No matter the season, oatmeal reigns supreme at the breakfast table: spring, summer, winter, and fall. It is hearty, warm, and filling enough to keep us going until lunch. Oats can be found in pancakes, muffins, cookies, granola bars, and so much more besides a hot bowl at breakfast. There are three varieties of oats, and the degree to which the oat groat has been processed determines whether the oats are steel-cut, rolled, or instant.
All oats begin their lives as whole, unbroken grains known as oat groats. Groats are typically roasted at an extremely low temperature prior to being transformed into any other variety of oat. Heat also makes the oats more shelf-stable by inactivating the enzyme that makes them go rancid. This gives the oats a nice toasty flavor.
In comparison to crimped or rolled oats, which could spoil quickly during the summer, whole oats keep much longer. The working horse would benefit more from the crimped oats. Some of its ability to make the horse difficult to handle will be lost. The whole oats, which have been triple cleaned, are a better option if your horse works hard and needs more energy. For the mash, rolled (crimped) oats are preferable because they will absorb the water more quickly. When a stallion’s breeding season is over, particularly if he is older, it is best to switch back to crimped (rolled) oats and cut his intake in half. The amount of work the horse does is a major factor in determining how much we feed him. g. The typical racehorse in training consumes 10 to 12 quarts of high-quality, crimped (rolled) racehorse oats daily. For racehorses, the triple clean oats are more valuable per quart. Most other horses can get along just fine with the inexpensive and nearby oats. Weigh the oats before you calculate the quarts measurements.
There can be significant differences depending on whether the oats are crimped (steam rolled) or fed whole. This has always been understood, and the stallions’ reproduction, which is greatly impacted by it, makes it clear. When given whole oats, a stallion is much more eager to breed than when given crimped oats. This is once more not supported by science, but to any knowledgeable horseman it has always been clear, which obviously emphasizes how out of date and perplexing current equine science and research is.
The oats have numerous other values (as mentioned above), but neither are presented nor are we aware of them all. Oats are highly recommended for human diets because of their cardiovascular benefits, but veterinary science has recently downplayed their importance a bit. It’s important to keep in mind that the equine industry has historically and continues to have one of the least funded and neglected research sectors. When it comes to feeding, one shouldn’t listen to veterinarians because they typically base their recommendations on research rather than personal experience. With my forty years of experience and travels, I have had the opportunity to care for and watch over well over a thousand horses. (Experience is useless unless the individual genuinely cares about horses and pays attention to each individual horse. (Over the years, I’ve observed that the majority of reputable stables’ first choice of grain is oats. However, I have also observed that some of their contemporary uses as well as all horse breeds and types are not compatible with it.
I realized that horses often become more intoxicated when fed oats (when not sufficiently exercised), so for the backyard horseman, this isn’t always the best option. Horses’ senses, including hearing and sight, appear to become sharper as oats obviously affect (sharpen) the horse’s nervous system. Horses are naturally more alert, which may not be desirable for a trail horse or the “dead quiet” horse you recently bought that miraculously came to life after just a few feedings of oats. When on oats, some breeds, including the Arabians, Tennessee Walkers, Morgans, and others, appear to be more difficult to control for those with less experience. On the other hand, oats are a crucial component of the diet of thoroughbreds for both racing and breeding, particularly whole oats in the diet of a breeding stallion.
Horses were always fed oats as their first choice of grain, especially in the northern hemisphere where it grows better. Barley performs better in the south, where it used to be the preferred grain. There are numerous publications today that frequently criticize oats. First of all, it’s important to keep in mind that oats are a great source of extra energy. The nutritional data is frequently inaccurate and, for the most part, incomplete. It’s not just about proteins, fiber, and carbohydrates in the equine diet.
The nutritional composition of any diet consisting solely of oats (whether they are hulled or not) and forage is a final disadvantage. A vitamin and mineral supplement should be top-dressed to oats to guarantee that horses are receiving the right amounts of all essential nutrients.
Because of the physical density of hull-less oats, consumers frequently get more for their money when purchasing them on a pound-for-pound basis. For example, a bushel of heavy, premium-quality oats would weigh between 36 and 44 pounds. The weight of a bushel of hullless oats would be 50 to 55 pounds more.
The majority of oats fed to horses are whole, meaning each kernel is protected by a fibrous sheath or hull. Oats are frequently processed, usually by rolling or crimping, which slightly increases their digestibility by cracking the hulls. Hulls constitute a considerable portion of the grain, between 23 and 35% depending on the variety, and are usually over 30% crude fiber When compared to other cereal grains like corn, whole oats have historically been a relatively safe feed for horses due to their high fiber content and low energy value.
Traditional oats contain approximately 9-12% protein, while hull-less oats usually check in at 15-20% protein Differences in the amino acid profiles of each also exist. Naked oats are believed to contain 62% more lysine (0. 65% in naked oats and 0. 40% in conventional oats) and nearly double the amount of methionine found in conventional oats (0 40% in naked oats and 0. 20% in conventional oats). This is encouraging for horsemen who take care of young, developing horses. Methionine and lysine are essential amino acids for healthy muscle growth and maintenance. A lack of either may result in sluggish growth or subpar performance.
A second disadvantage is cost. Initially, horsemen may back away from the seemingly exorbitant cost of naked oats: some will be charged 20-25% more for hull-less oats than they will for top-of the- line crimped oats However, horsemen should understand they are receiving roughly the same amount of energy for their money when dietary energy levels are taken into account.
The least processed of all oat varieties, whole oats have the outer shell, or hull, entirely intact. Although the hull has no nutritional value, it does have extra fiber to help with digestion. Hulls also shield the oat’s interior, known as the groat, from insects and mold. Intact hulls increase the time oats can be stored. Most horses enjoy eating whole oats, and it’s simple to combine them with other ingredients to make a more nutrient-dense feed.
Increasing the surface area and breaking the hull of oats is a common processing step that is thought to reduce dust and improve digestibility. The most common type of processed oats is crimped, which involves steaming and passing the oats through a mechanical roller. However, according to a report from the Kentucky Equine Research Institute, crimped oats only marginally improve digestibility (up to 6%). However, most horses prefer this variety to whole oats because crimping reveals the tender groats. For very young horses without fully developed teeth or older horses with dental issues, crimped oats are a good substitute for whole, unprocessed oats.
Professional writer Kathy Bowe has more than 15 years of experience. She has worked as a corporate marketing director and editor for national magazines. Bowes’ work has appeared in publications like “The Sentinel” and “Horse Illustrated.” She graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Oats, a longtime staple of horse feed, are available in a variety of forms. Oats can be fed whole or processed using techniques like crimping to produce various forms and textures. Molasses is frequently used to sweeten oats in order to produce “sweet oats” or “sweet feed.” “While the various varieties’ overall nutritional values are only marginally different, each has advantages and disadvantages.
Most commercial oat-based feeds include molasses as a flavoring and binding agent. These “sweet feeds” may contain whole, processed, or a combination of whole and processed oats. Although molasses is low in vitamins and fat, it is high in potassium and very digestible. When fed sweet feed frequently, molasses causes a spike in blood sugar that occurs shortly after feeding, which is why many horses become agitated or “hot.”