Ridecamp: Re: [RC] What is the science about not using rice bran and oil together?

  I currently use rice bran.  She feels that rice bran is
> beneficial, but it still does not give the horses enough fats.  I told her
I
> had read and been told there are people that say you should not mix them
> together.  She said she had heard that also, but in her research she had
not
> found any science that supported that, in fact she thought they should do
> well together.
>
> Does anybody know why it is a "no no" to mix rice bran and oil?  She felt
> that it might be rice bran manufacturer misinformation.


Well, it pretty much depends on why you're feeding the fats.  There's no
real dire reason why they can't be fed together, just a "recommendation"
from the nutritionists that also happen to manufacture and market it.  I
agree that you're going to provide a more concentrated form of fat by
feeding a liquid fat, and it's also more economical that way.  Liquid fats
also don't carry the inherent mineral issues that rice bran does.

But, if a gun were being held to my head and I HAD to come up rice bran
advantages over a liquid fat, then I would say that a lot of horses like
rice bran better than liquid fats and will eat it more willingly.  The brand
name rice brans have a longer shelf life than a jug of oil being exposed to
light, heat and oxygen every day and that's a big issue in preventing
rancidity.  Rice bran does provide a good amount of vitamin E, a good thing,
but it's not like you can't chuck in a WalMart vitamin gelcap in the mash
with the oil.  Rice bran does also provide plenty of phosphorus, calcium as
well if it's one of the 'balanced' brands, but that can be a double edged
sword.

And lastly (at least off the top of my head), there is some data from KER
that feeding rice bran to horses prouces less lactic acid than from other
sources of fats.  Enough to get excited about, probably not IMO.  Actually,
since most endurance horses are alkalotic and also since alkalosis makes
serum calcium less available for cellular metabolism, I personally think a
little circulating lactic acid within reason isn't entirely a bad thing.

Anyway---IMO, there's no reason why you can't mix rice bran and oil
together.  Just make sure everything is fresh and you'll be fine.

Susan G



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