# Alternative to feeding Linseed?



## vickybentley (7 December 2017)

Hi everyone,

I currently feed my 17 yo TB full fat micronised linseed with his dinners.  He also has Dengie alfa oil and Saracens show cubes both of which he is absolutely fine with and keep him in good condition.

Is there any alternative people would recommend? Its very expensive to buy and just wondering if there is something else out there that does the job but saves a bit of money!

Thanks


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## Christmas Crumpet (7 December 2017)

How much are you feeding?!! I have a 20kg bag and horse gets a cup full a day and I've had the bag since late summer. Farm & Pet Place do it for £25.99 
https://www.farmandpetplace.co.uk/p...rmance/charnwood-micronised-linseed-20kg.html


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## vickybentley (7 December 2017)

Sorry should have mentioned there is another horse sharing the bag who needs more weight on so he has 1 1/2 cups


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## Ambers Echo (7 December 2017)

I have just switched to Pink Mash - has linseed in it which is great, but also fast fibre, pre and pro biotics. A little seems to go a long way as you feed 100g  per 100KG body weight per day and 1 small cup is 150g.


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## hopscotch bandit (7 December 2017)

Ambers Echo said:



			I have just switched to Pink Mash - has linseed in it which is great, but also fast fibre, pre and pro biotics. A little seems to go a long way as you feed 100g  per 100KG body weight per day and 1 small cup is 150g.
		
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Mine is on Veteran Vitality recommended to me by a friend. Its a mash with linseed and makes my horses coat shine as well as maintaining weight.  Very good stuff especially for weight gain and extremely palatable. Just needs soaking for 3 mins in boiling water or cold (depending on how soft you are lol). A few people I know now have horses on it, and all have said how much their horses love it.
Here is the sales pitch lol:

Suitable for ....

    * Older horses and ponies at rest or in light to medium work
&#61697; * Older horses and ponies struggling to maintain weight
&#61697; * Horses and ponies requiring slow release, stamina giving energy
&#61697; * Fussy feeders
&#61697; * Horses and ponies struggling to chew due to worn or missing teeth

Benefits of Veteran Vitality . . .

&#61697; * High in fibre and low in starch and sugar
&#61697; * Balanced with vitamins and minerals and elevated vitamin C and E
&#61697; * Contains prebiotics and a probiotic blend for healthy digestion
&#61697; * Includes linseed  a good source of Omega 3
&#61697; * Suitable for horses and ponies with intolerances to barley, alfalfa and/or molasses


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## ihatework (7 December 2017)

vickybentley said:



			Sorry should have mentioned there is another horse sharing the bag who needs more weight on so he has 1 1/2 cups
		
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I&#8217;m struggling to understand why you think a mug or two of micronised linseed is expensive? It&#8217;s generally fed as it&#8217;s considered good value, a sack goes a long way.
I feed omega rice, which is a linseed & rice bran pellet - so it&#8217;s an alternative, but probably no cheaper.

The cheaper way to do it would be to reduce the show pencils and increase the Alfa & linseed to compensate. I suppose it depends on how much of the cubes you feed


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## Pinkvboots (7 December 2017)

ihatework said:



			I&#8217;m struggling to understand why you think a mug or two of micronised linseed is expensive? It&#8217;s generally fed as it&#8217;s considered good value, a sack goes a long way.
I feed omega rice, which is a linseed & rice bran pellet - so it&#8217;s an alternative, but probably no cheaper.

The cheaper way to do it would be to reduce the show pencils and increase the Alfa & linseed to compensate. I suppose it depends on how much of the cubes you feed
		
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I agree with this I think you will struggle to find a cheaper alternative to linseed it is a cheap way to feed for condition.


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## Tiddlypom (7 December 2017)

Pinkvboots said:



			I agree with this I think you will struggle to find a cheaper alternative to linseed it is a cheap way to feed for condition.
		
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Me too. Mine get a generous 350ml mugful twice daily. Thanks for the prompt, though, it's reminded to get stocked up with linseed before Christmas .


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## Leo Walker (7 December 2017)

Linseed is about the cheapest thing you can feed for condition. You could swap to a different feed that contain linseed but by the time you feed enough of it then it will cost more. If you are looking to reduce feed costs then grass nuts/sugar beet, oats and linseed is an economical way to feed for condition.


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## JillA (7 December 2017)

And don't buy the linseed cake - it is cheaper but it is the waste product AFTER the oil has been removed


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## AdorableAlice (7 December 2017)

There is no cheaper way to feed a horse to keep it both looking good and steady in its mind than to feed linseed.  I have just fed 5 this evening, smallest 15.2 the rest 17h and more.  Handful of unmoll chop, speedibeet, salt and linseed, they all look fabulous.

It is not an expensive feed, takes up little space in the feed room, a little goes a long way, most horses love the stuff and bucket feeds can be kept small.


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## DabDab (7 December 2017)

I can't imagine how linseed could be considered expensive, but I guess the only other option that may work out cheaper depending on how you use it, would be copra. That also gives condition and useful oils, but it can be a bit of an acquired taste and is a bit more of a faff to soak etc (it apparently can be fed dry but I've never felt comfortable doing that)


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## OldNag (7 December 2017)

Linseed can be expensive - depends where you buy it...

My local feed place sells small bags of it (4kg I believe?) for £11.  That works out very expensive.

I buy 20kg bags elsewhere for £25.


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## Boysy (7 December 2017)

What are you paying for your bag of Linseed to consider it expensive? I buy the sacks of Charnwood at around £20 a sack and I feed 3 ponies all yr on that, I probably only buy 2 or 3 sacks a yr


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## SEL (8 December 2017)

Ive got one whose stomach doesn't like linseed and she gets copra. If you want really cheap then a glug of veg oil might do it.

Btw - I agree copra is a faff. Needs soaking and I'm wishing I'd sorted this weekends lot out because yard taps will be frozen tomorrow I think.


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