Conference noted::equitation

    
    Spider used to get linseed oil when I had him at a layup barn - it did 
    wonders for his coat and helped to moisten his food a little (may have
    made it more appetizing, I don't know...).  He was hard to keep weight 
    on, but I think the added fat of the oil was somewhat helpful. 

    
    
    I give mine wheat germ for his coat. Only use about an once per feeding
    and it keeps his coat nice and shiny.
    
    Robin
     

    I use corn oil for my two's coats.  About a 1/4 cup once
    a day.
    
    L-

    re.3  Is that just normal corn oil that you would use to
    fry/cook your own food in?  Is it safe?  If it is and it
    dose do wonder for their coat and skin then it would be
    a great saving, as the feed merchants and tack shops
    charge a fortune for horsey oil!
    
    Wendy

    
    
    	I use corn oil too, I used to use Safeflower oil but is a bit
    	more expensive.  The corn oil is also fatty so it helps put a
    	*few* pounds on since I can not feed Trotter (pellets) to my
    	horse anymore.  I have really seen a difference in his coat
    	and weight since I started using the oil.  I also use a supplement
    	called "Digest-It" which has helped alot in the weight gaining
    	department or should I say filling out?.  Anyways, he really
    	looks *great* this year.
    
    	Zina
                                                                      	

    I've used corn oil to put weight on horses, too.  Works like a charm. 
    I had a yearling who was really hard to keep looking good, and I tried
    Purina's "Athlete" for a while with good results.  But it cost twice as
    much as ordinary Purina feeds.  I looked at the nutritional breakdown,
    and saw that it had twice the fat of the sweet feeds or pellets.  So I
    went back to the pellets and added corn oil to raise the fat content of
    the mixture.  Worked great, and as an added benefit, he was less goofy
    than he was when I just increased grain rations.
    
    -ellie

    
    From what I understand about corn oil, I would wonder.... I was
    going to feed it to my dog but I heard it coats the intestines?
    Could help in keeping nasty lil creatures from attaching themselves
    to the intestines etc. but I think it also kept the wormer etc.
    from being fully effective......... I'll see if I can find 
    the stuff I read on it before.....and post it.
    
    nancy

    re .-1
    
    Gee, I'd like to see that info if you have it.  "Coats the intestines"?
    There's corn oil in lots of human food, too.  ACtually, I think it's
    coating my thighs, though....
    
    -ellie

    re.linseed oil... be careful with that... I think (if i remeber right)
    You can get a horse sick (colic).....
    
    re. corn oil, the coat?? on some, on some not, I had better results
    with yucca pellets to tell ya the truth. 
    
    	wendy o'
    

    What about feeding vegetable oil instead of corn oil?
    
    Wendy
    

    Corn oil is a vegetable oil.  Most "vegetable" oils come from some sort
    of seeds -- peanut, olive, corn, whatever...

    Its just here in the Uk we have Vegetable oil and corn oil.  I think
    the vegetable oil is from a crop called rape seed which has a yellow
    flower,  I have been told by other people that veg/corn oil is 
    the best for their coats.  I will try some and see if it makes a
    difference, especially as my horses summer coat is starting to 
    come through at long last!!
    
    Wendy
    

    Re - all on Corn Oil...
    
    I've been using it as a supplement for years......Dogs
    have a drastically different digestive tract than horses,
    as horses do not eat meat, BTW.
    
    It will take a few months to see the difference in the
    coat, but it puts a nice shine & bloom on them.  One of
    the boarders fed a pricey supplement to her horse, and
    noticed I used corn oil (you can use any vegetable oil,
    soybean, corn, but not Olive!).  She asked me why, and
    I told her what it did.  She then read the label of the
    supplement she used, and guess what the main ingredient
    was? :-)  BJ's sells vegetable oil in large containers
    at a fair price.
    
    Lynne

    I also use corn oil and have been for about 2 years.  There is a
    noticeable difference between my horses coat and the other horses at
    the barn.  Corn oil also helps shed them out faster!  I'll have to find
    where I read that, but I believe it.  I know I have an article
    somewhere on why corn oil works better than the other oils, including
    vegetable, etc.  
    
    I also find that there are usually 82,000 different opinions on
    everything!
    
    Karen

    We used sunflower oil for a while, the best method is still elbow
    grease. 1 hard brush, 1 curry comb, 1 medium brush, two soft brushes,
    and at last the rag. My horses coat was as shiny and as pretty as all
    the others, that were fed oil, and other things.
    Elbow grease!

    I feed my nags Wheat Germ Oil.  They get the benefit of the oil for
    their coats - plus it helps prevent tying-up.
    
    Veggie oil is less expensive and I feed that when I am not pushing
    him for distance riding - so I don't have to worry about tying-up.

    Re. last
    
    What does veggie oil have to do with distance riding?? I'm curious,
    I feed my mare 2 tbls daily of corn oil, and have recently been
    doing light distance riding with her....10-25 mile rides, I'm 
    not interested in doing anything longer than 25 miles at a time.
    I've never heard of oil causing tying-up, is this something I should
    be asking my vet about or something?
    

    re 17
    No veggie oil has NOTHING to do with tying-up.  It does not help
    prevent it.
    
    If you re-read my note - I mentioned that Wheat Germ Oil "seems" to 
    help prevent tying-up.  I feed Wheat Germ Oil during riding season
    and veggie oil when they are "on vacation".
    
    I cannot swear to the Wheat Germ Oil PREVENTING ANY tying-up.  I have
    been using it for 15+ years and did read something in Equus on Tying-up
    that recommended using Wheat Germ Oil.
    
    My honest opinion is that the best prevention for tying-up is slow,
    careful conditioning.  Don't push for speed when your horse is not
    ready.  I have seen how painful it is for a horse to tie-up.  It was
    a young horse that was pushed too much "just to keep up" with the
    rider's friends.
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Sorry to get off the subject, but just to ask for some folk's opinions
    about the following: 
    
    I have neighbors that are doing the Chief Joesph Ride this year.  They
    only ride on the weekends (and NOT every weekend).  The ride is going
    to be about 20 miles a day - maybe 4-5 hours of riding per day.  
    
    They are really nice people but when I mention conditioning, they look
    at me with a vacant look....  I mentioned to them that I usually
    condition for at least 4 months for a 100 miler (at least riding 5 days
    a week).  I even offered to give them a copy of my program and some
    books on distance riding..  no takers.
    
    They use the same blankets and girths every time they go out... no,
    the blankets and girths are not clean.  Gosh, put a few 20 mile days on 
    those girths, with the heat, dust and there are bound to be girth sores 
    on their horses.
    
    Their horses are really nice animals (like the people) but when they
    come back from riding the hot animals are Unsaddled, hosed down (cold 
    water), put away and FED!  They are on complete (grain) feed.  Usually 
    the next day I can see that one of the horses is stiff (Usually the same 
    horse).
    
    Gosh,.......... IF I just ripped the saddle off, hozed ma hot nag down 
    and fed him - I would have one DEAD nag in a blink of an eye.  (my luck)  
    
    Now, this it the tricky part.  I am not claiming I know everything. 
    (that is far from it) AND these people have been doing this same thing 
    for years with NO PROBLEMS (that I know of..)  Granted, they have never 
    done any distance riding - and the max time that they may ride is 3 hours 
    (that I have noticed).  They are both about 5-8 years older then me.  The 
    guy just listens to me (I think just to humor me!)he is sorta new to 
    horses but she is not (she has lived here for 8 years).
    
    I hate to see something happen to them or the horses.  I can already
    see that one horse is _going_ to have problems if they continue this 
    same way.
    
    Should I just take my nosey nostrils off their horses and just let what
    will happen, happen.  I know it is none of my business what they do.  I 
    hate to let someone find out the hard way.  Like I said they are nice
    folks, but things are really done different out here in Arizona...
    
    Lately I have just kept my mouf shut about all this, but it bothers me
    terribly.
    Thanks for your thoughts on this...

    RE:  feeding different types of oil and tying up.
    
    Wheat germ oil would be of help here as it is high in Vitamin E.
    Vitamin E is used to metabolize Selenium (which is generally deficient
    when there is a problem with tying up).
    
    Depending on the area of the country/world you live in, the forage may
    or may not have enough Selenium present.  Many grains add selenium,
    but this still may not be enough.  In southern New Hampshire, our
    forage is deficient and we must feed a Selenium and Vitamin E
    supplement to protect our horses from tying up.
    
    Hope this helps...

I have taken the side topic mentioned in 1454.18 and made it a separate note
(see note #1470).  Please feel free to discuss the use of Lindseed oils and
the like here, but please take any discussion about the noter's neighbors to
note #1470.

Ed..
Co-moderator