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For horses, there is something new in rice bran By Dr. Martin Adams, equine nutritionist for Southern States cooperative
Rice bran has been a popular feed supplement for horses for more than 10 years. With a high fat content, rice bran provides a large amount of calories to help meet the needs of performance horses. Increasing the fat content of the exercising horse’s diet has been shown to increase muscular performance through the process of glycogen sparing. So rice bran can provide an effective way to increase the fat content of the horse’s diet to enhance performance or boost weight gain. Rice bran, the most nutritious part of the rice grain, contains rice oil, which carries large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and gamma oryzanol. Omega-3 fatty acids are called essential fatty acids as they are required in the horse’s diet and are responsible for many basic cellular functions. Improvements in hair coat and hoof condition are some benefits of increased omega-3 fatty acid intake. Gamma oryzanol is only found in rice bran. It has been found to have powerful antioxidant properties. Purified forms of gamma oryzanol have been marketed as equine supplements to increase muscle mass. Rice bran is also a rich source of biotin and other B vitamins necessary for healthy skin, hair and hooves.
Rice bran is produced from the rice milling process that makes white rice for human consumption; it is the outer layer of the rice kernel after the hull is removed. The rice bran is then extruded, which is a high temperature process that deactivates an enzyme called lipase. Lipase is naturally present in rice bran and is responsible for breaking down fatty acids and causing rancidity, which reduces the nutritional value of rice bran and makes it unpalatable. The extrusion process stabilizes the oil content and preserves the nutritional value of the rice bran.
Legends Pelleted Rice Bran is a new form of stabilized rice bran in a pelleted form. This pelleted form allows greater palatability, as many horses don’t readily consume rice bran in a meal or granular form when it is top-dressed on their feed. Legends Pelleted Rice Bran has been fortified with calcium, to provide a 1:1 ratio of calcium to phosphorus and high levels of vitamin E. The performance horse has greater vitamin E requirements due to increased antioxidant needs to combat the oxidizing effects of intense muscle performance and increased fatty acid metabolism.
The entire process of manufacturing Legends Pelleted Rice Bran is to human food-grade standards. This provides a high-quality product that needs no chemical preservatives and has a 1-year shelf life.
Beginning in October, Legends will be available at MFA.
Legends Pelleted Rice Bran at a glance
• Stabilized rice bran in a pelleted form.
• Balanced calcium and phosphorus levels, won’t unbalance current feeding program.
• High-fat supplement for performance horses and "hard keepers".
• Pellet mixes well in horse feeds and won’t sift out.
• Concentrated calorie content reduces grain-feeding requirements.
• Provides “cool” calories for performance needs or weight gain without hyperactivity.
• Contains gamma oryzanol, an antioxidant noted for its anabolic (muscle-building) effects.
• High level of vitamin E for effective antioxidant protection.
• Improves hair, skin and hoof condition.
• Contains high levels of essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6).
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