The Facts About Fat 
The Facts About Fat
The recent media interest in essential fatty acids and their beneficial effects for health and well-being has added yet more weight to the argument that "you are what you eat". But how about our horses? Could they benefit from an increase in these fatty acids in their diet too?
Jargon busting
Essential fatty acids are often referred to as omega-3 or omega-6. As the name suggests, essential fatty acids must be supplied in the diet, as horses like humans cannot naturally produce them.
Why are essential fatty acids important?
Omega-3 fatty acids support the immune system, keep skin healthy and aid in regulating hormone balance. These acids also have an anti-inflammatory effect and can help to reduce cartilage degradation.
Claimed to help with coat condition, omega-6 is used in the production of the skin's natural oils, and also helps to maintain healthy eyes, and joints. Under certain conditions, omega-6 helps to produce an inflammatory response that forms an important part of the immune systems defences, when a horse becomes ill or injured.
Fatty acids also aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. While vitamins D and K can be created by the horse naturally, A and E must be provided in the diet. In horses fed on traditional mixes or hay and without access to growing pasture, the levels of vitamins A and E can be marginal. The addition of fat to the diet assists with the utilisation of these important vitamins.
Striking the right balance
It is important to strike the right balance of omega-3 to omega-6, as they both compete for enzymes in the body. For humans it is generally recommended that a maximum of five times the amount of omega-6 to omega-3 be consumed, with the ideal ratio being closer to 1:1. But how does this translate to horses?
Horses consuming a natural all-forage diet enjoy higher levels of omega-3 compared to omega-6. The inclusion of cereals in the horse's diet shifts this balance to 25:1 in favour of omega-6. This massive imbalance can result in excessive inflammatory responses such as laminitis, arthritis and skin problems. A correct ratio has not been established for the horse but the same levels that are recommended for humans are advocated for horses too.
Sources of omega-3
Oily fish is recognised as the best source of omega-3, which is why humans are encouraged to eat two portions of oily fish each week. Linseed and hemp oils are recognised as the best non-marine sources of essential fatty acids.
Fish oils can be found in some off-the-shelf supplements such as Dengie's Natural Vitality Coat & Hoof Supplement. If you would rather not use fish oils, hemp oil has the next best ratio of omega-3 and omega-6, and is receiving increased publicity as a source of essential fatty acids for humans. Hemp oil for humans can be found in most good supermarkets, for horses this oil forms an essential part of Dengie's Natural Vitality Joint & Condition supplement.
When choosing a source of oil for your horse, watch out for corn and sunflower oils. These contain higher levels of omega-6 and should probably be avoided if feeding a cereal-based diet. If in doubt about which type of oil to feed your horse, seek advice from a qualified nutritionist or call the Dengie advice line on 0845 345 5115.