# Oats vs Barley



## DB&B (12 June 2017)

Hi,
Could someone explain the differences of oats vs barley for digestibility? Google isn't helping me at the moment.
I have a horse who can struggle with high starch content in feed and barley tends to set him off. He has a number of allergies so can't feed him pre-mixes but he needs something else for a little bit extra and also taste. 
Thanks


----------



## Exploding Chestnuts (12 June 2017)

Im not sure about "digestibility", but to me if your horse has problems I would have no hesitation in avoiding barley and using oats.
Oats are high in fibre, something horses should cope with, and if you could find somone with a bruiser [old farm crushing mill], you could get a very coarse crush which essentially just breaks the outer husk, however, it is best to get them fresh, so you need a regular supply.


----------



## Exploding Chestnuts (12 June 2017)

I'm not sure about "digestibility", but to me if your horse has problems I would have no hesitation in avoiding barley and using oats.
Digestiblity in nutrition terms is sort of irrelevant other than a horse will not live on cardboard [low digestibility]
 but in everyday terms you may mean that your horse cant cope with certain food?

Oats are high in fibre, something horses need and should cope with, and if you could find somone with a bruiser [old farm crushing mill], you could get a very coarse crush which essentially just breaks the outer husk, however, it is best to get them fresh, so you need a regular supply.
I think there is a company which specialises in oats
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?622994-Are-tiger-oats-better
but of course you cant always get exactly what you want.
I would try phoning Saracen Feeds to see if they have any special feeds for you [expensive]
BUT, my basic feed regime is 
1]  non molassed sugar beet for fibre , it has lo sugar, is very digestible and palatable, soak fully
2]  micronised linseed, 25gms in summer/100 in winter
3] balanced minerals, Equimins and any other good brand, feed all year round, though sparingly if not in hard work
A handfull of chaff [non molassed] 
A bit of salt, plain salt.
Oats, but not much unless horse is in hard work, by which I mean eventing fit.
Timothy / meadow fescue hay, not dusty, not mouldy.


----------



## Exploding Chestnuts (12 June 2017)

I forgot to mention Fast Fibre by Allen and Page, its probably thecheapest way to change to a plain diet, again soak fully and add a few oats, they will also have a nutritionist, but try the FF before trying anyhing more complex, it is based on non molassed s/beet.

Barley is a more sugary food than oats, often used  to fatten up older horses or in winter when they need enegy to combat cold weather. Its not something I have ever fed to normal horses, no question, oats oats oats, but after the basic need is sorted.


----------



## DB&B (12 June 2017)

Thanks, that's really helpful! 
He basically gets lucerne chaffage, speedibeet and oil, salt and minerals he's a big horse who can drop weight quite quickly. I was looking at adding some linseed as well to the mix, but haven't yet.


----------



## Rowreach (12 June 2017)

The starch in oats is more readily digestible than other cereals, but remember the calcium content can be very low so you will need to balance that out.  I am a huge fan of feeding soaked whole oats -great for condition (lots of VitE).  I never feed barley.


----------



## paddi22 (12 June 2017)

im a massive oats fan!  The blugrass oat balancer mix is brilliant for feeding with oats.  It allows you to increase/reduce the amoutn of oats needed for work/condition while still getting them everything they need


----------



## Exploding Chestnuts (12 June 2017)

micronised linseed is £30 a bag, and it is grrrrrrrreeeeeeeat
I am not sure about lucerne, you do know this is the other name for alfalfa which can be reactive, I would not feed it as part of the basic diet. as horse may have allergy to it.


----------



## DB&B (12 June 2017)

Thanks, it sounds like it is worth trying out! 
I'm not in the UK, so lots of the feeds we don't have (I'm semi drooling over the massive selection). He can't have wheat, molasses, rice and sunflower off the top of my head, barley doesn't agree with him either, nor does copra. He does seem ok with the alfalfa / lucerne so far, but I could swap it to timothy instead, he can get a bit picky as well to top it all off. 
I was thinking of just adding a cup of whole linseed into his feed as well - we don't have micronised that I am aware of


----------



## ihatework (12 June 2017)

DB&B said:



			Thanks, it sounds like it is worth trying out! 
I'm not in the UK, so lots of the feeds we don't have (I'm semi drooling over the massive selection). He can't have wheat, molasses, rice and sunflower off the top of my head, barley doesn't agree with him either, nor does copra. He does seem ok with the alfalfa / lucerne so far, but I could swap it to timothy instead, he can get a bit picky as well to top it all off. 
I was thinking of just adding a cup of whole linseed into his feed as well - we don't have micronised that I am aware of 

Click to expand...

I wouldn't feed whole linseed unless you are boiling it.
Alfa/Lucerne has its benefits! It complements straight oats well, it's what I feed one of mine.


----------



## Rowreach (12 June 2017)

Whole linseed needs to be boiled, don't feed it raw.  I imagine you would be able to get whole oats?  Just soak them in water at least overnight and drain.  Depending on the temperature where you are, you can do enough for a couple of days and they'll keep.  I wouldn't keep them hanging about in warm weather though.


----------



## Rupertthebear (12 June 2017)

I use linseed meal, granted it doesnt have the oil content per gram but it does the job! Also I am with the rest - oats over barley. I have used ulsakind (topspec)- this uses oat meal amongst other bits and calm and condition (A&P) - this is sugarbeet with bits. Now I feed bruised oats, sugarbeet, topspec/bluechip balancer, alfalfa oil. it does the job and I know exactly what is going in and can tweak it easily of he goes off his food.


----------



## DB&B (12 June 2017)

So I should soak the oats overnight before feeding? 
I was going to feed linseed whole / raw, I had read it was ok to do so or else I can crush it. http://www.******.com/newsletters/22-feeding-flaxseed.html


----------



## Tnavas (13 June 2017)

DB&B said:



			Thanks, it sounds like it is worth trying out! 
I'm not in the UK, so lots of the feeds we don't have (I'm semi drooling over the massive selection). He can't have wheat, molasses, rice and sunflower off the top of my head, barley doesn't agree with him either, nor does copra. He does seem ok with the alfalfa / lucerne so far, but I could swap it to timothy instead, he can get a bit picky as well to top it all off. 
I was thinking of just adding a cup of whole linseed into his feed as well - we don't have micronised that I am aware of 

Click to expand...

Don't feed your Linseed whole but buy a cheap coffee grinder and grind the Linseed fresh daily. Lucerne chaff and oats will be a great mix - as the Lucerne will add the extra Calcium to counter balance the phosphorous in the ots.


----------



## Goldenstar (13 June 2017)

Oats is really the only grain we should be feeding to horses .


----------



## Tnavas (13 June 2017)

Goldenstar said:



			Oats is really the only grain we should be feeding to horses .
		
Click to expand...

Totally agree.


----------



## molar roller (13 June 2017)

That is not a scientific reply but it depends on the horse, your horsemanship culture, geographical and climatical situations, affordability...
I have asked to a pure arabian race horse trainer that ''why do you guys feed them %50 oat and %50 barley flake ?'' he said ''because of the digestive system, that is better for arabian, but I do not give any barley to my tb mare''
I was so suprised when I visit to Canada, a lot of breeding stables prefer oat and corn mix no barley.


----------



## DB&B (14 June 2017)

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the info and help, everyone I know feeds premixes and gives me a semi - horrified expression when I mention feeding whole oats or anything straight. Will pick up some oats today and see how I get on, I will leave the linseed out for now as he is getting oil but will look at adding it in later on. The link was to Feed XL and was an article on feeding linseed where they said it was actually ok to feed it whole, it does come up on google. 
Am I best to soak the oats? Would throwing them in with the speedibeet be sufficient or should they be done for longer / not at all?


----------



## Tnavas (14 June 2017)

DB&B said:



			Thanks guys! I really appreciate the info and help, everyone I know feeds premixes and gives me a semi - horrified expression when I mention feeding whole oats or anything straight. Will pick up some oats today and see how I get on, I will leave the linseed out for now as he is getting oil but will look at adding it in later on. The link was to Feed XL and was an article on feeding linseed where they said it was actually ok to feed it whole, it does come up on google. 
Am I best to soak the oats? Would throwing them in with the speedibeet be sufficient or should they be done for longer / not at all?
		
Click to expand...

It is acceptable to feed up to 1 cup daily of whole Linseed, the body can deal with the poison produced, but ideally it is best fed ground. 
Chuck in with the speedibeet, they soften pretty quickly but are safe fed whole uncrushed.


----------



## DB&B (14 June 2017)

Picked up oats - I just popped some in with dinner tonight, but have brought some inside to soak (I like to make things extra complicated lol). I tipped hot water over them (maybe double) and then just left it. Afterwards I googled and it sounds like I should have done it with cold water? Is hot water ok? How long should I leave it to soak and do you drain the water out after?


----------



## Tnavas (14 June 2017)

DB&B said:



			Picked up oats - I just popped some in with dinner tonight, but have brought some inside to soak (I like to make things extra complicated lol). I tipped hot water over them (maybe double) and then just left it. Afterwards I googled and it sounds like I should have done it with cold water? Is hot water ok? How long should I leave it to soak and do you drain the water out after?
		
Click to expand...

Don't drain as the water will have leached some of the nutrients - add your speedibeet to soak up the remaining water.


----------

