The benefits of fat in horse rations are well understood. So, attention is now focusing on different sources of fat. Over the past few years, you may have seen references to rice bran as a fat source in popular press articles.

In the past, rice bran was not considered as an option for horse feed, because raw rice bran contains over 20% fat and begins to go rancid within hours of milling. To solve that problem, some of the fat was taken out of the bran or chemical preservatives were added to improve its shelf life. When these things are done, the vitamins, including the high natural-source vitamin E content, most of the B vitamins, and most of the fat are lost.

The stabilization of rice bran for human food has been a priority for decades. About 20 years ago an extrusion-stabilization process was developed that stabilizes the rice bran immediately after it is removed from the rice kernel. Because of this process, rice bran can now be a nutrient-rich food and feed supplement rather than a rancid waste product of the food industry. In studies with exercising horses, feeding stabilized rice bran resulted in increased digestibility of dry matter, protein, energy, fiber, and fat. Also, normal horses and horses with polysaccharide storage myopathy have had reduced episodes of tying-up and increased exercise tolerance when fed stabilized rice bran compared to cereal grains.

Choosing a fat source for horses involves knowledge of the available products and a comparison of attributes, benefits, shelf life and cost. With the addition of stabilized rice bran to the list of available fat sources, it is now possible to feed a product with a one-year shelf life that provides fat along with high concentrations of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and balanced amino acids.

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