EPSM Linseed Info Needed Please

[harleydales]

Harley is dropping muscle and weight quite quickly, and I'm looking at ways to try to build him up again before winter really sets in.

He'll be going back on the grass nuts, but I'm interested in Linseed as well - what form do you feed it in, how much do you feed, how much does it cost etc?

Any information gratefully recieved!

[SuzieP]

I used this for Bea, Jane. He dropped a lot of weight during his first winter with me and this helped a lot.

www.equiformnutrition.co.uk/horse-supplements/XLINT-GEL-p-32.html

Modified to add pics....

Before (Linda riding)



After

[zeldalithgow]

Jane, I get linseed meal from www.charnwood-milling.co.uk/store/erol.html for Daisy, and give her about 400/500g a day less in summer

[harveydales]

I used Charnwood too for old Winne, feeding similar amounts as Zelda. Have to say though that the one thing that really helps Winnie is fresh grass. Since I've popped him in the grassy hay paddock he has put on a fair bit of weight.

[valerie n scout]

wow what difference Sue x

[harleydales]

That IS a big difference Sue.

And do you all feed it in conjunction with other feed (he has to have the ERS pellets for the fat/oil)?

[zeldalithgow]

I'm feeding the linseed with unmollased chaff and some Spillars hi fibre cubes not much inthe way of cubes just now, will increase as winter goes on. I put a fair bit of water in the linseed, it does go quite gummy tho maybe I could get away with less water

[harleydales]

And do they scoff it up quite happily or did it take a while to get used to it?

The poor horse has had his diet completely changed over the last 10 days, I'm amazed he hasn't colicked!

[tinkerdorisalison]

you can also get Linseed Lozenges

www.mmfeeds.com/products/pelleted-products/linseed

Apologies if I am going over old ground but is he having a fair bit of oil? I remember reading (not sure where) that it takes the horse quite a while, on a high oil diet, to adjust their metabolism to get the benefit

[harleydales]

Yes he's on a high oil/fat diet for EPSM, I changed him onto it nearly 2 weeks ago. I know that's not long for him to get used to it and for his metabolism to change, but he's lost 35kg which is 6% of his total body weight! I don't want him to lose much more!!

He's out 24/7 - I'm considering giving him some hay (much earlier than usual) just to try to keep the weight on.

[zeldalithgow]

I worked up to the large amount only gave her about 50-100g at first but there were no problems eating it

[maggie]

I know there are many convenient ways of feeding linseed now, but, being an old-fashioned girl (alright, an old lady!) I have always bought the seed and cooked it myself. It's an economical way to feed it as I've been able to buy the basic seed very cheaply.

My base winter feed is soaked sugar beet and lucerne/alfalfa to which supplements can be added. I've found linseed very good for the oldies, poor doers, tired horses and during coat change.

I do have a modern method of preparing it though, suitable for relatively small amounts. I soak the amount I need for 24 hours (a big ice-cream tub is good for this), then pop it into the microwave until it 'pops' and forms a thick goo. Mixed into the main feed, it warms it up and seems to go down a treat. I've started off with small quantities and gradually increased to up to aprox. 1/2lb raw seed per day. I haven't researched a 'maximum recommended level' as this amount has done all of mine well, including keeping Jason at a reasonable weight - he was the old boy we had lost at 40 years old.

Do take great care though when preparing raw linseed - it is dangerous if not properly cooked! Fortunately, it is easy to tell when it's ready to eat as the seeds pop and release a slimy, sticky goo. Make sure you have enough water to seed to prevent it forming a mass so sticky it glues itself to the container.

[harleydales]

It sounds vile Maggie!!!! Like some sort of ectoplasm

Feedmark do a tub of linseed but it doesn't look a big tub and reckons to last 90 days.....so I don't think it is what I'm looking for!

I'm going to try our local saddler and agricultural feed merchant to see if they can get it for me, in whatever form.

[mickey]

This is a helpful thread- I've been thinking of getting some linseed for mine- Bex for weight and for oz and Rory's coats however the pure oil was costing a fortune!
I was put off the cooking but maggie's method sounds ideal.
How much linseed to how much water do you use maggie?

[Debbie]

Its fascinating to see the different methods of feeding linseed.

I feed raw flax seed (I'm told this is the same as linseed? )

Mine's raw and organic. I take roughly a half a cup, duff it into a coffee grinder just for the flax seed, grind it, sprinkle that over the soaked buckets, mix in and promptly get it in front of the ponies before ten minutes are up. I'm told it begins breaking down within ten minutes of being chopped/exposed to the air, so I begin to lose the good stuff.

Blossom, Galahad and I all scoff the fresh ground flax in a heartbeat. It tastes just like almonds!

I've used it primarily for coat purposes, and a little bit for weight gain. For Galahad's weight gains, I've used coconut oil (copra) and its worked beautifully. No worries about it aggravating his joints (I'm told corn oil can aggravate older joints), and he puts on weight with it.

The other thing I use for Galahad is oatmeal (also called quickoats), but I'm not sure that would be allowed for Harley? I haven't looked up the possible impact for the carbs for an ESPM type pony. I know of the grains it impacts the blood sugars the least, and with Galahad it definitely helps him to keep his muscling.