The whole Oat and nothing but the whole Oat.

Whole sprouted oats were the first thing I ever spouted for my horses, I must admit that back then I was a little nervous about a sprouted diet for my horses. But I knew the benefits of a sprouted diet far out weighed and was far superior to anything I could ever buy. Try and buy organic whole oats I buy mine from a feed/seed farm shop (where farmers buy their seed and feed). If you cant get whole organic oats just make sure the whole oats havent been treated with any chemicals, and remember its whole oats you need not rolled.  

 

 

Oats – Avena Sativa

Key actions of oats- nerve tonic, anti-depressant, emollient, nutritive, tonic, antioxidant.

16% protein with 8 essential amino acids (slightly low in lysine) excellent sources of lysine are whole soaked almonds and Spirulina. Oats are Vitamins and mineral rich (rich in vitamin E and B vitamins which nourish the nervous system).

Whole sprouted oats are gentle on the digestive system they have a good source of chromium which helps maintain glucose tolerance. They have compounds present which help fight infection, improve intestinal flora, support digestion, strength immune system.

• By soaking and sprouting you oats will change the composition of the seed in numerous beneficial ways, grains & seeds contain enzyme inhibitors which keep the seed dormant (asleep) they also keep the nutritional wonders locked up tight until they are soaked. Soaking neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors that are present and starts the production of numerous beneficial enzymes.

• Your horse is no longer eating a seed, it is now eating a tiny plant, and baby plants have a delicate cell wall which makes them very easy to digest.
• Sprouts are enzyme rich (they give body vitality & spark; they play a critical role in the digestive system.

 

Oats are higher in phosphorus so ideally feeding a calcium rich sprout along side it is a a good idea I add soaked black sesame seeds to the sprouted oats. i just soak the sesame seeds over night and add to sprouted oats. I dont have exact measuremants and i dont get to hung up about it. Forages are all naturally higher in Calcium than phosphorus so asuming your horse has access to planty of forage this should'nt be a problem.

HOW TO SPROUT OATS:

start with small amounts untill you know what you are doing.

• Soak whole oats for 12-18 hours in cold water. (Completely cover with water)

• Next day drain and rinse. For larger amounts a bucket with some holes is great for draining, for smaller amounts use a sive or cheesecloth to drain your seeds. 

• They actually can be feed now, but I like to let them sprout for about 2-3 days.
• Rinsing and draining your seed daily this will keep the fresh and mould free. Rinsing and draining daily is key to healthy sprouts.
• Never feed mouldy seeds.
• Whole Oats are a safe and very economical feed for horses.
• How much oats to feed will depend on your horses work load and what else you are feeding. Starting with a 1-2 cups a day and building up.

 

  These are sprouted whole oats, you can see a small white root which appears after 1-3 days.

 

• When introducing a new food it is always best to do it over a period of time.
• Feeding small multiple meals during the day is the best feeding practice.
• If you have chickens they will also benefit greatly form sprouted oats as well. 
  

For more info on oats:

https://www.thehorseshoof.com/oats1.html

 

R. Kelly Equine Herbalist Keep it real.