Tread Lightly Around Wheat Bran

Often added to a dietary regimen, it does need to be applied with care, since overfeeding wheat bran may result in metabolic problems, such as digestive irritation brought on by an imbalance of phosphorus and calcium, and also orthopedic problems. As a matter of fact, the daily feeding of wheat bran is highly discouraged, since wheat bran is known to contain significant amounts of phosphorus, yet your horse will need a higher concentration of calcium and the influx of phosphorus will provide a serious upset to its system.

A somewhat more insidious aspect of wheat bran is the fact that it contains a chemical known as phytic acid, which has the ability to bind itself to the vital minerals your horse ingests in the course of its day. These bound chemicals are not properly metabolized by the horse, and thus in addition to a calcium and phosphorus imbalance, your horse may also be exposed to a mineral deficiency, especially when it comes to zing, manganese and also copper. This, in turn, causes the animal’s metabolism to partially fail in the digestion of proteins and also energy, furthering problems with muscle tissues and also the hooves. Additionally, the animal will be seriously lacking in energy. For those horse owners who do wish to continue feeding a daily amount of wheat bran, the answer will lie in proper supplementation of minerals and also calcium.

Wheat bran is often also touted to be a healthy mash. Unfortunately, proponents of this practice do not consider fully the implications on the microorganisms that inhabit a horse’s gut and further fermentation. The wheat bran can actually upset these organisms and cause serious problems to the animal’s digestion. While the wheat bran works as a laxative, it also serves to seriously upset the animal’s gut, wreaking more havoc than doing good. Some horse owners use the mash weekly, thus consistently inhibiting the establishment of a healthy bacteria count in the animal’s gut, which in turn disables the horse to such an extent that full digestion of the feed is not possible. While it is true that a mash will add vitamin B, zinc, selenium and also additional water to your horse’s diet, the adverse effects are hardly worth the risk, and alternate supplementation is highly suggested. For those still not convinced, consider that a laxative based on psyllium is not only safer, but has also been shown to remove sand from your horse’s gut – something that wheat bran cannot do.