Question

I own a five-year-old Mestizo (Thoroughbred and Criollo breeding) mare that weighs about 1,000 lb (450 kg). She’s in moderate body weight, which is ideal for her work as a polo pony. She exercises most days, and she plays in matches three days a week. She receives the following ration: 6.5 lb (3 kg) oats, 2.2 lb (1 kg) corn, 2.2 lb (1 kg) of a vitamin and mineral supplement, and alfalfa (lucerne) hay. Can I add sunflower seeds to her ration?

Answer

Yes, sunflower seeds can be fed to horses, but they are used more as a supplement than a major ingredient to the diet. If feeding the whole seed with the hull, you should use the black oil sunflower seeds (common in birdseed) and not the ones used for human consumption (with the stripes), unless they are fed hull-less.

Sunflower seeds contain about 50% fat and the rest is amino acids and dietary fiber. Usually, they are fed in amounts of 100-500 g (0.25 to 1.1 lb) per day, and should not be fed at more than 2.2 lb (1 kg) per day. Because they are high in fat, sunflower seeds are known to help add shine to a horse’s coat. They are very high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 fatty acids, so too many sunflower seeds will upset the omega fatty acid balance in the diet.