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THE USE OF FULL FAT SOYA IN HORSE NUTRITION

Summary

• Full Fat Soya soya contains 35 % Protein - rich in amino-acids e.g. Lysine, essential for muscle growth & maintenance; methionine & cystine for hoof & hair.

• 17.5% Oil -  Omega 3, 6 & 9 etc essential for good health especially skin & coat.

• Digestible Energy 18 MJ/Kg - slow release - WON'T BLOW YOUR HORSE'S MIND!

• Rapidly restores lost condition and topline ( Beverley Brightman "...saw an improvement within a week...")

• Extremely palatable.

• Usage 0.2kg (a 250ml mug holds 120gm) to 1kg or more per day.

• Muscle consists of protein. Proteins consist of amino acids. All animals require a daily supply of suitable quality protein (must contain enough essential amino acids, e.g. lysine, methionine, etc). Hard working or growing animals have a much greater need for good quality protein than those resting.

Technical Information & background: (click here to skip)

A considerable amount of the soya beans grown have the oil extracted for both human and animal use. The residue has about 46% protein and 1% oil, making it an extremely useful source of protein in high quality animal and human diets.

 Whole soya beans are also used extensively in the animal feed industry. After cooking and grinding, they are known as FULL FAT SOYA, (F F Soya) which is supplied either as FULL FAT SOYA MEAL or in pellet form.

The resulting product has a protein quality similar to that of egg-white, being relatively very rich in essential amino-acids such as LYSINE, METHIONINE, CYSTINE, THREONINE, TRYPTOPHAN, and ARGININE. Methionine and Cystine have a relatively high sulphur content and are therefore important in helping maintain healthy coats and hooves. Lysine is especially important for muscle growth and maintenance. Full fat soya is therefore an extremely useful product in mare and foal diets.

 Soya oil contains substantial amounts of LINOLEIC, LINOLENIC, and OLEIC (the Omega) fatty acids, essential for a horse's health, and particularly, skin and coat condition.

Soya oil has a digestible energy level about 3 times that of barley. It requires much more oxygen to release the energy in it compared with a similar amount of carbohydrate (e.g. starch). This process takes much longer, and so soya oil (in common with other fats and oils) provides a slow-release source of energy.

 The combination of high quality protein and oil makes F - F Soya an ideal ingredient in diets for horses being asked to perform substantial work over long periods, for example activities such as eventing, hunting, endurance, draft work, dressage, riding schools, etc. It is invaluable in stud diets.

 The authors' first use of Full - Fat Soya occurred in about 1987. He had been supplying Horseheath Non-heating Mix to a customer whose 7/8 T.B. Hunter had previously, on a traditional oats/bran/nuts diet, frequently overtaken the hunt Master and suffered the rough edge of his tongue! The Non-heating Mix restored control, but at the cost of condition. As an experiment, a pound of Full - Fat Soya was added to the daily diet. This immediately gave more stamina and very soon restored condition; the rider retained control and was no longer subject to caustic comments from the Master!

Since then the author has used F - F Soya extensively in the horse feed products which he has formulated and manufactured.

Full-fat soya has also been used successfully to keep toothless geriatric horses and ponies alive; it is normally fed with chaff (straw or alfalfa), soaked sugar beet pulp, and a mineral/vitamin supplement, all mixed to a porridge - like consistency. The ingredients do not need substantial chewing and are easily digested. Diets of this type can also be used where horses are allergic to feeds such as barley. Feed rates range from 0.25 to 1kg per day.

 Full - Fat Soya is supplied by  Gravenhorse Feeds in micronised and flaked form. It is very palatable and has a long shelf life. It is packed in 20 kg paper sacks and delivered to local customers with  Gravenhorse's own transport, elsewhere by courier or carrier. You can order it for direct delivery with the Buy-it-now buttons on the Products page

Hipro Soya (the residual meal after the oil has been extracted) is however more widely available, because of its extensive use in animal feeds. As it has a higher protein content, Hipro is used at a lower rate than Full-fat soya, but will need balancing with a further supply of energy (e.g. from cereals or oil or fat).

 Gravenhorse Feeds can supply either form of soya direct to the more informed members of the equestrian fraternity.  If you would like a small sample to try please e-mail me, via the CONTACT form, or telephone/text 07721 384508

John Chapman M.A. (Cantab)
Nutritionist, Gravenhorse Feeds.
May 2007
 

From Chris. Betson, Leigh on Sea "Very helpful and informative people. Quick delivery of fresh feed"

From: Kerry.Brown@............com
To: gravenhorse@............com
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 2009 16:04:07 +0100
Subject: RE: FFSoya:

 Hi there John, how are you? 

I want to thank you as your full fat soya has kept my two horses looking nothing less than spectacular over the winter, truly amazing. I had so many people asking me what i was feeding my warmblood as he looked even better than he did in the height of summer. I was a bit worried about him in late August/September as he is a bit of a jessy and dropped some weight and condition as it got colder up here and the grass wasn’t so rich. A couple of weeks on the FFS and he looked glorious. My other horse is pure thoroughbred and has been on box rest since last October (just started getting out now!). It was my first winter with him and I was very worried he would become scrawny as lots of thoroughbreds do. On the contrary! On the FFS, he is the roundest TB i have ever seen, I am pleased to say, and I now have the fantastic problem of getting rid of the big round tummy! But he has started gentle work now so that will happen naturally. 

I don’t need any more FFS for the moment as the grass is coming through but i do have another query which I hope you might be able to help me with. Far from being the lazy placid lump that he was when i bought him my big warmblood now loves life and is full of beans, generally just the right amount....
[Kerry goes on to seek advice on getting the correct energy balance for her horses' current workloads]

Many thanks indeed
Kerry
Edinburgh

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GLANTEIFI CARDI COMET, owned by Alan Keep & Niki Crowhurst of MYMMSWOOD WELSH COBS, Welham Green, Herts. www.mymmswood.com
"He was covering earlier in the season, and keeping reasonable condition. We needed to increase it for showing so tried some full fat soya; the improvement was dramatic, in under a week! We are also using it to supplement our brood-mare’s diet – her filly foal looks like a colt!"
 Currently fed with a high fibre budget mix supplemented with Full Fat Soya

2009 Show results:
2nd Herts County
1st/Reserve Champion E. A. N. P. S. Show
2nd E.W. P. C. S. show
2nd East of England

Mymmswood Carriad at 2 months - its mother also receiving soya.

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Beverley Brightman, Colmworth Beds:
"....... we noticed a significant improvement within a week..."

2 x 20 kg bags delivered UK Mainland £45.00

Tip - don't, in the summer, buy more than you can use in 4  - 5 weeks!