RE: [RC] Carbohydrates During a Ride - Susan E. Garlinghouse, D.V.M.
*Also,
what is the value of bran? At Tevis they provide a lot of bran mashes, something
I don't normally feed, *how
does bran and the added fat factor in? Should I start feeding some bran
now so he's used to it? Should I *carry grain and plan on adding it to the provided mash?
Virtually none. It’s a myth
that bran will help prevent colic, though the myth certainly does continue to
endure. It keeps the mail moving in simple-stomached species such as
humans, but *not* in hindgut
fermenters like horses, who just digest the bran as another fiber source.
I don’t care for it because people that feed it think they’re doing
something to prevent colic, and aside from adding a very small amount of water
(because the bran gets mixed up with, but doesn’t really absorb much
water), and in doing so, may sometimes distract them away from better
strategies. I also don’t care for a high-phosphorus feed being fed
at a time when it could interfere with absorption of calcium when calcium
depletion may be an issue. It’s useful as being something
semi-tasty for horses to eat, and to have other things mixed into, and I
suppose overall it’s better than nothing, but I’d rather see a
horse eating almost anything else at a ride.
