Best Rice Bran Oil For Horses For Weight Gain

Last updated on January 10th, 2023 at 07:42 am

Are you wondering if rice bran oil is good for horses? Or what is the best rice bran oil for horses?

Over the years, people have become aware of the many benefits adding fat, in particular oils, to the equine diet. For years there have been many oils available, such as maize, soybean, canola, and various blends. While they all contain similar omega essential fatty acids and energy, the best rice bran oil for horses has become very sought after in the equine world. This is because it is a natural source of ferulic acid and gamma-oryzanol.

The brown outer layer of a rice kernel is the rice bran. Removing this layer is what gives us white rice. While rice bran contains a lot of fat (about 20%), it needs to be refined immediately as it is quite unstable and turns rancid very quickly. The refined and stabilized oil which is removed from the rice bran is rice bran oil.

Next, we will first give you our top recommendations for the best rice bran oil for equines. If you want to learn more about the many benefits of rice bran oil and how it works with your horse’s digestive system, continue reading below our top picks.

Our Favorites

1. Best Overall For 2023: McCauleys Rice Bran Oil
2. Cheapest: Heavenly Chef Rice Bran Oil
3. Good Value: Baja Precious Rice Bran Oil
4. Good Choice: Riceland Rice Bran Oil
5. With Flaxseed Oil: Triple Crown Rice Bran Oil Plus

Best Rice Bran Oil For Horses Reviews

McCauleys Rice Bran Oil – Best Rice Bran Oil For Horses 2023

 

McCauleys Rice Bran Oil is our top pick for the best rice bran oil for horses 2023. We really love McCauleys because it is all natural with no additives. If your horse refuses to consume other vegetable oils, this is a great alternative.

One gallon of McCauleys Rice Bran Oil is equal to about 36 pounds of rice bran. Since it is low in potassium, it is safe for horses with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis disease (HYPP). Contains trace amounts of phosphorus and calcium, meaning that it won’t cause your horse any digestive issues.

 

Heavenly Chef Rice Bran Oil – Cheapest Rice Bran Oil For Horses

Not only is Heavenly Chef Rice Bran Oil the cheapest rice bran oil for horses that we could find, Heavenly Chef is trusted by thousands of sushi houses and restaurants. It is also 100% GMO-free, unfiltered, and minimally processed.

There really is nothing that we don’t like about the Heavenly Chef oil. Considering that this was the cheapest rice bran oil for horses that we could find anywhere, it’s no surprise that it is a top seller.

 

Baja Precious Rice Bran Oil – Good Value

 

Baja Precious Rice Bran Oil is another Non-GMO, 100% pure rice bran oil that we find to be a good value. It continues to be one of the top sellers on Amazon and it used by many restaurants for it’s high quality.

Baja Precious Rice Bran oil is bottled in Santa Fe Springs, California.

 

Riceland Rice Bran Oil – Good Choice

 

Riceland Rice Bran Oil is yet another good choice for a Non-GMO rice bran oil for horses. It does get consistently good reviews, so while it is a good choice, we couldn’t find anything uniquely special about this brand.

 

Triple Crown Rice Bran Oil Plus – Rice Bran Oil With Flaxseed

 

Triple Crown Rice Bran Oil Plus is our top pick for if you are looking for a rice bran oil with flaxseed for your horse. The addition of flaxseed oil increases the Omega-3 fatty acid content. This makes the oil more balanced, as rice bran oil is naturally high in Omega-6. It is believed that Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for optimal immune system health.

 

Rice Bran Oil For Horses Buyer’s Guide

The top performance horses have very high calorie demands. Oils help to reduce the reliance on gran intakes, by providing much needed extra calories. Horse also digest oils more efficiently, and contain around 2.5 times as much energy than oats. This also helps to decrease the sugar high that horses sometimes experience when eating extra high amounts of grain.

A horses typical diet is less than 2-3% of fat, so adding extra oils is often required. Oils are extra helpful since horses can digest and absorb fat very well. It is critical that equine diets contain at least some added oil or fat so that they can absorb fat-soluble vitamins D, K, E & A.

Benefits of Feeding Rice Bran Oil For Horses

By lowering the amount of grain that your horse eats and instead replacing those calories with rice bran oil, you are benefiting your horse in a few ways.

First, reducing the amount of grain will also reduce the caecal load on the animal’s digestive tract. In turn, this lowers the amount of heat which is produced in the hindgut of the horse. By lowering the metabolic heat of horses working in extreme temperatures, the horse is better able to deal with the stress of the heat.

Research has also shown over time horses bodies adapt to utilizing fats more efficiently. This helps to spare the effect on glycogen levels and muscles. In theory, this provides for more glycogen availability at the end of a race or performance.

Adding oil to a horses diet also lessens the amount (weight) of feed that the horse is required to consume daily. The horse can get the same amount of energy from consuming less quantity of feed.

If you are getting your horse ready for a sale or show, adding rice bran oil will improve coat condition and body definition.

Rice Bran Oil Vs Rice Bran

Many horses suffer from too high starch (grain) diets, so many veterinarians and nutritionists suggest supplementing fat into the equine diet as an added source of energy. Although rice bran has a high fat content of about 20%, it also contains a good bit of starch, about 25%. On the other had, rice bran oil has zero starch, making it an ideal fat supplement for horses.

Gamma Oryzanol In Rice Bran Oil

Gamma oryzanol is a potent derivative of rice bran oil and it contains two significant active molecules, Ferulic acid and Sterol. In Australia, Japan, and the U.S. trials showed that gamma oryzanol had positive effects on performance and weight gain similar to some anabolic steroids. It was shown that Gamma oryzanol affected the body’s endocrine system in such a way that it increases the metabolism of fat while also increasing the synthesis of protein which then leads to an increase of muscle or lean body mass.

In the research that was conducted in horses it was shown that the gamma oryzanol group experienced improvement in muscle to fat ratio, in particular with better muscle definition in the neck, rump, and over the withers of the equine. Equine which were given gamma oryzanol as a supplement also maintained better appetite compared to the control group. Moreover, the studies have revealed that gamma oryzanol can lower blood cholesterol and acts a natural antioxidant.

It has also been shown that Gamma oryzanol helps to lower the risk of gastric ulcers while also increasing gastrointestinal motility that is caused by stress. Similar to vitamins A, K, E, & D, which is fat soluble, so is the Gamma Oryzanol Ferulic Acid molecule. This means that fat is needed in order for the molecules to be metabolized by your horse’s digestive tract.

Fats In Rice Bran Oil

Another term for dietary fats also is triglycerides. Triglycerides means that attached to one glycerol molecule there are three fatty acid molecules. Fatty acids come in two forms, either unsaturated or saturated. Fatty acids can also come in various sizes and lengths. Fats which are “short” and liquid at room temperature are typically unsaturated and otherwise known as oils. On the other hand, longer fatty acids are saturated and solid at room temperature. These we typically just call fats.

Omega Essential Fatty Acids For Horses

Just like humans, horses require small amounts of omega 3, 6, & 9 essential fatty acids. These EFA’s improve cell membrane structures, reduce inflammation, help with stomach ulcers, improve coat, and improve overall general health. Plant oils, such as rice bran, are high in these omega fatty acids.

Benefits of Antioxidants In Rice Bran Oil

Antioxidants act at the cellular and molecular levels to deactivate free radicals. These free radicals naturally occur from the by-products of the oxidative metabolic processes that take place within living cells. For horses, their free radicals typically present as oxygen molecules, or O2.

If free radicals were allowed to exist in the body without any sort of counter action, they begin to damage cell walls, genetic cell materials, and cell structures. That is why living bodies need antioxidants. Antioxidants act to “soak up” free radicals before they are able to harm cell structures.

At the chemcal level, antioxidants work in a couple of ways. Antioxidants donate hydrogen, and they soak up free radicals and/or oxygen.

Antioxidants exist in natural forms such as Vitamins C, E, & A (all of which are essential nutrients), but they can also be synthetic (for example, BHA or butylated hydroxyanisole).

Many feel that Vitamin E, due to it’s abundance in the body, is perhaps the most effective antioxidant for horses. Rice Bran Oil is loaded with various antioxidants.

When it comes to performance horses, supplementation with antioxidants is especially important because the amount of antioxidant reserves can be quickly depleted while exercising an un-supplemented horse.

How Much Rice Bran Oil For Horses?

According to Drugs.com, Horses of 1000lbs should be fed 4 ounces daily by mixing the oil with their normal feed. Also, a good rule of thumb is to gradually add rice bran oil to the horses diet. As always, check with your veterinarian for precise dosage instructions.

Conclusion

Nearly all horses can benefit from being fed rice bran oil. Whether you have a high performance horse, poor doer, horse with stomach ulcers, or a yearling, they would experience some benefit from supplementing with the best rice bran oil for horses.

Last update on 2023-12-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API