Iceland pet Pure Omega 3 fish oil
PURE OMEGA 3 Oil !!!
Unlike many other products on the market, this product is 100% made from anchovy and sardine oil.
The health benefits for humans and animals from omega 3 fish oil are enormous. Omega 3 fatty acids are a source of essential fatty acids such as DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) & EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). These two fatty acids are extremely beneficial for horses and stimulate, among other things:
- immunity
- endurance
- joints
- muscle mass
- intestinal flora
- anti-inflammatory
- fertility
- psychological
The question is, should horses take fish oil if they are herbivores?
YES, because horses naturally get their omega 3 fatty acids from roughage, grains, linseed, ... these are ALA fatty acids or alpha-linolenic acids. These ALA fatty acids must first be converted into EPA & DHA fatty acids, but this process is inefficient and too few DHA & EPA fatty acids are produced to enjoy the above benefits.
Improved performance in horses from fish oil is because fat is a denser energy source compared to carbohydrates and is burned more efficiently and more slowly in the body, because of this slower combustion the horse has a source of energy for longer. This results in a lower heart rate indicating better exercise tolerance.
Horses that receive fish oil have lower levels of glycerol and free fatty acids in the blood, so their energy reserves are not depleted as quickly and they can sustain the effort for longer.
Omega-3 fatty acids have consistently been shown to reduce inflammatory markers in both humans and animals.
Are there alternatives?
Algae and vegetable oils such as linseed oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, rice bran, corn oil and camelina oil are a possible alternative. All these nutrients are used by feed companies to add fat to the ration. Of these, linseed oil and camellia oil have the highest ALA content, but only 5-10% of these are converted into EPA and DHA fatty acids, which is very little.
The disadvantage of fish oil is the cost, smell and taste. Other sources for a high DHA & EPA level without an unpleasant odor are algae.
Omega 3 fatty acids per 5ml is DHA 414 mg and EPA 644mg
Sources:
https://ker.com/equinews/fish-oil-supplementation-exercising-horses/
https://thehorse.com/18946/fish-oil-as-an-omega-3-source-for-horses/
