Over the years, Australian horse owners have come to trust quality copra meal as a source of 'cool', affordable energy for their horses.  Its low starch levels and high content of oil and digestible fibre have made copra meal a non-heating feed, popular with horse owners from a wide range of disciplines.  Copra meal has been used to assist with weight-gain, conditioning and maintaining a glossy coat, and poses no risks of starch-related disorders such as laminitis or tying up. 

Be Sure to Choose Premium Quality Copra

However, not all copra meal is the same.  Copra meal is made from the white meat of coconuts, and does not contain any husk or shell. It is produced in many different countries including Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and The Philippines. The processing methods and quality of the copra meal produced can vary considerably. For instance, poor-quality Asian copra meal is mostly chemically extracted and can contain high levels of aflatoxins.  Hence it's imperative that horse owners ensure they only buy premium quality copra meal from a reputable source.

Why is Copra Meal a Unique Feed?

Copra meal contains 8-10% oil as coconut oil, which makes it a unique feed for horses. Coconut oil is very different from many of the other vegetable oils commonly fed to horses. Coconut oil is highly saturated, which makes it very stable (ie. not prone to rancidity). Coconut oil also has a high content of medium chain fatty acids (MCFA), which provide a ready source of energy for exercise.  Coconut oil is also rich in the fatty acid ?lauric acid' which possess antibacterial, antifungal and antiprotozoal properties. This may be of benefit to immune function.

Copra meal can be fed to all classes of horses ranging from breeding and growing horses, to aged horses, pleasure mounts, pony-clubbers and performance horses.