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Sunflower oil is a vegetable oil extracted from seeds of the sunflower plant (Helianthus annuus). It is high in unsaturated fats, primarily omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids.
In horse diets, sunflower oil is often used to provide additional calories to aid in weight gain or maintenance. This may be the case for horses that are underweight and need to gain condition, or for those who have anticipated higher calorie needs such as at the start of a training program or during lactation.
Sunflower oil is commonly added to horse diets to boost calorie intake, helping underweight horses gain weight or maintain their current condition. It may also be used for horses entering training programs or during lactation when calorie needs increase.
Compared to other plant-based oils, sunflower oil also has fairly high vitamin E content. While the average serving of sunflower oil alone will not meet a horse’s vitamin E requirement, it can increase a horse’s overall intake.
Horse owners may be concerned about feeding sunflower oil due to its high omega-6 fatty acids and lower omega-3 levels compared to other plant oils. Additionally, sunflower oil is often more expensive than alternatives like canola or vegetable oil.
Nonetheless, sunflower oil can be an effective addition to the diet if balanced properly, and many horses find it quite palatable.
Sunflower Oil for Horses
Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are native to the Americas and were originally cultivated by Native Americans. Eventually, sunflowers were commercialized in Russia and the former Soviet Union. [1]
Today, sunflowers are grown around the world, as they thrive in a wide variety of environments. The greatest acreages of sunflower production are in Russia, Ukraine, Argentina, Turkey, and Romania. [2]
Sunflower seeds are generally classified into two types: [1]
- Confection seeds, which are commonly produced for bird seed and whole seeds for human consumption
- Oil-type seeds, which are produced for oil production
There are different varieties of oil-type sunflower seeds that produce oils with different fatty acid compositions: [1]
- High linoleic: 69% linoleic acid, 20% oleic acid
- Mid-oleic: 26% linoleic acid, 65% oleic acid
- High-oleic: 9% linoleic, 82% oleic acid
Overall, these oils differ in their omega-6 (linoleic acid) and omega-9 (oleic acid) content, but all varieties have high calorie density.
Sunflower Oil Production
Sunflower oil is extracted from the seeds of oil-type sunflower plants by chemical or mechanical means.
During chemical processing, much of the oil is extracted by applying pressure to the seeds, and the remaining oil is extracted with solvents like hexane. Although chemical extraction and refinement result in a net loss of valuable nutrients, the oil produced is still safe to consume. [3]
During mechanical processing, the seeds are crushed, squeezed, and exposed to high pressures to extract the oil.
After extracting sunflower oil, sunflower meal is left as a byproduct. Sunflower meal is often incorporated into livestock rations and provides a valuable protein source in these feeds. [2]
Nutritional Profile of Sunflower Oil
Sunflower oil is primarily composed of unsaturated fats, mostly omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids. It also contains a small proportion of saturated fatty acids, including palmitic and stearic acids. [1] In contrast, it has fairly low omega-3 fatty acid content, such as alpha linoleic acid (ALA), compared to other oils. [4]
Omega-3 fatty acids are typically linked to anti-inflammatory processes and omega-6 fatty acids are associated with inflammatory processes. This spurred researchers to consider whether there may be an ideal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in the diet.
However, there is no consensus on an optimal ratio of these fatty acids for horses. Further, it is generally recognized that optimizing dietary content of potent omega-3 fatty acids like docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is more helpful than limiting omega-6 fatty acid consumption or aiming for a specific ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. [5]
Thus, current guidelines indicate sunflower oil is an acceptable fat supplement to feed horses to provide omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids. Further, there is a new form of high-oleic acid sunflower oil available which is very low in omega-6. [6]
If anti-inflammatory support is a consideration, sunflower oil can be fed in conjunction with an oil that has a higher concentration of DHA and/or EPA, such as Mad Barn’s W-3 oil or fish oil.
