If your horse has nutrient requirements that are higher than what is being met with hay alone – particularly energy, oats can be an excellent option.
By: Shannon Pratt-Phillips, PhD | April 28, 2016
Yes – if your horse needs them! Of all the cereal grains (e.g. corn, barley, wheat, etc.) oats have the most appropriate nutritional profile for horses. They are an excellent source of calories, and have a better protein and amino acid profile than many other grains. They are higher in fat and fibre (thanks to the hull) and are, therefore, lower in non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) than most other grains. They are well digested within the horse’s small intestine, even with little processing (as long a horse has good teeth!) and, therefore, pose a lower risk of sugars reaching the large intestine and contributing to colic or laminitis. Also, because of their lower NSC content, they are not considered a “hot” feed...
Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/magazine/nutrition/is-there-any-benefit-to-feeding-oats/
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