You have probably heard that there are healthy and unhealthy fats. This applies to both humans and horses. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for the health of our horses and have numerous health-promoting properties. They play a role in eye function, heart function, blood circulation, blood pressure, fat metabolism, vein function, and the triglyceride level (amount of fat in the blood) of horses.

The most well-known omega-3 fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Flaxseed contains ALA, not DHA

ALA is a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid, found in flaxseed for example, but also in fresh grass. EPA and DHA are mainly known as fish oils and can be found, for example, in salmon oil. DHA is also produced by algae, which are consumed by many fish. EPA and DHA are the most important omega-3 fatty acids for health. Both humans and horses can convert ALA into EPA and DHA themselves, but this is a challenging process. When a horse does not (sufficiently) have access to fresh grass, this conversion is insufficient. The only way for a horse that does not (often) graze to get enough DHA is through a supplement. Because flaxseed only contains ALA, this is not always the best choice as this conversion does not always proceed well. In horses with health problems such as Insulin Resistance, obesity, laminitis, and allergies, it is better to opt for readily absorbable DHA & EPA, as these horses have difficulty converting ALA to EPA and DHA. If this conversion does not proceed well, the horse does not benefit from ALA, and only after the conversion to EPA and DHA, the horse benefits from these omega-3 fatty acids.

Only fish oils and salmon oil contain directly usable EPA & DHA. But when you give DHA from algae, the horse's body converts about 12% of it into EPA. Therefore, algae powder is a good plant-based alternative to salmon oil.

Functioning of DHA

A recent study has shown that feeding omega-3 from algae or fish results in 71% more EPA and 57% more DHA in the skeletal muscles of horses. This has a direct effect on the fatty acid composition in the muscles. It has also been proven that supplementing omega-3 fatty acids helps reduce inflammatory reactions in horses and activates the immune system. Additionally, supplementing DHA omega-3 fatty acids in horses contributes to managing chronic inflammatory reactions such as in arthritis, EMS, and laminitis. Therefore, DHA is important for maintaining the health of (sport) horses. It also improves the insulin response in horses sensitive to sugar or suffering from EMS (equine metabolic syndrome), thanks to omega-3 fatty acids in the diet.

Does your horse have a condition? Choose readily available DHA! Then, the omega-3 is anti-inflammatory, as long as it is ALA, the omega-3 will not have a function in the body.

Benefits of DHA summarized

Many benefits have been discovered from feeding horses healthy omega-3 fatty acids like DHA. Let's summarize the key benefits:

• Healthy coat, less itching with skin allergies
• Improved muscle health and prevention of muscle acidosis in sensitive horses
• Healthy joints
• Good transmission of signals in the nervous system
• More energy without 'hot' behavior
• Improvement in coughing and respiratory problems
• Improvement in chronic inflammations such as in arthritis and laminitis
• Reduce insulin resistance and equine metabolic syndrome
• Improved circulation, also in the organs
• Better condition, trainability, and focus

Even more important for sugar-sensitive horses

DHA is particularly important for sugar-sensitive horses. This is because these horses have an activated immune system and are therefore much more sensitive to inflammatory processes in the body. The conversion of ALA fatty acids to EPA and DHA requires an enzyme: delta-6-desaturase. However, with high blood sugar levels, this enzyme is less active, resulting in less effective conversion of ALA fatty acids. Since this conversion does not (well) take place, there is an accumulation of these ALA fatty acids that do not have a function. This leads to an increase in inflammatory processes since it is not inhibited by DHA, something you do not want in IR horses. Therefore, readily available DHA is extra important for horses with conditions such as insulin resistance or sweet itch.

Conclusion: DHA belongs in the diet

A readily absorbable source of omega-3 fatty acids - especially DHA - belongs in the daily diet of your horse. Especially when it does not have access to fresh grass or is experiencing health problems. Readily absorbable sources include salmon oil and algae. You can give salmon oil to horses, they often like it very much, but there are always picky eaters. In Iceland, it is very normal to feed fish. However, there are also horse owners who find it strange to feed their horse fish and prefer to give a vegan product. Algae powder is a good alternative, with over 17% directly absorbable DHA. Your horse partially converts this DHA to EPA, making this supplement well-equipped to meet the need for the most important two omega-3 fatty acids.