Linseed Oil for horses, also known as Flaxseed Oil or Flax Oil, is made from the seeds of the Flax plant. The cold-pressing technique used in the manufacture of Pegasus Health Linseed Oil preserves all the nutritional benefit of this vegetable oil.
Some blended oils are subjected to a heat extraction process with destroys most of the goodness leaving you feeding extra calories - but few other benefits - to your horse.
Our oil is 100% British. It is supplied to us from a farm in Yorkshire - and it has been used by Olympian riders and racehorse trainers with great results. No heat is added to the seed or the oil at any stage - it is just cold-pressed and filtered with no chemicals added. Just by smelling the oil you can tell what a natural product it is.
Pegasus Health Linseed Oil contains about 58% Omega-3 - but also has Omega-6 and Omega-9 in the correct balance to make it as effective as possible. Other oils you see on sale may be cheaper but can you be sure they are giving you value for money? They may come from overseas (Canada or Russia) meaning that you cannot be sure of the origins of the seed and the oil and how it has been grown and treated.
Of all the vegetable oils, Linseed Oil for horses has the highest level of Omega-3 fatty acids - which makes up about 25% of every cell membrane in the body.
It is one of the Omega-3 fatty acids, known as Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is believed to help tackle inflammation.
ALA also helps the horse's body to create other vital Omega-3 fatty acids that it needs, including both EPA and DHA - but it does not create more EPA and DHA than the horse needs
In common with other types of vegetable oils, it is a slow-release energy source which is easy for the horse to digest. Adding oil to a horse or pony’s diet also supports healthy tissues and the immune system and improves the efficiency with which horses can turn their food into energy.
For hundreds of years, horse owners have fed Linseed oil to their animals and say they have seen the benefits in glossy coats, stronger hooves, better condition, improved fitness and performance. In recent times it has been claimed that all these benefits come from the Omega-3 content of the oil.
Linseed Oil can also help reduce muscle soreness, increased tissue elasticity and therefore reduce the chances of EIPM (nasal bleeding) in performance horses.
Research has shown that mares who are fed Linseed Oil have more regular fertility cycles. Once they are pregnant it is also beneficial for broodmares to be supplemented with Linseed Oil as it is believed that the goodness of the Omega-3 can be passed on to the unborn foal. Mares milk which has high levels of Omega-3 can also help their newborn foals to resist infections, it is believed.
Research at Colorado University in America has also indicated that breeding stallions supplemented with the long chain omega-3 fatty acid DHA, showed increased sperm concentration.
Omega-6 is also found in Linseed oil - and this is another essential building block for healthy cell development.
Horses can’t make Omega-3 or Omega-6 - known as Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) - in their own bodies so they have to obtain a steady supply either from their diet or from feeding them additional supplements.
Linseed is unusual among oils in that it contains more Omega-3 than Omega-6 which, it is said, enables it to balance the other fats in your horse’s diet - something no other vegetable oil can do. Balancing fats in the diet means that other nutrients and supplements can be metabolised efficiently.
Cereal-based diets tend to be high in Omega-6 but low in Omega-3 which is why Linseed Oil for horses can be such a useful nutritional supplement for horses.
After an injury the body needs Omega-3 to heal. This makes Linseed Oil a useful equine dietary supplement for high performance and sporting horses as they can recover more quickly from aches and pains and strains if they are eating a diet rich in Omega-3.
Lack of Omega-3 can also lead to excitability and nervousness. Many owners report that after supplementing with Linseed Oil their horses were calmer and easier to train. It is also believed to increase speed and stamina.
Linseed Oil for horses is an excellent alternative to fish oils such as Cod Liver Oil which has become more expensive and scarcer due to stricter Icelandic fishing quotas and rising global demand. Also, because horses are naturally vegetarian, some people think that feeding a fish supplement to a herbivore is not ideal.
Linseed Oil for horses has anti-inflammatory properties which are believed to improve joint flexibility and mobility, making it a valuable supplement for older, arthritic or hard-working horses.
Linseed Oil for horses nourishes the coat, bones and hooves of horses of any age. It also helps to maintain a healthy heart.
The Flax plant was originally found in the region between the eastern Mediterranean and India, but in recent times it has been grown across the world.
Flax seeds come in two varieties: brown and golden, or yellow. Both have similar nutritional virtues.
