Rice Bran for Horses: Weight Gain, Calories, Omega Balance, and Who Should Avoid It
- Horse Education Online
- 12 hours ago
- 10 min read
Rice bran can be a useful tool when you need more calories without more starch. That is why it shows up in weight gain programs and in cold weather feeding plans.
But rice bran is also one of the most misunderstood feeds online. The details matter, especially the difference between stabilized vs not stabilized, and how a high fat supplement affects omega balance and the rest of the diet.
Educational only. Always match feeding changes to your horse’s health status and your veterinarian or equine nutritionist’s guidance.
Quick answer
Rice bran is a high fat, calorie dense feed ingredient used to help horses gain weight or hold condition without adding a lot of starch. Choose stabilized rice bran for consistency and safety, introduce it slowly, and avoid it or use it carefully in easy keepers and horses with metabolic risk.
Best for: hard keepers, higher work, older horses that struggle to maintain weight
Typical starting amount: 0.25 to 0.5 lb per day, then increase gradually
Common working range: 1 to 2 lb per day for many average horses, split into meals
Key watch outs: omega balance, loose manure if increased too fast, and metabolic horses
What rice bran actually is (and why stabilized matters)
Rice bran is the nutrient rich outer layer of the rice grain. For horses, the main reason it is used is simple: it packs a lot of calories into a small scoop because it is naturally higher in fat than many common grains.
That fat is also the reason quality matters. The oils in rice bran can spoil quickly, which is why you will see “stabilized” on better products.
What “stabilized” means
Stabilized rice bran has been heat treated to slow rancidity. It stores better, smells more consistent from bag to bag, and is much less likely to go off before you finish the product.
Non stabilized rice bran can spoil faster, especially if it is stored warm, humid, or for long periods. A spoiled bag may smell sharp, bitter, or paint like, and some horses will refuse it or get digestive upset.
A simple buying and storage rule
If you are feeding rice bran regularly, pick stabilized, keep the bag sealed, and store it cool and dry. If the smell changes or the feed looks dusty or clumpy in a way it did not before, replace it.
Where rice bran fits in a diet
Rice bran is a supplement, not a complete feed. It works best when your forage plan is already solid and you are adding calories on purpose, not trying to “fix” poor hay with extra fat.
If you want the simple foundation for building a ration before adding supplements, start with The Basics of Equine Nutrition.
Rice bran for weight gain (calories, fat, and what it replaces)
Rice bran earns its place because it is a compact calorie source. Many horses that need weight gain struggle to eat enough forage and concentrate volume, so adding a fat based calorie boost can help without pushing starch.
A practical way to use rice bran is as a partial replacement for higher starch calories. It is not magic. It is just an easier way to add energy.
What rice bran is best at
Rice bran is best when you need extra calories for:
Hard keepers that are otherwise healthy
Horses in heavier work that need more energy
Older horses that cannot handle large meal sizes
Horses that need more topline and condition while keeping meals lower in starch
If your horse needs more chewable calories with moisture and gut friendly fibre, rice bran often pairs well with beet pulp. Start here if you are using both: Beet Pulp for Horses.
Estimate weight before you estimate feed
A lot of “rice bran does not work” stories are really “we underfed calories because the horse is heavier than we think.”
Before you choose an amount, estimate your horse’s body weight. Use How Much Does a Horse Weigh and write the number down. It makes every feeding decision more accurate.
A simple starter range (most owners can use safely)
For many average sized horses, a common starting point is:
Start at 0.25 lb per day for 3 to 5 daysIncrease to 0.5 lb per day if toleratedMany weight gain programs land around 1 to 2 lb per day, split into meals.
Do not jump to the top end immediately. Fat supplements can change manure and appetite when introduced too fast.
Here is a simple ramp example for a 1,100 lb horse that needs more condition:
Day | Total rice bran per day | How to split |
1–3 | 0.25 lb | 0.125 lb AM, 0.125 lb PM |
4–7 | 0.5 lb | 0.25 lb AM, 0.25 lb PM |
Week 2 | 1.0 lb | 0.5 lb AM, 0.5 lb PM |
Week 3+ | 1.5 to 2.0 lb if needed | Split across 2–3 meals |
If manure softens, appetite drops, or your horse seems dull, pause at the current amount for a week before increasing again.
Omega balance and why it matters
Rice bran tends to be higher in omega 6 fats than omega 3. That is common in many plant oils, and it is not automatically bad, but it does matter when you use rice bran as a daily supplement.
Why owners should care: omega balance affects inflammatory tone in the diet. A high omega 6 intake with low omega 3 support can be a problem for some horses, especially if the rest of the diet already leans heavy on omega 6 sources.
What to do in real life
You do not need to memorize fatty acid chemistry. Use one simple rule.
If rice bran becomes a daily calorie tool, make sure your overall diet is not missing the basics that support hydration, gut function, and recovery.
Start with forage quality and mineral balance. If you are comparing hay types and you want a simple reference, this guide helps you understand protein, NSC, and Ca:P in plain language: Orchard vs Timothy vs Alfalfa.
Then make sure you are not overlooking salt and water intake, because higher calorie diets often fail when hydration is poor. This is the easiest place to start: Horse Salt and Electrolytes: How Much, When, and How to Feed.
Winter feeding fails when water intake drops
Owners often add calories in winter and still cannot keep weight on. The hidden issue is frequently water intake and gut fill.
If your horse is not drinking well in cold weather, address that first. This guide covers what works and what is unsafe: Heated Water for Horses in Winter.
Who should avoid rice bran (or use it only with guidance)
Rice bran is not the right fit for every horse, even if it is marketed as “safe calories.”
Horses with insulin resistance or metabolic risk
If your horse has insulin resistance, a history of laminitis, or clear metabolic risk, do not assume rice bran is automatically a good idea. Some rice bran products include added ingredients, and even when starch is not high, the overall calorie density can still push weight gain in the wrong direction.
If you are not sure where your horse fits on that risk spectrum, start here: Equine Metabolic Syndrome: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prevention.
Easy keepers and horses that gain weight fast
If your horse already gains easily, rice bran can create “silent” overfeeding. The horse may look fine for a month, then suddenly be heavier than expected, especially if pasture changes.
A simple check is to track body condition every two weeks. If your horse is creeping upward, rice bran is usually the first thing to reduce.
Horses with recurring loose manure on higher fat diets
Some horses simply do not tolerate fat increases well. If your horse consistently gets loose manure when fat is added, you may do better with fibre based calories (beet pulp is the classic option) and slow, measured changes.
If you are building a full ration and want the fundamentals before tweaking supplements, go back to The Basics of Equine Nutrition and treat rice bran as the last 10 percent, not the first step.
How to feed rice bran safely
Rice bran works best when it is treated like a supplement, not like a main feed. Small changes add up fast because the calories are concentrated.
How much rice bran to feed per day
A simple, owner friendly range is 0.5 to 2.0 lb per day for a 1,000 to 1,200 lb horse, split into meals. Smaller horses usually need less, larger horses may need more, but do not scale blindly without checking body condition.
If you want a practical way to scale amounts, use body weight first, then adjust based on results. The weight guide here makes this much easier: How Much Does a Horse Weigh.
Here is a quick “size to starting amount” table you can use as a conservative starting point:
Horse size | Conservative start | Common working range | Split meals |
Pony (700–900 lb) | 0.25 lb/day | 0.5–1.0 lb/day | 2 meals |
Average horse (1,000–1,200 lb) | 0.25–0.5 lb/day | 1.0–2.0 lb/day | 2–3 meals |
Large horse (1,300–1,600 lb) | 0.5 lb/day | 1.5–2.5 lb/day | 2–3 meals |
If you are increasing above 1 lb per day, do it gradually. Give each level at least 5 to 7 days before you raise it again.
Best timing and meal setup
Rice bran is easiest to manage when it is added to an existing meal routine.
Most owners do well adding it to the AM and PM feeds. If your horse is sensitive, splitting into 3 smaller portions reduces digestive upset.
A useful pairing is rice bran plus a fibre calorie source. Beet pulp is common because it supports hydration and gut fill while rice bran boosts energy. If you are feeding both, this guide helps you avoid the common mistakes: Beet Pulp for Horses.
What to monitor in the first 14 days
You are looking for “tolerated and trending in the right direction.”
Appetite should stay normal, manure should stay normal, and energy should not become edgy. If you see loose manure, reduce the amount and hold steady for a week.
A simple progress check that works: take a photo from the side and behind every 2 weeks in the same lighting. It is easier than trusting memory.
Rice bran vs other weight gain feeds
Rice bran is one tool. Sometimes it is the right tool, and sometimes it is the wrong one for the job.
Choose rice bran when you need calories without volume
Rice bran is a good choice when your horse cannot eat large meal sizes, or when you want to add energy without pushing starch.
It is also useful when a horse is in heavier work and needs more calories than forage and a standard ration can provide.
Choose forage and fibre first when gut fill is the real issue
If your horse looks ribby but also looks “empty,” the bigger win is often forage management and fibre calories, not fat.
That is where beet pulp and better hay selection can outperform rice bran. If you are comparing hay options, this guide helps you make a smarter choice without getting lost: Orchard vs Timothy vs Alfalfa.
Tip: the “best” plan usually uses two levers
A very common winning plan looks like:
Improve forage consistency
Add a fibre calorie source
Then add a smaller amount of rice bran if you still need more calories
That approach reduces the chance you end up overfeeding fat while still missing the basics.
If you want the foundation for building a ration step by step, start with The Basics of Equine Nutrition.
Common mistakes (and easy fixes)
Mistake 1: Adding too much, too fast
This is the most common cause of loose manure and a horse that stops cleaning up meals.
Fix-> start at 0.25 lb per day, increase slowly, and hold at each level for a week if your horse is sensitive.
Mistake 2: Using rice bran to “fix” poor hay
If hay quality is low, rice bran can add calories but it will not fix the foundation. Horses still need enough forage, and many weight gain failures come from inconsistent hay access.
Fix-> tighten forage first, then add rice bran.
Mistake 3: Ignoring water and salt
Higher calorie diets often fail in winter because water intake drops and the gut slows. Your horse can look rough even if you are feeding “enough.”
Fix-> make drinking easier and keep salt consistent. Use Heated Water for Horses in Winter and revisit Horse Salt and Electrolytes to make sure the basics are covered.
Mistake 4: Feeding rice bran to the wrong horse
Easy keepers and horses with metabolic risk can gain too fast, and that is not a win.
Fix-> if your horse has insulin resistance risk, read Equine Metabolic Syndrome and talk with your veterinarian before adding calorie dense supplements.
FAQ: Rice Bran for Horses
Is rice bran good for weight gain in horses?
Yes, rice bran can be effective for weight gain because it is calorie dense and adds energy without relying on large meal volumes. It works best when you keep forage consistent, introduce it slowly, and monitor body condition every two weeks.
How much rice bran should I feed my horse per day?
Many average sized horses do well in the 1 to 2 lb per day range, split into meals, but the right amount depends on body weight, workload, and how easily the horse gains. Start lower and ramp up. Use How Much Does a Horse Weigh to estimate weight so your feeding math is realistic.
What is the difference between stabilized and non stabilized rice bran?
Stabilized rice bran is heat treated to slow rancidity and keep the fat fresher and more consistent. Non stabilized rice bran can spoil faster and may be less predictable in smell and quality. For most owners, stabilized is the safer, more reliable choice.
Can rice bran cause loose manure?
It can, especially if introduced too quickly or fed in large amounts. The simple fix is to reduce the amount, split it into smaller meals, and increase more slowly.
Is rice bran safe for horses with insulin resistance or EMS?
It depends on the horse and the product, and it should be used cautiously. Calorie dense supplements can push weight gain in the wrong direction for easy keepers and horses at metabolic risk. If you are unsure, start with Equine Metabolic Syndrome and make changes with veterinary guidance.
Should I feed rice bran with beet pulp?
Often, yes. Beet pulp adds fermentable fibre and moisture friendly calories, while rice bran boosts energy density. Many weight gain programs use both to avoid relying on one supplement. See Beet Pulp for Horses for the safest way to introduce it.
Does rice bran change omega 3 and omega 6 balance?
Rice bran tends to be higher in omega 6 fats than omega 3. That does not automatically make it bad, but it means the overall diet balance matters, especially if rice bran becomes a daily calorie tool.
Can I feed rice bran in winter?
Yes, many owners use it in winter to help maintain weight, but winter success depends on water intake as much as calories. If your horse is not drinking well, fix that first using Heated Water for Horses in Winter, and make sure salt intake is consistent with Horse Salt and Electrolytes.
Conclusion
Rice bran can be a smart, simple weight gain tool when you pick a stabilized product, introduce it gradually, and keep the rest of the ration solid. It is most useful for hard keepers and horses that need extra calories without adding a lot of starch.
If your horse is an easy keeper or has metabolic risk, slow down and make sure rice bran is truly appropriate before you add it. For most horses, the best results still come from getting the basics right first, then using rice bran as a targeted add on.
If you want to build a full feeding plan step by step, start with The Basics of Equine Nutrition and use forage type and quality to guide your next move with Orchard vs Timothy vs Alfalfa.
