6 Horse Nutrition Brands to Consider When Comparing Omega-3 Sources

Feeding a horse through winter means rethinking what the grass used to cover. Fresh pasture can supply omega-3, but omega fatty acids break down easily, so dried hay may offer less of them. If your horse’s grazing is shrinking, it is a fair question to ask, and the answer is rarely the same from one barn to the next. Hay quality, workload and the time of year all change what your horse is really getting.

This guide starts with the horse, not the bottle. It describes five common feeding situations, then looks at six brands, from microalgae oil to plant blends to flax granules, and shows where each one may fit. The serving details come from each brand’s own product information. If a brand leaves a figure out, the guide says so, so you can compare what is published instead of guessing.

1. Mad Barn OmegaPrime+: Concentrated DHA and EPA in a 30 mL Daily Serving

Mad Barn is an equine nutrition company focused on science based feeding. OmegaPrime+ is its concentrated omega-3 oil, made with DHA from microalgae and cold pressed flax oil. It uses no fish oil, so there is no fishy taste, according to Mad Barn. It also supplies DHA and EPA directly. Horses can turn some ALA from plants such as flax into DHA and EPA, but only to a limited extent, so a direct source does not depend on that step.

Each 30 mL serving lists:

• 7,500 mg of DHA and EPA combined (6,000 mg DHA and 1,500 mg EPA)
• 6,900 mg of ALA
• 750 IU of natural vitamin E

Amounts follow body weight: 15 mL under 200 kg, 30 mL from 200 to 500 kg and 45 mL above 500 kg. It is given once a day on top of the ration, and the label says not to blend it into a mixed feed. The formula is concentrated, so the serving stays small and does not add large amounts of oil to the diet. Calories per serving are not published, so ask Mad Barn if the ration is tight.

Mad Barn positions it for performance horses, seniors, breeding horses, ponies, easy keepers and horses on calorie controlled diets. It links omega-3s to joint health, exercise recovery, respiratory and immune function, and skin and coat, and notes that the FDA has not evaluated these statements. Horses with bleeding disorders should only receive it if a veterinarian directs it.

Lines up with winter hay feeding, fish free households and owners who like to see DHA and EPA in milligrams.

2. KPP USA Contribute: Fish Oil and Flax in One Pour

Kentucky Performance Products offers Contribute as an easy way to add omega-3 to the diet. It has two ingredients: fish oil, which supplies EPA and DHA, and flaxseed oil, which supplies ALA. It has a cherry flavor and comes in a one gallon jug with a 12 month shelf life from manufacture.

Each one ounce serving lists:

• 10,780 mg of total omega-3
• 3,210 mg of EPA
• 2,320 mg of DHA

The ALA amount and the fish source are not stated, so the label is clear about EPA and DHA but leaves the plant omega-3 unquantified. Yearlings and horses at maintenance get one ounce a day, while horses in training, stallions and broodmares get two, built up over about a week to ten days.

Fits the horse in training or breeding program when a fish and flax oil suits the ration.

3. Wellpride: A Fish Oil Made From Small Fish

Wellpride sells a citrus flavored fish oil for horses, made from a blend of anchovies, herring and small mackerel. The company describes it as human grade, tests it by batch and shares a sample certificate of analysis. Because it is a fish oil, it supplies EPA and DHA rather than ALA.

The product information lists:

• 30 ounce containers
• One to two ounces a day for a 1,000 to 1,200 pound horse
• Use within six weeks of opening

The certificate shows typical EPA and DHA values, though without units, and Wellpride does not state EPA or DHA per dose. That makes a direct comparison with labels that list milligrams difficult, so owners who want those figures can request them from the company.

Comes into play when fish oil from small fish appeals and you are happy to request per dose numbers.

4. Enviro Equine OmegaBalance Oil: Single Source Camelina Oil

OmegaBalance Oil has one ingredient, 100 percent cold pressed camelina oil, a plant source. As a plant oil, it belongs in the fish free conversation, and the label also lists vitamin E. Camelina is a plant source of ALA, the same type of omega-3 found in flax, though the label does not state an ALA amount.

The label lists:

• 30 percent omega-3
• 16 percent omega-6
• 14 percent omega-9

The omega-3 is not broken down by type, and it is reported as a percentage, not milligrams per serving. Owners start with one ounce and work up to one to two fluid ounces a day, and a full pump equals one ounce. It comes in 64 ounce, one gallon and five gallon sizes. Calories are not listed. Enviro Equine markets the oil toward performance horses and horses with joint, allergy or weight concerns, though it cites no studies for those uses.

Speaks to owners who want one plant oil with a short ingredient list.

5. Springtime Omega E Oil for Horses: A Plant Oil Blend With Vitamin E

Omega E Oil blends flaxseed, camelina and rice bran oils with vitamin E, and it is made for horses only. Springtime positions it for physical performance and mobility. All three oils come from plants, so it also fits the fish free household, and the pump makes it simple to measure by the ounce.

One ounce pump lists:

• 9,638 mg of omega-3
• 5,953 mg of omega-6 and 7,371 mg of omega-9
• 8 IU of vitamin E

Directions call for one to three ounces per 1,000 pounds of body weight, and the oil comes in half gallon containers. DHA, EPA and ALA amounts, and the share of each oil in the blend, are not given. Because Springtime reports omega-3 in milligrams per pump and Enviro Equine uses a percentage, the two cannot be compared directly.

Worth a look for owners who want a pump dispensed plant blend with an omega-3 amount printed per ounce.

6. Pala-Tech Equine F.A./Plus Granules: A Scoop, Not a Pour

These sweet apple and molasses flavored granules are not an oil. They hold microencapsulated flaxseed oil, so the omega-3 is ALA, and Pala-Tech positions them for healthy skin and hair coat. Because the scoop also carries added vitamins and minerals, it works as a combined supplement, not a stand alone omega-3.

Each 30 gram scoop lists:

• 6,000 mg of flaxseed oil, which the company’s FAQ puts at over 3,000 mg of ALA
• Vitamins A and E, choline, zinc and selenium
• 9 grams of sugar

Dosing starts at two scoops a day, then drops to one for maintenance, though the product page gives two different lengths for the starting period, so confirm with the company. No DHA or EPA is listed, which sets it apart from the fish and microalgae oils in this guide. The sugar and added minerals are worth counting for horses on a tight ration.

Makes sense when the goal is skin and coat support from a scoop that also carries vitamins and minerals.

Five Feeding Situations That Raise the Omega-3 Question

Every barn feeds a little differently, so these five common situations show where the omega-3 question tends to come up.

1. When Hay Becomes the Main Meal

When the grass fades, hay becomes the main part of the diet. As equine nutritionist Clair Thunes, PhD, wrote in The Horse, pasture grass can be an abundant source of omega fatty acids, but they do not hold up well to heat, so dried hay may supply less. A supplement can help fill that gap, and a veterinarian can tell you whether there is a gap to fill.

2. The Horse in Steady Work

A horse in training has a feed plan built around energy and recovery. Any omega-3 product has to fit into that plan, so check how much fat and how many calories one serving adds, and whether the label gives a separate amount for working horses.

3. The Horse That Gains Weight Easily

An easy keeper is a horse that gains weight on very little feed. Every oil carries calories, so there may be little room to spare. Check the serving size, see whether calories are listed, and add up everything in the scoop or pump, including any added sugar.

4. Breeding Horses and Growing Horses

Horses in breeding programs and young, growing horses have feeding plans of their own. Some labels list separate amounts for stallions, broodmares and yearlings, which makes planning easier, but any change to these diets should be checked with a veterinarian.

5. The Fish Free Household

Some owners prefer to avoid fish oil. Omega-3 also comes from plants such as flax and camelina, and from microalgae, so there are options either way.[1] [2] 

Matching a Situation to a Serving

Once you know your horse’s situation, the product label can help you narrow things down. If you want to avoid fish oil, choose products made from plants or microalgae (a type of algae), and check which kind of omega-3 each one contains. For horses in training or breeding, look for amounts listed by workload or age.

For a horse on a limited ration, compare how much each serving adds, and see whether calories and added sugar are listed. Oils, pumps and scoops are measured differently, so work out the daily amount for your horse before you compare. If a label leaves something out, ask the company before you decide.

Conclusion

Choosing an omega-3 supplement starts with the horse in front of you: what the hay or pasture already provides, how hard the horse works and how much room the diet has for extra calories. The six options here take different routes, from microalgae and fish oil to camelina, flax blends and granules, so you have real choices to weigh. Once you know what your horse needs, a veterinarian or equine nutritionist can help you turn it into a simple feeding plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does hay supply the same omega-3 as pasture?

Not necessarily. Omega fatty acids are not very heat stable, so cured hay may supply less, and a veterinarian can help judge your horse’s needs.

2. How do I start a new omega-3 oil?

Follow the label, which may mean starting small and building up, as Contribute does over a week to ten days and OmegaBalance Oil does from one ounce.

3. Does fish free mean the product has no animal ingredients?

It means the omega-3 comes from plants or microalgae, so check the full ingredient list for anything else.

4. Who should I ask before changing my horse’s feed?

A veterinarian or equine nutritionist, especially for horses with a medical condition, a bleeding disorder or a tight calorie budget.

5. Is plant omega-3 the same as the omega-3 in fish oil or microalgae?

Not quite. Plants like flax supply ALA, while fish oil and microalgae supply DHA and EPA, and horses can turn only some ALA into those longer forms.

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