We humans tend to want to tweak, to adjust, and to put our own individual stamp on something. Horsemen are no different than other humans in that respect. Walk through a barn at feeding time in the stable area of any racetrack and take a look at what goes into that feed bucket. Yes, there is a scoop or two of feed, but there is also a squirt of Red Cell, maybe some electrolyte concoction, a joint supplement, corn/peanut/soybean oil, and a handful of flaxseed. And just why are the horses getting this smorgasbord of ingredients? Usually it is because someone, somewhere recommended it.

In order to build blood, we supplement with Red Cell or another brand of iron and mineral vitamin. Want to put some weight on? Add a half-cup of corn oil to each feeding. But if you want to deliver the most omega-3 fatty acid (the one that reduces inflammation), you might want to switch from that flaxseed to fish oil.

The Omegas

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) was thought to convert to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both forms of omega-3 fatty acid which have the greatest biological effect on the body. These particular omega-3s have been shown to decrease inflammation, increase immune response, and maintain healthy membranes.

On the other side of the coin, explained Joe Pagan, president of Kentucky Equine Research, “The actions produced from the omega-6 fatty acids are just the opposite, They increase the inflammatory response and increase allergic hyperactivity.”

Even so, omega-6 is an essential nutrient necessary to aid the body in fighting infection and healing damaged tissue. The optimum omega-3 to omega-6 ratio in the diet has as yet to be determined by researchers. Unfortunately, most equine diets have been skewed to providing more omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acid. Pasture grasses and hay provide a higher concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, but cereals and grains contain more omega-6. Some oils, such as corn and safflower, are higher in omega-6, while others are higher in omega-3 (flaxseed and fish oils).

Flaxseed oil has been shown to be a rich source of ALA. Therefore, it was thought that horses receiving flaxseed in their daily diet were benefiting from the positive effects of EPA and DHA. However, the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL) recently released a report questioning the ability of ALA to be changed in the body to EPA and DHA. According to the summary, “Conversion of ALA to EPA is very low, and to DHA is even less. These very low conversion rates mean that ALA cannot meet the body’s need for DHA.”

So, where can a horse get some EPA and DHA? According to the ISSFAL, the best place is fish oil. Fish oil is a direct source of these omega-3 fatty acids, so there is no need for any conversion by the body.

Other Benefits of Fish Oil

Researchers across the country have gotten on the fish oil bandwagon. At the University of Florida, breeding stallions had an increase in overall sperm count; at Texas A&M University, joint inflammation was reduced.

Researchers at Kansas State University (KSU) examined the effects of DHA supplementation in reducing airway inflammation and exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH). Preliminary results indicate that DHA alone does not reduce the incidence of EIPH, but a follow-up study on a DHA and EPA combination supplementation is in the works.

“We think the scientific basis that omega-3 fatty acids can control inflammatory processes in the horse are sound,” said KSU researcher J. Ernest Minton.

Moreover, Scientists from Southern Illinois University Carbondale have found that increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids lead to increased levels in blood plasma and red blood cells.

According to Sheryl S. King, professor of animal food science and nutrition at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, “We found that the specific omega-3 fatty acids that are the most beneficial to health did get into the red blood cells, and their concentrations were roughly equivalent to the amount the horses were eating—the more they ate, the higher the concentration.”

However, King noted that the concentrations take quite a bit of time to increase. She said, “ We didn’t actually see it (in blood) until after we had stopped feeding the product, but it stayed around much longer there (59 days after stopping supplementation) than it did in the plasma.”

Probably the most interesting study regarding the supplementation of fish oil in the equine diet has come from Michigan State University. Headed up by Brian D. Nielsen, professor in the equine exercise and physiology department of Large Animal Sciences, the goal was to determine if supplemented fish oil had any effect on plasma fatty acid levels and lameness. A total of 18 horses were enrolled in the study with lameness scores, stride length measurements, and blood plasma levels being monitored throughout the 75-day study.

“We measured stride length as we thought that if it (omega-3 supplementation) is decreasing inflammation, horses might be more comfortable in moving,” explained Nielsen.

At the end of the study, horses given the fish oil showed higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood, and their stride length increased an average of eight inches at the trot. But the marker for inflammation in their plasma remained unchanged.

“We didn’t see any differences in markers of inflammation or in the range of joint motion measurements/lameness evaluations that we conducted,” said Nielsen. “We expected to see the increase (in stride length), but we’re not able to have any documentable reason for it.”

“Clearly, the increased stride length is a desirable effect,” Nielson asserted. “I can see a benefit to athletic horses to add omega-3 to the diet.”

Just be sure to check and make sure it is fish oil going into that feed tub.

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