[Sterling]

Do any of you feed milled flax or flax seed oil (for humans) ?

If yes please share your advice and opinions with me.

How long a shelf life does milled flax have (store bought) ?

What are the benefits of feeding flax oil ?

Have you noticed your horse shed out faster with either of these ?

Would you feed both or just one ?

HOW MUCH do you feed daily ?

Thanks in advance.

[MaximumForce]

Hi there,
We feed our daughters horse brown flax seeds. He gets 1/4 cup with his evening meal. We have only had him for 7 months, so can't say if it will help with his shedding out or not. We heard plenty of things that flax seeds are good for, so thought it would be beneficial for him. They are inexpensive. Cost = approximately $2.00 every 2 - 3 weeks. Very reasonable, and if he benefits, all the better. Good luck. Hope that helped in some way.

[MaximumForce]

Here is a little more info that I found. Flax increases intestinal tract health and boosts the immune system for overall health. Recommended level of flax is 1/2-1 cup/day. Also makes their coat nice and shiny.

[Sue B]

I feed whole seeds and I have fed the milled seed in the past. The milled seed needs to be stabilized or it will only be nutritionally sound for a few hours. The shelf-life of stabilized flax is a few months and the shelf life of whole seeds is several months to a year. It really depends on the temperatures that it is stored at.

I do not like feeding "oils". The reason is that when I feed a product, I like to get the entire nutrient value of it. oils...no matter what kind they are...only provide a fat value and in some cases a vitamin or two. If they have been heat processed, all of the nutrient value has been processed out except for the fats.

Recommended level of feeding for whole seeds or milled is approx. the same...there is no significant difference in the weight...1/2-1 cup/day.

I have been feeding flax for several years now, so I don't remember if they shed out faster or not...but their coats are much nicer. I do know that a friend of mine feeds it to his show horses because he claims they shed out faster with it.

[Tami]

How much would you feed for weight gain?

[Sue B]

While feeding flax may result in weight gain...it is not recommended that either flax seeds or oil be utilized in large enough amounts specifically to address weight gain. Flax generally improves overall health by helping with digetstion (seeds only) and boosting the immune system. The result of this may be improved nutrient uptake which can result in weight gain. However if increased calories are needed for weight gain, then flax is not the way to go. Too much flax oil can result in irritatino of the intestinal tract. Flax also has effect on thyroid function...small amounts provide support and benefits....larger amounts can have negative effects.

A much better weight gain product would be BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds) which provide a good nutrient package along with 40% fat that allows for approx 2500 calories/lb. Rice bran is also another product that provides good weight gain...but is more expensive.

[Acme Acres]

We feed the oil by means of DAC Oil. I posted the info on the ingredients, etc on another topic here. It's great for skin and coat and calories with out being hot.

[yuvgotmel]

I have always heard that the raw whole seeds are toxic. Is that true?

[Sue B]

No whole seeds are not toxic. The cyanide properties of flax are divided into two components that remain seperated in the whole seed. However, when water is introduce, the water carries the two together and the result is a form of cyanide. That is another reason why it is good to limit intake to recommended levels. Cooking will also release a toxic gas...but most poeple cook it covered, therefore forcing it to stay in the cooked seeds. If cooked without the top on...the toxins are released into the air in your house.

However, with taht said....the amount of toxic material is very small and not much different than other products such as nuts that have similar qualities. There are thousands of horses on whole flax seed with no adverse effects. I have been feeding it to my heard of about 10 for the last several years and have ohly seen benefits from it. The current recommended safe way to feed flax is either stabilized milled or the unprocessed whole seed.