Rice Bran

horselover2005 · 04-21-2007, 08:11 PM

I have been searching all day for an answer to my problem. You see I have been successful in pull the extra weight of my horse( that was about 150, he was ooooooobese

). But now since I wasn't able to ride him for about a month be no longer has the muscle tone that he was starting to build up. I noticed a lot of people suggesting rice bran to building muslce and for other thing ( i.e. digestion, coat,etc).
For all who want to know this is what I'm currently feeding:
A.M.: 1scoop sweet feed
3 flakes of hay
1 teaspoon of corn oil (I just added that the other day, his coat looks shabby)
P.M. 1 scoop of sweet feed
3 flakes of hay
1 scoop of electrolytes (for his loose stool

)
Plus he also gets turned out so he has a chance to eat grass if there ia any
What I want to know is:
1. has anyone had success w/using rice bran for building muscle?
2. how much were u feeding?
3. how much do u recommend feeding?
4. is it possible to slowly wean my horse of the sweet feed and corn oil and replace it with the rice bran. (what I mean is could I do 1/2 sweet feed, 1/2 rice bran and no corn oil)?

horselover2005 · 04-21-2007, 08:14 PM

O and of course I know that I will have to get back into riding him. I will be done w/ school in 2 weeks so he'll be riden every day after that. I just wanted to start at the begging with a good diet for him.

Dawn · 04-22-2007, 04:34 AM

I'd drop the sweet feed. If he has a problem with extra weight, then he definately doesn't need it. And it's not great for him in the first place. The bad coat and loose stool is probably also symptoms of the sweet feed.

I would replace his entire diet with a ration balancer, probably skipping the rice bran unless he starts to drop too much weight when put in work.

JBandRio · 04-22-2007, 05:37 AM

You already answered your own question - you stopped riding him, he lost muscle.

Start riding him, the muscle will come back

I agree with the sweet feed - there are so many better choices out there. But if you aren't up to modifying the basic diet, then riding him is the answer.

To answer the rice bran question - it contains gamma oryzanol which is necessary for muscle development. I doubt that is your answer here though. However, rice bran is a much better choice for calories than sweet feed, so that's something to consider.

horselover2005 · 04-22-2007, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawn

I'd drop the sweet feed. If he has a problem with extra weight, then he definately doesn't need it. And it's not great for him in the first place. The bad coat and loose stool is probably also symptoms of the sweet feed.

I would replace his entire diet with a ration balancer, probably skipping the rice bran unless he starts to drop too much weight when put in work.

thanks for the advice, but I would like to had that he has loose stool way before I started feeding him sweet feed. I was told about 7 months ago to give him electrolytes, so I did and it has helped soooooooo much. I'll look into the ration balancer thouht.

Dawn · 04-22-2007, 10:34 AM

Electrolytes will not fix a loose stool. In fact, they can make them worse, especially in the long run. It simply helps to offset the dehydration associated with loose stools. If he's had a loose stool this long, it's time to do some serious investigating into why and getting it fixed before there is longterm trauma to his digestive tract.

horselover2005 · 04-22-2007, 10:38 AM

Thanks am looking into the problem

Dawn · 04-22-2007, 10:40 AM

Is it pretty consistent? Or an on again off again kind of thing?

If he's drinking plenty of water, I'd honestly stop the electrolytes and see if his stomach settles any.

horselover2005 · 04-22-2007, 10:53 AM

well u know come to think about I would have to say that you were right about the sweet feed thing. See in the beginning he would only have loose stool when he was at a show. I never increased his feed or added anything. It had to be because he was nervous, since it would clear up by the middle of the show week. The When I moved hin he started to get feed sweet feed thats when it was more often so I just reverted back to what I knew. Now that I can see tha connection I'll be swicthing him to a ration balancer and keeping a close eye on any problems that may arise.

THANK YOU for making everything so much clearer for me to understand. Its nice to know that there are people out there who can give great advice.
O and yes he drinking water.

Dawn · 04-22-2007, 05:21 PM

Your welcome! Electrolytes are usually the first thing people jump to with a loose stool, but in my experience, they just irritate the digestive system even more at times.

04-21-2007, 08:11 PM	#1
horselover2005 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 422	Rice Bran I have been searching all day for an answer to my problem. You see I have been successful in pull the extra weight of my horse( that was about 150, he was ooooooobese ). But now since I wasn't able to ride him for about a month be no longer has the muscle tone that he was starting to build up. I noticed a lot of people suggesting rice bran to building muslce and for other thing ( i.e. digestion, coat,etc). For all who want to know this is what I'm currently feeding: A.M.: 1scoop sweet feed 3 flakes of hay 1 teaspoon of corn oil (I just added that the other day, his coat looks shabby) P.M. 1 scoop of sweet feed 3 flakes of hay 1 scoop of electrolytes (for his loose stool ) Plus he also gets turned out so he has a chance to eat grass if there ia any What I want to know is: 1. has anyone had success w/using rice bran for building muscle? 2. how much were u feeding? 3. how much do u recommend feeding? 4. is it possible to slowly wean my horse of the sweet feed and corn oil and replace it with the rice bran. (what I mean is could I do 1/2 sweet feed, 1/2 rice bran and no corn oil)? Last edited by horselover2005; 04-21-2007 at 08:12 PM. Reason: miss spelling

04-22-2007, 05:37 AM	#4
JBandRio Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: NC Posts: 22,425 Images: 138 Blog Entries: 12	You already answered your own question - you stopped riding him, he lost muscle. Start riding him, the muscle will come back I agree with the sweet feed - there are so many better choices out there. But if you aren't up to modifying the basic diet, then riding him is the answer. To answer the rice bran question - it contains gamma oryzanol which is necessary for muscle development. I doubt that is your answer here though. However, rice bran is a much better choice for calories than sweet feed, so that's something to consider. __________________ - JB Acres, owned and operated by Dynamite animals. - It's a wonder horses as a whole don't just kill us all and be done with their misery. - Keep your voice soothing and low - even when things get western (buck1173) - Rio feels good - he bounced an in-and-out

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04-21-2007, 08:14 PM	#2
horselover2005 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 422	O and of course I know that I will have to get back into riding him. I will be done w/ school in 2 weeks so he'll be riden every day after that. I just wanted to start at the begging with a good diet for him.

04-22-2007, 04:34 AM	#3
Dawn Senior Member+ Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tennessee Posts: 30,115 Images: 1328	I'd drop the sweet feed. If he has a problem with extra weight, then he definately doesn't need it. And it's not great for him in the first place. The bad coat and loose stool is probably also symptoms of the sweet feed. I would replace his entire diet with a ration balancer, probably skipping the rice bran unless he starts to drop too much weight when put in work.

04-22-2007, 10:34 AM	#6
Dawn Senior Member+ Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tennessee Posts: 30,115 Images: 1328	Electrolytes will not fix a loose stool. In fact, they can make them worse, especially in the long run. It simply helps to offset the dehydration associated with loose stools. If he's had a loose stool this long, it's time to do some serious investigating into why and getting it fixed before there is longterm trauma to his digestive tract.

04-22-2007, 10:38 AM	#7
horselover2005 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 422	Thanks am looking into the problem

04-22-2007, 10:40 AM	#8
Dawn Senior Member+ Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tennessee Posts: 30,115 Images: 1328	Is it pretty consistent? Or an on again off again kind of thing? If he's drinking plenty of water, I'd honestly stop the electrolytes and see if his stomach settles any.

04-22-2007, 10:53 AM	#9
horselover2005 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 422	well u know come to think about I would have to say that you were right about the sweet feed thing. See in the beginning he would only have loose stool when he was at a show. I never increased his feed or added anything. It had to be because he was nervous, since it would clear up by the middle of the show week. The When I moved hin he started to get feed sweet feed thats when it was more often so I just reverted back to what I knew. Now that I can see tha connection I'll be swicthing him to a ration balancer and keeping a close eye on any problems that may arise. THANK YOU for making everything so much clearer for me to understand. Its nice to know that there are people out there who can give great advice. O and yes he drinking water.

04-22-2007, 05:21 PM	#10
Dawn Senior Member+ Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tennessee Posts: 30,115 Images: 1328	Your welcome! Electrolytes are usually the first thing people jump to with a loose stool, but in my experience, they just irritate the digestive system even more at times.