The Real Facts on Stabilized Rice Bran for Horses

Posted by Dr. Rob McCoy, Tue, Oct 4, 2016

Horse owners have numerous choices when it comes to equine supplements. One of the more popular is Stabilized Rice Bran; however, all rice brans are not created equal! Did you know that Stabilized Rice Bran is not the same as rice bran? Stabilized Rice Bran (SRB) is packed with vitamin E, Omega fatty acids and fat. Fat is important because it is a good source of calories and easy on the digestive tract, making it an ideal way to add fat to a horse’s diet and avoid grain and starch overload. Don’t be fooled—there are raw rice bran products available for purchase at a lower cost, but horse owners need to be aware of quality limitations in these products.

Do you know where SRB originates? 

We are all familiar with rice, but what you may not know is the anatomy of the actual kernel. The rice that humans eat is the white rice on the very inside of the grain. The “bran” is the brown layer surrounding the white kernel. Surrounding both of those is the rice hull, which is lowly digestible. Also, inside the rice kernel is the rice germ, which also contains oil. The bran is the component of the kernel used in horse feeds and is separated via a milling process. The actual bran is very rich in fat, vitamin E and natural antioxidants. This makes for an excellent nutritional supplement!

Unstabilized Rice Bran 

Be careful! As mentioned above, rice bran that hasn’t been stabilized can become rancid very quickly. During milling, the oil from the rice bran and germ will come in contact with a lipase enzyme inside the kernel. The enzyme will break down the fat within the bran and make it smelly and unpalatable rather quickly.

When it comes to horse weight gain, unstabilized rice bran is not very palatable to horses, causing them to reject it and possibly lose weight. There are rice brans that have not been stabilized in feed stores across the country, so it is very important that you keep your eyes peeled for products such as Max-E Glo® Stabilized Rice Bran.

Stabilized Rice Bran for Horses

To prevent the bran from oxidizing and going rancid, the bran must be stabilized with heat and pressure to deactivate the enzyme and prevent the deterioration of fat. It is very important that the stabilization process preserve the nutritional value of the bran. By stabilizing the bran right after it is milled, its nutritional value is preserved; high-quality bran can have a shelf life of up to a year! Stabilized Rice Bran will include the following nutritional values for your horse: Fat. Fat is a great source of calories and easy on the digestive tract, making it an ideal way to add fat to a horse’s diet and avoid grain and starch overload (Max-E Glo contains 18% fat and is all natural). Any horse owner that wants to add fat or calories to their horse’s diet could consider feeding Stabilized Rice Bran. Essential Fatty Acids. The high-quality fat provides horses with essential fatty acids: Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9. These acids have numerous benefits, including improved coat condition and cell integrity. This is why Max-E Glo will give your horse a shiny coat.

Vitamin E. Vitamin E boosts the immune system and has been shown to help horses that are prone to “tying up.”

Gamma Oryzanol. That is a mouthful! This unsung hero of a compound is believed to help with the repair and rebuilding of muscle, and Stabilized Rice Bran is an excellent source for it.

Fiber Content. The digestible fiber in SRB (Max-E Glo has a fiber content of 8.5%) make it less likely to lead to digestive issues than other, more starchy calorie sources. Now you are a rice bran expert!

Why is Max-E Glo Stabilized Rice Bran the Best-Quality Rice Bran Available for Horses? Max-E Glo Stabilized Rice Bran is manufactured to only the highest quality standards. In fact, the same rice bran that we provide for your horse is utilized in human food! It is non-GMO, gluten free and all natural.

Dr. Rob McCoy

Rob McCoy was born and raised in south central Kansas. He attended Kansas State University earning his B.S. degree in Agriculture (Animal Science and Industry) in 1990 and his M.S. degree in 1992. Following graduation from K-State, Rob continued his graduate work at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and earned his Ph. D. in 1996. Rob joined Manna Pro in 1997 as an Animal Nutritionist. He is currently Vice President, Nutrition and Quality Assurance for the company. He is a member of the American Society of Animal Science; American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists; Equine Science Society; and the Nutrition Council of the American Feed Industry Association.

Comments

Sheila Benson 10/04/2016, 4:42:07 PM

Is Max E Glo safe for laminitic horses?

Rob McCoy 10/12/2016, 4:42:30 PM

Max E Glo is an definitely an okay choice for a laminitic horse. However, my preference would be to use another Manna Pro product: Cool Calories, Equine Fat Supplement, or Senior Weight Accelerator. That will provide the calories being sought without the starch that Max E Glo brings along.

Keeping weight down is also typical management for a laminitic horse, so you want to make sure to manage that. thanks!

Lisa Fidell 10/06/2016, 4:42:59 PM

My horse has cellulitis and circulation issues. Is there a product for those issues?

Ann Ebner 10/07/2016, 4:43:16 PM

Wish I could print off the Max-E- Glow coupon

Jennifer Serot 10/12/2016, 4:43:39 PM

Anna, please email me your address to jennifers@mannapro.com and I can put the coupons in the mail for you. thanks!

Jane Jividen 10/12/2016, 4:44:01 PM

I USE CALFMANA FOR MY WEANLING FOALS ,& OMELENA 300 IS THERE SOMETHING BETTER & LESS EXPENSIVE ?

Jay Victor 08/13/2018, 4:44:17 PM

What is the NSC content of this product?

Joseph Byerly 02/07/2021, 12:06:40 PM

Can people eat Manna Pro Max-E-Glo Rice Bran Horse Supplements -

Clarissa B Cupolo 04/17/2021, 7:34:35 AM

Can Maxi Glow be fed instead of a concentrate? I have an easy keeper that was recently allergy tested and is positive for a lot of ingredients found in all horse feeds (Soy, Flax, corn, barley, to name a few). She was not reactive to Rice Bran, so I was thinking maybe this was the place to start. I am concerned about her total nutrition without an engineered feed tho.

In reply to by Clarissa B Cupolo

Teri 12/22/2021, 2:24:36 PM

Hi Clarissa, apologies for the delay in response.  Unlike a concentrate, Max E Glo is not fortified with vitamins or minerals. If switching from a concentrate to a stabilized rice bran such as Max E Glo, you may want to consider feeding a complete vitamin and mineral supplement along with the stabilized rice bran such as Sho-Glo. Here is the information for Sho-Glo so you can see if the ingredients meet your horse’s dietary needs: https://www.mannapro.com/equine/nutritional-supplements/sho-glo

janis carlson 04/22/2021, 5:17:07 PM

I have a question is there any difference between Max e glo stabilized rice pellets and Natural glo stabilized rice bran pellets? thank you

In reply to by janis carlson

Teri 12/22/2021, 2:13:41 PM

Hi Janis, 


I apologize for the delay in response.  No, there is not a difference in these other than where they are manufactured within the United States.

Pat Percoco 11/15/2021, 5:11:45 AM

I am looking at Max E Glo for a weanling that is PSSM 1.
I cannot find the starch or sugar content on the list of ingredients. Can this be provided?

In reply to by Pat Percoco

Teri 12/22/2021, 2:20:13 PM

Hi Pat, thank you for your question.  For Max E Glo the dietary starch is max 25.0% and the sugars are max 5.0%.

Donna Cummings 04/06/2022, 10:03:11 AM

Can you mix the Granular with water, to feed like a bran mash, for colicky horses?

Diane 04/13/2022, 5:58:05 PM

I've been using the Max-E Glo® Stabilized Rice Bran this past winter for my hard keeper. With warmer weather he will have access to grass and I probably won't need to use it again until the Fall/Winter months. Will the product still be ok to use after 6-8 months? It was probably only purchased a couple of months ago, but I no longer have the bag for any date information. Also, if it will be ok to use later, are there any restrictions on storage - like temperature recommendations?

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