Question

Where does rice bran fit into a feeding program? Is one brand better than others? I'd like to add it to my dressage mare's feed as she is a little skinny.

Answer

Rice bran is an easily digestible, high-calorie feed ingredient or supplement that provides energy from fat. It is most commonly used as an energy source for weight gain and for horses that are prone to tying-up.

Three forms of rice bran are most commonly used: oil, meal and pellets. The pelleted form seems to be preferred by horse owners, as it is the most convenient to feed. Pellets are easier to mix into a concentrate than meal and is less messy than oil.

A specific enzyme in rice bran disintegrates fat rapidly, rendering rice bran unsuitable for horses and causing it to have a short shelf life. To maintain the quality of fat and prevent rancidity, manufacturers use a stabilization process that deactivates the enzyme and preserves the product. Only stabilized rice bran products should be fed to horses.

When choosing a product, verify the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio to determine if additional calcium is needed to maintain the proper balance. This is especially important to check when feeding rice bran to growing horses or mares in late pregnancy or lactation.

Although rice bran contains some B vitamins, phosphorus, and essential fatty acids, it is not completely fortified to meet all vitamin and mineral requirements and must be fed with the recommended amount of a fortified feed. Using rice bran (1-2 lb or 0.45-1 kg per day) adds concentrated calories and reduces the risk of digestive upset that can result from feeding large amounts of carbohydrate-rich feed.