Coconut Oil vs Soy Oil

Coconut Oil and Soy Oil are both used as "Cool and safe" sources of concentrated, non glucose energy and are fed for conditioning, coat shine and weight gain, or to supply extra energy in the diets of hard-working horses.  Their similarities and differences are described below:

Coconut Oil 
Coconut Oil is a highly stable tropical oil, meaning that Coconut Oil is not prone to rancidity and maintains its quality over long periods, provided it is stored out of direct sunlight and moisture.  This contains mainly saturated fatty acids of short and medium chain length.  Short and medium chain fatty acids are quickly metabolised and available for use as ready energy for high intensity work. Lauric acid (the main fatty acid in coconut oil) is also associated with having antiviral, antibacterial and immune-boosting properties. 

Soy Oil
Produced from soybeans, commercially available soy oils are often highly refined and have usually been chemically extracted. Soy Oil is rich in long chain fatty acids and contains predominantly polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), making it prone to rancidity unless stabilised.  Soyoil predominanly contains Omega 6 fatty acids, which are pro inflammatory. Feeding PUFA contributes to unbalancing the Omega6: Omega 3 ratio.

At a practical level... 
Both feeds are used to maintain condition, encourage weight gain and improve coat condition without making horses "hot or fizzy" in temperament.

The composition of Coconut Oil are also very different to that in Soy Oil.  Where Coconut Oil is rich in saturated, short and medium chain fatty acids (which are stable and can be rapidly metabolised), Soy Oil contains higher levels of polyunsaturated, long chain fatty acids (which are less stable and more slowly metabolised).

Both Soy Oil and Coconut Oil can be fed with other hard feeds (ie grains).  However, they should also always be fed in conjunction with ample fibre/roughage feeds (ie. at least 1% of bodyweight/day of hay, chaff, or pasture), abundant clean water and a good-quality vitamin and mineral supplement. Grain also contains Omega 6 fatty acids, and so feeding PUFA together with grain may exacerbate the unbalanced Omega 6:3 ratio. 

PowerStance
PowerStance is a powdered coconut oil supplement developed by Stance Equine . The properties of coconut oil mean that in warm temperatures the product is a liquid and in cool temperatures a solid. In its unique powdered form, PowerStance makes it an easy, mess-free way to feed oil. While both Soy Oil and Coconut Oil do an excellent job of conditioning horses and providing them with cool energy for work, PowerStance is totally chemical free , guaranteed GMO free and does not cause an unbalanced Omega 6:3 ratio.