‘O’ is for Omega’s
In my recent blog on allergy testing, you may recall that part of my itchy horse ‘protocol’ was to ensure C had plenty of Omega-3 in his diet. What I didn’t really understand at the time was the difference between Omega 3 and Omega 6 and why the ratio between the two matters so much.
So what is the difference between Omega-3 and Omega-6?
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are both essential polyunsaturated fats that horses cannot synthesize on their own and must obtain through their diet.
Fatty acids are the fundamental building blocks of fats and oils - essentially long chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached. They're one of the three main macronutrients (along with carbohydrates and proteins) and play critical roles that go far beyond simply providing our horses with energy.
What Are Fatty Acids?
Fatty acids consist of a carboxyl group (acid end) attached to a hydrocarbon chain. They're classified based on:
Length: Short, medium, or long-chain
Saturation: Saturated (no double bonds), monounsaturated (one double bond), or polyunsaturated (multiple double bonds)
Essential vs. non-essential: Whether the horse's body can synthesize them or must obtain them from diet
Why are Fatty Acids crucial for horses?
Energy Storage and Utilization
Fats provide more than twice the energy per gram compared to carbohydrates (9 calories vs. 4 calories per gram). For horses doing endurance work, fat becomes an increasingly important fuel source, especially as glycogen stores deplete. Fat metabolism also produces less heat than carbohydrate metabolism, making it advantageous for horses working in hot conditions.
Cell Membrane Structure
Fatty acids are integral components of every cell membrane in the horse's body. They affect membrane fluidity, permeability, and function. The right balance ensures cells can properly exchange nutrients, waste products, and chemical signals.
Hormone Production
Many hormones are derived from fatty acids, particularly steroid hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol. Prostaglandins, which regulate inflammation, blood flow, and reproductive cycles, are also derived from fatty acids.
Skin and Coat Health
Fatty acids are essential for maintaining the skin's protective barrier and producing the oils that keep the coat glossy and waterproof. Deficiencies often manifest as dull, dry coats, flaky skin, or poor wound healing.
Brain and Nervous System Function
The brain and nervous system are particularly rich in fatty acids. Proper fatty acid balance supports cognitive function, learning, and the maintenance of nerve cell membranes.
Anti-Inflammatory Responses
Certain fatty acids (particularly omega-3s) help resolve inflammation and support the horse's natural healing processes. This is especially important for athletic horses dealing with exercise-induced inflammation.
Immune System Support
Fatty acids help modulate immune responses, supporting the horse's ability to fight infections while preventing excessive inflammatory reactions that could damage healthy tissue.
Absorption of Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamins A, D, E, and K require fat for absorption. Without adequate fatty acids in the diet, horses can develop deficiencies in these crucial vitamins even if the vitamins themselves are present in the feed.
Temperature Regulation
Fatty acids help horses adapt to temperature changes by affecting metabolic processes and insulation properties of tissues.
When you look at this list, it sounds a LOT like my horse: excessive inflammatory reactions, poor skin and coat with noticeably flakey skin and slow recover from wounds and skin lesions.
Poor skin condition:
C in February 2023 - itchy and with obviously dry flaky skin.
So why are we struggling with an Omega inbalance?
Horses in the wild obtain balanced fatty acid profiles from a wide variety of plant sources - far more than are available to them in the field. Add to that, modern feeding practices often create imbalances: an excess of omega-6 fatty acids from grains and processed feeds combine with a reduction in omega-3 due to limited pasture access and stored feeds losing omega-3 content over time.
Why are Omega-3s so good for our horses?
Omega-3s are anti-inflammatory fatty acids that support:
Joint health and mobility
Immune system function
Skin and coat condition
Cardiovascular health
Brain and nervous system development
Reproductive health
The main omega-3 fatty acids relevant to horses are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), found in sources like flaxseed and chia seeds, and EPA/DHA, found in marine sources and algae. There are differing views about which work best, and of course, whether you should be adding something to horses diet that they wouldn’t and couldn’t eat naturally (fish oil). Ultimately, it’s probably down to personal choice.
And why do we need to be careful with Omega-6?
Omega-6s tend to be pro-inflammatory (though not inherently bad - they're needed for proper immune responses) and include:
Linoleic acid, the most common omega-6
Found abundantly in grains, vegetable oils, and many commercial feeds
Omega-6s are important for skin barrier function, wound healing, and proper immune responses, but excessive amounts can promote inflammation.
The critical ratio for horses
The critical ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is still a subject of debate - but this video featuring Emily Floyd BVSc, Dipl.ACVIM, MRCVS, provides a brilliant explanation of what’s important and why.
In fact, Emily was the vet at Rossdales who treated C back in 2022. The webinar is aimed at vets, but is pretty easy to follow for us mere mortals!
So what works for us?
I’ve tried to create a better balance by supplementing my chaff with chia seeds and linseed. Previously I used micronised lineseed from Charnwood Milling but currently I’m using Simple Systems Malle Mash, which contains cooked full fat linseed, among other, lovely ingredients. All the horses can have it, and they all love it.
I’ve also tried adding in NAF Omega oils, to help a veteran pony at my yard improve condition as much as anything else, but I’ve also noticed that having moved my horses to new grazing recently, there’s a clear uptick in condition (glow) on C’s coat - as the naturally present omega-3 in the grass - works its magic.
It’s such a hard balance to strike, when you need to manage sugar spikes too!
You can only do your best.
