# Oat bran v wheat bran what's the difference in nutrition?



## Whizza (30 May 2016)

My sister feeds wheat bran and I feed oat bran, could someone please tell what the nutritional difference and benefits are please. 

I feed my mare oat bran because that's what her previous owner had her on and I haven't changed it as yet. 

Thank you in advance


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## Shay (31 May 2016)

Wheat bran is a by product of the bread flour industry.  It is about 12% fiber which is less than roughage - but more than hard feed.  It has an energy content equivalent to a competition feed but almost no starch so it is ideal for quick energy after hard work.  Fed dry it binds so can be useful in a horse who is a bit sloppy.  Fed wet it is a laxative and is often used for horses who are unwell.

In contrast oat bran is almost all starch with no real fiber.  It's use has been implicated in hind gut ulcers and also an increase in azoturia and colics.  However if it is produced specifically for horses it can also have a lot of beta glucan  which some feel boosts immunity.  Oat bran produced for the human food market will not contain this.

Both bran types have a very high phosphorus content so if fed long term should be combined with a calcium supplement like limestone flour to avoid imbalance.


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## Whizza (31 May 2016)

You are an angel. Thank you. 

My mare has had an ulcer last year before I owned her. I havent been feeding limestone flour with it though, only because I have kept her on what her previous owner had her on and I didn't know you needed too. I'll get some.


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## Shay (31 May 2016)

It might be better to swap to wheat bran if you need to feed bran at all?  There are better ways to boot immunity - especially for a horse that has had ulcers in the past.  You are absolutely right to keep her on what the previous owner was feeding to begin with.  But you may then want to re-assess her needs in the light of your routine, your workload for her and what suits you.


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## sjp1 (2 June 2016)

Why would you want to feed either?  There are lots of better feeds on the market - Agrobs being one of them - a pain to get hold of, but below 10% combined sugar and starch.  Fibre is key for horses with ulcers.


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## Zuzan (2 June 2016)

Shay said:



			In contrast oat bran is almost all starch with no real fiber.  It's use has been implicated in hind gut ulcers and also an increase in azoturia and colics.  However if it is produced specifically for horses it can also have a lot of beta glucan  which some feel boosts immunity.  Oat bran produced for the human food market will not contain this.
		
Click to expand...

Really.. ???  http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5703/2   OK this is human oat bran I had no idea that Oatbran could be so different in nutritional profile???  The Succeed Blog http://www.succeed-equine.com/succe...at-flour-for-horses-hindgut-health-treatment/ seems to have the same arguments against Oat flour which I think is different as suspect this will have the bran removed (like white wheat flour does).


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## Whizza (2 June 2016)

To be perfectly honest with you all, I'm. I'm not everso knowledgeable with regards to horse feed. I've only ever shared horses before and fed whatever they have already been on. 

My mare is 17 yrs old, has had an ulcer before I got her (she had it last year) and I keep her barefoot. At the moment she is fed on
Oat bran
Micronised Linseed
Fenugreek
Pumpkin seeds
Formula 4 feet 
Pink powder and Ostress 

Other than the pinkpowder I feed her exactly what the previous owner had her on, the pink powder is because she had tummy ache from the grass when she moved to me. She's turned out 24/7 on restricted grass track system and she has a large hay net every evening. 
We usually hack for 2 ish hours 3-4 times a week and I also have an hour lesson on her. She's a good doer and is a bit over weight. 

What would you suggest I change her feed to? Any suggestions? 

X


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## Zuzan (4 June 2016)

Speaking from my own personal experience.. 

Micronised linseed is great... but to be effective you need to feed at least 100g  in terms of max or upper limit rate.. for my horse of approx 560kg I am quite happy feeding up to about 500g (bad weather in winter) but during the summer I feed 200g ish..  Linseed is very helpful with helping guts work well and protective .. it has the correct ratio of omega 3 to 6 and is good source of protein and dietary fibre... as well as providing slow burn energy ... altogether a really good staple for equines.

Am not sure why you feed Oat bran but it could be that it is helping her GI tract as I believe Succeed (see link to blog post in my earlier post) use oats in the supplement.

Fenugreek and pumkin seeds .. again am not sure but do remember something about Fenugreek being a very good source of phytonutrients.. I would guess pumpkin seeds also.. 

The think I would look at changing would be the Formula 4 Feet..  as seem to remember this being rather high in iron which can block uptake of important minerals like copper and magnesium..  

My personal preference for vit and min supplement is Progresive Earth (see ebay shop) but many have success with equimins too... the phoenix horse forum has comparison of different supplements which may help you.

I really useful reference book for nutrition and feeding is _The Truth About Feeding Your Horse_ by Clare MacLeod..  it's really useful to dip into etc and explains the interaction of minerals well and debunks some common myths.


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## Shay (4 June 2016)

The problem with feeding is that everyone has their own opinions and preferences.  As a general rule - if it ain't broke don't fix it.  If your mare is fine on her feed don't worry overmuch.  Although you say she is carrying a bit of condition so you might want to look to either reducing the calorie content of the feed or upping the workload.

Fenugrek and pumpkin seeds are both good anti inflammatories with specific for gut health - I would assume that has something to so with the ulcers.

You do seem to be doubling up with both pink powder and formula 4 feet.  You don't mention the amounts you feed of each but you might want to look at the back of the pack and check you are not over supplementing?  At best you are just wasting money on something that can't be absorbed and at worst the excessive feeding of some minerals is potentially toxic.  If the pink powder came in because of gut issues I would personally be looking at a pre biotic of some form.  But she is already on 2 supplements for gut health.  It might be worth just trying to come off the pink powder and see what happens now she has had a chance to adjust to your grass.


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## Whizza (4 June 2016)

Thank you for your replies  

Formula 4 feet she has the recommended amount for her size, which is roughly a scoop (scoop supplied in the bag) and pink powder she has 3 scoops of the little spoon supplied. 

Linseed she has 150g that's the same with the oat bran too. She was on 200 g of them both when she arrived but I have cut it back slightly with the grass coming in. 
I could cut it back a bit more now to 100g of each. 
She doesn't have a huge amount of grass in her paddock, every week I extend her track a couple of feet more for her and you can always tell if she has had more grass as she can be grumpy when touching her tummy and doing up her girth (face pulling, swishing her tail and lifting her back leg up) ... Im constantly worried about her getting another ulcer. Although she hasn't lost any condition and is eating like a horse! 

She always has a large hay net every day and extra hay when tacking up etc. If the weather is bad and she spends most of the day in her field shelter she has extra hay too, just to make sure she has roughage moving through her when she isn't grazing. 

Horse food is an absolute mind field and so confusing. 

What does a pre biotic do Shay?


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## Shay (4 June 2016)

A pre biotic is essentially food for beneficial gut bacteria (As opposed to a pro biotic which is the bacteria themselves)  Mostly long chain carbohydrate.  The aim that that by creating a favorable environment the good bacteria will proliferate and the bad bacteria reduce.  I will confess there isn't a huge amount of peer reviewed research for their use - although there are a massive amount of them available in feeds and as supplements.  

This is where feeding can just come down to experience and personal preference.  Pink Powder is a pre biotic - but has loads of other stuff as well which is doubled up in your formula for feet (which also incidentally appears to have enough calcium to offset the phosphorus in the bran!)  Brewers yeast is the most common pre biotic as a straight - but it appears in many other places too.

You seem to be doing absolutely as you should and it is great to try to udnerstand more about the feeding decisions you make.  You never stop learning in this game!


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## Whizza (4 June 2016)

Shay and Zuzan a million thanks. 

I really do appreciate your input. 

I'm going to get the book you suggested Zuzan and I'll try and get hold of a pre biotic and take her off the pink powder for now and see how she goes. 

Blinking horses are a constant worry! When I kept horses in my teens and early 20s we never fed anything other than a bit of chaff and sugar beet or pony nuts! Plus hay and just grass in the summer! It's all got very technical now. I want my mare to be happy and healthy so I'll be putting in 100% to getting it right, she looks after me so I have to look after her  

Thanks again


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