran mash", just add hot water to the regular ration, perhaps add a little no-sugar-added applesauce, some apple pieces, etc. Just be careful with the young'uns who don't have full sets of teeth or haven't really learned to chew properly yet when adding "hard" things like apples and carrots.

[sorrell]

Here we go.... it says occasionally is fine, but not often because:


Concerns

Nutritionists point out several potential problems
with feeding bran mash too often. Horses
require more calcium than phosphorous in
their feed, and wheat bran contains 10 times as
much phosphorus as calcium.
As a result, horses fed bran daily, without
correcting the mineral imbalance, can develop
a metabolic condition know as nutritional
secondary hyperparathyroidism, more commonly
known as “big head.” This condition
used to be called miller’s disease because it
was common in horses owned by grain
millers who fed their horses the bran byproduct
of milling wheat. The disease is characterized
by enlargement of the facial bones
and weakening of all other bones in the body.
To correct the calcium/phosphorous ration,
some horse owners mix alfalfa cubes into
their bran mash.
Another concern expressed by some nutritionists
is that when an owner feeds a meal of
bran mash, which can be a dramatic diet
change, the original bacteria population that
developed to digest the horse’s normal hay
and grain diet is destroyed. Intestinal bacteria
thrive in a steady, unchanging environment.
Therefore, they recommend that if
you’re going to feed your horse a wheat bran
mash, the mash should be supplemented
with digestive-aid products that help maintain
healthy fermentation patterns in the
horse’s intestinal tract.

[PaintedRocket]

Originally Posted by JBandRio

If you're talking 1c or so, it's fine. But, wheat bran is not only not nutritional, but it's actually fairly abrasive to the digestive tract. Not something I personally would use when there are far better things.

If you want to make a "bran mash", just add hot water to the regular ration, perhaps add a little no-sugar-added applesauce, some apple pieces, etc. Just be careful with the young'uns who don't have full sets of teeth or haven't really learned to chew properly yet when adding "hard" things like apples and carrots.

Bold: Now that's a great idea I never thought about.

I don't know a whole lot about wheat bran and had read up a bit when I did a search but read nothing about it for babies and was curious since I just got my cutie patootie..

[Jess!]

Usually when I want to give my ponies a treat I do as JB has suggested. I usually use hot water and put some treats in like crushed peppermints, etc in their regular food. Just make sure it's not too hot!

[Sue B]

Anytime you make changes in feed it should be done slowly....suddenly adding wheat bran can result in digestive disorders because of the rapid dietary changes. Adding a little applesauce or other flavoring and warm water is far better way to make a beneficial mash of their regular rations. This eliminates the rapid dietary change and thus the risks that come with it.

[PaintedRocket]

I wouldn't ever change or add anything into their feed without doing so slowly. I do the same with my dog and cat and other horses I have been charge of.. so you definately don't have to worry about that.

I don't plan on changing or adding anything, especially since my filly isn't quite settled into her new home yet. I'd wait until she is before deciding to add or change her diet.

So beet pulp would be a better choice over wheat bran?

I'm only curious

[Top Dun]

either one has some issues especially for growing babies.

bran is to low in calcium and to high in Phosphorus
Beet pulp is high in calcium and low in phosphorus.
So what else are you feeding and why do you want to feed a "mash:"?
I'm currently feeding my baby Juniorglo feed and Alfalfa/bermuda blend pellets. If I want to give them a "mash" ( ie on really cold days when the water tanks freeze easily) I soak the alfalfa bermuda blend pellets.

I'll never use bran on a baby and I try and avoid beet pulp also unless I can balance out the other nutrients it's missing. I keep the beet pulp for the older horses but not the babies.

[DiamondRio]

I also do not like bran mash that much. I have read about it online and talked to my vet about it and many people prefer beet pulp to bran mash. We feed our horses that get afternoon supplements beet pulp because it has lots of nutrients for them and is good for hiding supplements.
Also people like to feed their horses bran mash in the winter becuase they feel that it will warm them up but its more or less just like a person drinking a cup of coffee or hot chocolate when its cold outside, it only keeps us warm for a few minutes before we feel cold again.
I personally would not feed my horse bran mash for risk of upsetting his stomach and changing his diet abruptly.