Rice bran oil conserves glycogen reserves in muscles, helping to delay fatigue and improve stamina – Pictured here we have Stuart Tinney and Celebration on course at Melbourne International 3DE
© EQ Life
Rice bran is a powerhouse of nutritional goodness, packed with protein, oils, fibre, nutrients and antioxidants. Extra-high fat, exceptionally ‘cool’ and highly palatable with a nutty aroma, it boosts the energy and nutritional value of feed and satisfies the fussiest of equine friends.
What is rice bran?
When rice is processed, the hulls are removed first; we are then left with brown rice. To turn brown rice into white rice, the outer layer is essentially polished off, and the part that is removed is rice bran.
1. Rice in the field
2. Rice with the hulls still in tact
3. The hulls are remove to produce brown rice
4. Brown rice is polished to produce white rice; the by-product is rice bran
5. Rice bran
What are the benefits of feeding rice bran to horses?
A rich source of energy, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and fibre, rice bran is highly nutritious — in fact, you begin to wonder why humans so often remove it when we consume rice!
A composition of a grain of rice
The contents of rice bran and their benefits:
Rice bran oil. Rice bran is generally comprised of up to 20% oil, which is a dense source of highly digestible energy. Rice bran oil conserves glycogen reserves in muscles, helping to delay fatigue and improve stamina — an important factor when fast work is required.
Digestible starch. Feeding trials conducted at the University of Queensland have demonstrated that rice is primarily digested in the small intestine (foregut). This is aided by the high rice bran oil content, as this slows down the rate of digestion through a horse’s stomach and intestinal passage. The result is more time for complete digestion of starch before it leaves the small intestine and enters the large intestine (hindgut).
Less digestible grains such as corn, barley and oats can result in undigested starch flowing to the large intestine. This undigested starch can then ferment, increasing the production of lactic acid — which in turn decreases the pH and changes the type of microbes that are present in the hindgut. This known as hindgut acidosis and can lead to a range of issues, including fizzy behaviour, ulcers and an increased susceptibility to laminitis and colic.
Therefore, feeding rice bran may increase digestive health and reduce the risk of aforementioned issues associated with less digestible sources of starch.
Monounsaturated fatty acids. Rice bran is a rich source of Monounsaturated fatty acids, which contribute to heart and blood vessel health.
Vitamin E. Rice bran is a good source of Vitamin E. A powerful antioxidant that helps protect tissues against oxidative damage, it also supports immune function.
B-group vitamins. Rice bran is a great source of B-group vitamins, which are vital for efficient metabolism (converting food into energy).
Trace elements. Rice bran contains a range of trace elements that are important for bone, cartilage and joint health, and for improving immune function and metabolism.
Essential amino acids. Rice brand is a source of essential amino acids, including methionine for hoof integrity, and lysine for building muscle protein.
Gamma oryzanol. This natural anabolic plant compound, found in rice bran, promotes muscle development and definition.
Make the switch to rice bran
CopRice strategically uses rice and rice bran in its feeds to produce balanced, consistent and highly digestible rations for horses and ponies.
CopRice delivers two equine feed lines to suit differing needs:
Steam pelleted range – These high quality feeds have been developed to nourish young foals, yearlings, breeding, leisure, sport, and senior horses. Blending Australian cereal grains and rice bran with age and lifestyle tailored additives, they deliver optimum nourishment for health and fitness to achieve conditioning and performance targets.
Stabilised and extruded range – High quality ingredients combined with extrusion technology delivers superior digestibility and improved availability of nutrients in every mouthful. Containing no other cereal grains but Australian rice and/or stabilised rice bran, these extruded feeds are gluten free and high fat, satisfying the nutrient requirements of your horse without any fizzy behaviour.
You can find out more about CopRice’s equine range here.
This article was written in conjunction with CopRice.
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