Last Updated on February 28, 2022 by Allison Price
Rice bran is the outer brown part of the rice kernel. Rice bran is rich in fat (rice oil), many B vitamins and phosphorous. Most laboratories put the fat content in raw rice bran between 20 and 25 percent.
Rice bran must be stabilized by heat and pressure to prevent it from going rancid due to its high fat content. This removes the rancidity-causing enzyme lipase, but does not affect the rice bran’s nutritional value.
The American Feed Control Officials’ publication defines stabilized rice bran as rice bran that has been processed quickly after milling using heat or other methods that significantly reduce the lipase activity. The government requires that stabilized rice bran have a minimum of 4% free fatty acid.
Research has shown that stabilized rice bran fat is as easily digestible as corn oils. Stabilized rice bran contains a lot of B vitamins, including thiamin and riboflavin. These B vitamins are involved in many chemical reactions that generate energy for our bodies.
Additionally, rice bran fat contains gamma oryzanol, which is thought to be beneficial for horses’ muscle building abilities. Although this is not supported scientifically, there are numerous reports that show horses of all ages, including young horses and hard-working horse keepers, have improved their bodies after taking rice bran supplements.
Rice bran may be beneficial for horses
Stabilized rice bran can be beneficial for many types of horses. Kentucky Equine Research states that performance horses are primarily benefited in two ways. The first is that the dietary fat found in rice bran provides a calorie-rich food stuff which aids the athlete horse with its energy needs.
Stabilized rice bran is an energy source for horses who have difficulty maintaining their weight. It does not require additional grain.
In addition to being rich in fat, rice bran also contains significant amounts of fiber. Rice bran is less likely to cause stomach upset than other calorie sources with high amounts of starch.
Rice bran feeding caution
Rice bran may have a problem because some rice brans are higher in phosphorous than calcium. This could cause an imbalance in horse rations that rely on grass hay for their primary food source. It is crucial to ensure that the horse has a healthy diet.
Stabilized rice Bran is safe and tasty way to add calories to horses’ diets. Stabilized rice bran is safe and delicious because it does not contain any fat. This helps to avoid potential digestive upset that can occur when high-carbohydrate grain feeding.
Rice bran is also rich in fatty acids that are essential for hair and skin health. Heat-stabilized rice Bran can be given to horses of all ages as a supplement to achieve superior coat condition.
Rice bran and metabolic disorders
The University of Minnesota Equine Center says that replacing carbohydrate calories by rice bran and its useful oil is beneficial for quarter horses and drafts who are particularly susceptible to polysaccharide Storage Myopathy. This is an abnormal accumulation of both the normal and abnormal forms of sugar in muscle (glycogen), according to the University of Minnesota Equine Center.
Polysaccharide storage myopathy is worsened by carbohydrate intake. Horses with affected horses can be made to eat less carbohydrate calories and more fats like rice bran.
Rice bran should be fed – Reasons why
According to Kentucky Equine Research Staff, five reasons are the most important for horse owners and managers to offer stabilized rice Bran.
- Horse weight (e.g. hard keepers, horses who are involved in heavy exercise)
- Nutrition experts recommend that horses suffering from PSSM or endocrine disorders such as Cushing’s and metabolic syndrome, alter their diets (because starch can be replaced with fat for energy sources).
- Gastric ulcers:
- To optimize the health of your coat, provide a fat source.
- Some behavioral issues can be addressed by fat. Fat provides slow-release energy that is cool and helps to reduce stress.
What type of food is best for horses?
Stabilized rice Bran is a weight-building feed that contains approximately 1200 calories per pound. The form of feed you choose, meal, pellets or extruded depends on your preferences and the availability of food in your area. It all depends on the preferences of your horse, as owners of picky horses will tell you.
A number of horse feed suppliers have had rice bran meal and rice pellets for some time. Equine feed companies have been able to extrude rice bran into stable nuggets for horses. Extruded rice Bran Nuggets for Horses are very similar to the extruded cereals used for humans, such as Cheerios or Rice Krispies, and the extruded nuggets that are now popular in dog food.
Extrusion cooking is the best method to stabilize rice bran. It activates the lipase, destroys the bacteria, and stabilises the free acid. This reduces rancidity and increases the storage life.
Extrusion destroys enzymes immediately after milling. It stabilizes oil content and preserves rice bran’s nutritional value. Extruded rice bran has a significantly lower free fatty acid content than raw or pelleted rice bran, and it is much more stable during storage.
Extrusion cooking also destroys anti-nutritional ingredients like trypsin inhibitors. This produces a high-quality product with no chemical preservatives. It also has a 1-year shelf life.
Extruded nuggets have a longer shelf life and can be made with more varieties of rice bran with other vitamins and ingredients like flax seed. This allows for horses to get the nutrition they need, regardless of their physical or work requirements.
Dig Deeper
Excellent overview of technical aspects of extruding rice Bran: Stabilizing Rice Bran Through High Shear Extrusion
