LauraM
Ridin' The Range
I agree. All five of my horses get it, despite the costs, as it has, by far, made the most difference in their coat, hooves, skin, weight gain, and overall condition.Yes, flax seed is probably the most costly on the list, but for my dollar, the nutritional benefits are very cost effective.
Again, I agree with all this. Horses have no problems digesting the whole seed as the hull is actually quite soft.One of the controversial topics of flax is whether to use it in it's whole form or to grind it before using. If you do decide to grind it, it's best to do it immediately before using as the nutrients start to break down as soon as the seed is processed. Buying it in the ground form is still good, but not as good as if you do the grinding yourself. A coffee bean grinder works very well for this. This debate has also extended itself into the animal world, but personally, when it comes to goats, they digest and process foods differently than humans and receive the benefits of flax in it's whole form equally as from the ground.
BOSS is an excellent source of fat. I talked to the President of the US Sunflower Association and he gave me the nutritional breakdown of them......they average about 60% fat, which makes it the highest source of NATURAL fat. Horses generally love them, and the hulls provide some fiber in the diet. If anyone is interested, I'll post the BOSS nutritional information.I use the BOSS. Seems to give my goats a nice shiny healthy coat. It also is reportedly a good source of dietary selenium & our area is low in selenium so that is the main reason I supplement with it. We get the large size bag it seems to be more reasonably priced than the smaller bags