Difference in Whole, Crimped & Sweet Oats for Horses (2024)

FAQs

Which is better for horses crimped oats or whole oats? ›

One of the most important reasons for feeding whole oats to your horses instead of crushed or steamed and rolled is because to maintain the fat content it is necessary to feed the kernel. Correct chewing and digestion depend very much on feeding the husk.

Oats can be purchased in several forms. Whole oats haven't been processed and still have their husks, or the outer casing surrounding the oat. Crimped oats are made by taking whole oats and partially flattening them, damaging the husk and making them slightly easier for horses to consume.

Naked oats are believed to contain 62% more lysine (0.65% in naked oats and 0.40% in conventional oats) and nearly double the amount of methionine found in conventional oats (0.40% in naked oats and 0.20% in conventional oats). This is good news for horsem*n caring for young growing horses.

Crimped oats are high in fibre and commonly used in horse feeds as an energy source.

Oats are often considered a “perfect” food for horses, in that they have a good amount of calories per unit weight (about 3 mcal of energy per kg of oats), 11% protein, lower starch than other grains (about 40% starch, compared to almost 70% in corn) and good palatability.

Feed ingredients such as oats, corn, barley, alfalfa and molasses have been identified by horse owners as causing “hyper”, “fizzy” or “hot” horses. Grains contain starch and sugar that may result in large fluctuations in blood sugar and result in mood or behavior changes.

For this reason, steel cut oats may be the best choice for those looking for better control of their blood sugar. Steel cuts oats are slightly higher in fiber than rolled and quick oats. They also have the lowest glycemic index of the three types of oats, potentially making them the best choice for blood sugar control.

Raw oats are 66% carbohydrates, 17% protein, and 7% fat. This means Oats contain the right amount of proteins to help build muscle and the right amount of carbs to strengthen and repair muscles.

Can oats cause laminitis? ›

The most common is over-eating green grass or fresh lucerne, as well as large amounts of oats or maize rations. This overdose of carbohydrate causes the rapidly multiplying gut bacteria to release endotoxins. Laminitis can also occur within hours of foaling if the afterbirth stays in the uterus and bacteria multiply.

Feeding Directions

Do not feed more than 5 lb. of Triple Crown Whole Oats at a single meal and allow 3 to 4 hours between meal. Always provide good quality hay and/or pasture at a minimum of 1.5% body weight per day.

Oats are the safest and easiest grain to feed with hay because it is high in fiber and low in energy, and higher in protein than corn. Corn has the highest energy content of any grain and can put weight on a horse quickly. It can be fed on the ear, cracked, rolled or shelled.

Crimped Oats by West Feeds are processed whole oats meant to be fed as a supplement as needed. The oats are crimped for optimal digestibility and provide 11% protein, 2.5% fat content, and 13% fibre content.

Consumption of large quantities of high starch grain can have drastic consequences to a horse's intestinal health, causing digestive upset, abdominal pain (colic), and diarrhea. The most notable consequence of this occurrence is the development of laminitis (founder), which might only become evident days later.

Typically horses need additional food, such as sweet feed, to provide extra calories and other nutrients so that they can remain in good health. Many horses will eat everything you put in front of them, so it's up to you to figure out how much sweet feed your horse really needs.

For a laminitic prone horse/pony, low sugar roughage sources may include Teff hay, Rhodes grass hay, lucerne hay, beet pulp or soaked grass hay.

The best way to feed them is soaked as explained here. Soaked whole oats, soaked for approx. 24 hours in cold water, this makes the oats a living enzyme again, which enables the horse to digest them more easily.

Even though oats are the grain lowest in sugar and starch, at around 45 to 50% starch they are still far too high in starch for horses on a low sugar and starch diet, eg insulin resistant horses, horses prone to laminitis, those with disorders like Cushings or PSSM etc, as well as many horses who are prone to ulcers, ...

Straight grains, like corn, barley, sweet feed or oats, can contribute to the onset of colic in horses.

Do horses gain weight on oats? ›

Do oats help horses gain weight? Oats alone don't help horses gain weight. Horses love oats, but you should feed them in combination with other food sources. Whole oats are difficult for horses to digest and can pass through their digestive system without being absorbed by the body.

Whole Oat Groats. Steel Cut / Irish Oats. Scottish Oats. Rolled / Old-Fashioned Oats.

There are two main types of oats, rolled oats and steel-cut oats. They both start the same way. First, the inedible hull of the raw oats is removed. This leaves the whole oat groats with germ, endosperm and bran attached.

Here's a handy guide to the different types of oats. This is available as ground kernels or groats, in three grades: coarse, medium and fine.

But if you want to get technical, Oat Groats remain the healthiest because they're the purest form of the whole oat you can eat. They're the least processed and contain the most nutrition.

Steel cut oats preserve all the nutrient goodness of whole groats, leaving this oatmeal with high fiber and protein counts.

Oateo Rolled Oats: These are unflavoured ones that contain essential carbohydrates, protein, energy and fibre. A natural product that is made out of 100% whole grain oats.

The alfalfa hay diet provides 151% of the lysine requirement while the oat hay diet provides only 34% of the lysine requirement. Lysine is the first limiting amino acid in most horse diets. Protein and calcium supplementation is needed for lactating mares fed oat hay based diets.

Are rolled oats and whole oats the same? ›

Here's why — all oats start as whole oat groats, but they're processed to cut down on cook time. As a result, oats come in different shapes and sizes. Oat groats, the least processed type of oat, resemble farro or wheat berries. Rolled oats, which are steamed and flattened, are more processed.

A high fibre, low starch and low sugar diet is essential for laminitics, so avoid feeds that contain cereals or molasses.

The basis of any diet for a horse or pony prone to laminitis or suffering acute laminitis is hay. The best choice of forage is one that is low in sugar, starch, and fructans (non-structural carbohydrates or NSC).

Hay is likely to form the bulk of the diet for an EMS/PPID/laminitic horse. Late cut, native species grass hay is likely to have lower sugar levels than early cut improved species (e.g. ryegrass) grass hay. High fibre haylage may also be suitable.

If you feed your horse grain, give it in multiple smaller meals rather than one large one. Most horses are given grain twice a day for the convenience of their human caretakers. If for some reason you must give your horse a large quantity of grain, consider an additional lunchtime feeding.

Ultium^® Competition, Omolene^® #200 and Omolene^® #500 are also calorie-dense feeds that may be helpful to help an older horse gain weight when fed with appropriate good quality hay and/or pasture.

Oats are probably the most traditional and versatile grain fed to horses, and provide a source of energy and fibre and are highly digestible.

For horses prone to ulcers, select hay that is high in structural carbohydrates and low in non-structural carbohydrates. Opt for hays with higher protein and calcium content. Legume hays are a great option, the most popular being alfalfa hay. Alfalfa hay contains 15 to 25% crude protein.

That's why GRO 'N WIN™ or Senior Balancer are the perfect ration balancers to complement your horse's forage. Created to be fed as stand-alone feed or as a top-dress to your horse's daily grain ration, both are formulated with a precise balance of amino acids, vitamins and minerals for ideal nutrient balance.

How are crimped oats made? ›

Traditionally, they are made from oat groats that have been dehusked and steamed, before being rolled into flat flakes under heavy rollers and then stabilized by being lightly toasted.

These sugars are absorbed very quickly, giving the horse a rush of energy. While most horses are not affected, a few react by becoming excitable. This is as likely, if not more so, to occur with maize and barley (which are both higher in energy) as it is with oats.

As it is a larger grain, horses are capable of chewing the grain enough to break its seed coat, removing the need for physical processing. Studies have also found that oat starch is far easier to digest than corn or barley starch in an uncooked form. So oats can be fed whole and uncooked.

Avoid oats and other cereal grains (corn, barley, wheat, rice, etc.). Starchy feeds can lead to ulcers by stimulating stomach cells to produce more acid, as well as encouraging acid production through bacterial fermentation.

WHY OATS ARE HEALTHY FOR HORSES. Oats contain a highly digestible form of starch that doesn't require heat treatment or processing. Therefore oats can be fed whole and unprocessed to horses.

The most common are oats, corn, and barley. Milo (sorghum) and wheat are other grains that are fed to horses as well. Grains such as oats, barley, and corn can be fed whole, though many are typically processed to increase digestibility.

The best way to feed them is soaked as explained here. Soaked whole oats, soaked for approx. 24 hours in cold water, this makes the oats a living enzyme again, which enables the horse to digest them more easily.

Oats. Oats are the most popular and safest grain to feed to horses. What makes oats a safe feed is the fiber content–about 13 percent. This means oats have more bulk per nutrient content, and horses have to eat more to satisfy their nutrient requirements.

A chief advantage of sweet feed (also known as textured feed) is its excellent palatability. Most horses accept it readily, so it is a good choice for equines that tend to back off other feeds. Part of the taste appeal comes from molasses, a sticky by-product of sugarcane processing.

It also is important not to over feed grain to horses because this can cause digestive upset such as colic. When too much grain is fed, much of it is digested in the small intestine.

Does soaking oats remove nutrients? ›

When you soak oats overnight, it's almost like you're cooking them, but the process is much longer and slower, and it's done without heat. Soaking helps the starches break down and reduces the natural phytic acid, which may help your body utilize the oats' nutrients much more efficiently.