Have you recently checked your horse’s gut health? If the stomach looks upset? Does the hindgut need attention? If yes, you must understand the basics of your horse’s GIT (gastrointestinal tract) and the best gut supplements for horses to keep their gut happy.
You must be surprised to know the data of a published study on 500 examined horses says 60% of horses were suffering from hindgut ulcers. It shows the horse’s susceptibility to digestive imbalances even after maintaining a nutritious diet and a healthy routine.
We will discuss the various aspects of equine gut health, including the anatomy of the digestive system, the factors affecting gut health, and the best digestive supplements for horses.
Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Gut For Your Horse
Maintaining a healthy gut is crucial for a horse's well-being and performance. The equine digestive system is complex and sensitive; even minor imbalances can lead to serious health issues.
A healthy gut ensures proper digestion, absorption of nutrients, and the elimination of waste. When a horse's stomach is compromised, it can lead to colic, diarrhea, weight loss, and nutrient deficiencies.
A healthy gut is also essential for a horse's immune system, as it contains beneficial bacteria that help fight harmful pathogens. These bacteria also aid in producing vitamins and other nutrients the horse needs to stay healthy.
In addition to physical health, maintaining a healthy gut can improve a horse's behavior and performance. Horses with digestive issues may experience discomfort and pain, leading to irritability, decreased appetite, and reduced energy levels. Gut supplements can help alleviate these symptoms and improve a horse's overall demeanor and performance.
A combination of proper nutrition, management, and the use of gut supplements can help ensure a healthy digestive system and optimal performance.
Disturbed Digestive Health of Horses- Signs and Causes
A simple mistake in diet or exercise can lead to severe digestion problems and health issues in horses. Recognizing the symptoms and underlying causes is essential to take appropriate measures promptly.
Here are some common signs you may notice in a horse with digestion problems:
- Colic or Gassy Horse: This is one of the most common digestive issues in horses caused by impaction, gas, or gut twisting. Your horse can't resist the pain and will show restlessness, sweating, kicking at the belly, rolling, and decreased appetite. Gas colic is one of the crucial factors for developing equine gastric ulcers.
- Diarrhea: Horses with diarrhea may have loose or watery stools, which viral or bacterial infections, parasites, or dietary issues can cause.
- Decreased appetite: Horses with digestion problems may lose their appetite or have a reduced appetite which can lead to weight loss and other health issues.
- Weight loss: Digestion problems can lead to weight loss due to reduced nutrient absorption or decreased food intake.
- Dull coat and reduced energy: Horses with digestion problems may have a dull coat, reduced energy levels, and decreased performance.
Best Gut Supplement for Horses: Highly Recommended
1. Uckele GUT Pellets Horse Supplement™: Vitamin and Mineral Supplements for Horse Gut
Ukele Gut Pellets are highly recommended vitamin and mineral supplements for the horse. It is one of the best hindgut supplements for the horse since it is a blend of equine-specific cultivated prebiotics and probiotics needed to maintain certain bacteria in the horse's gut microbiome(s).
Advantage:
- Uckele GUT Pellet supports the beneficial bacteria in the horse gut and builds it into a healthy gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
- These pellets are highly palatable and maintain proper gut flora with prebiotic and probiotic support.
- These pellets help in digestion and smoothen the bowel passage.
- Uckele pellet helps restore a horse's condition after harsh training and poorly balanced hay.
- Uckele pellets are soothing and protect the digestive function with marshmallow root, slippery elm bark, and aloe vera gel extract.
- It doesn't have aluminum and soy as ingredients making it a safe choice for stallion and mare both.
Hence, we can conclude Ukele Gut Pellet Horse Supplement is all you need to keep your horse's stomach and intestine healthy.
2. Horse XL 100% Natural Horse Supplement™: Promotes Cellular Repair
Horses XL 100% is a natural gastro supplement for horses containing eight amino acids that help rapidly recover from injuries in racing or performing horses. Veterinarians highly recommend it for horses of all ages.
Advantage:
- Equinety Horse XL is a blend of amino acids uniquely formulated to stimulate the pituitary gland, the master gland in the body. The pituitary gland, on stimulation, releases all the necessary hormones for cellular repair.
- It is a non-GMO (Non-Genetically Engineered) product. This is why it says '100% natural.'
- It doesn't contain soy, sugar, and flavors making it the best supplement for weak horses to boost their immunity.
Equinety Horse XL also helps address joint and hoof issues and gut discomfort.
3. Equa Holistics HealthyGut™: All-Natural Digestive System Maintenance Formula
HealthyGut is a natural digestive supplement for horses that promotes efficient digestion and defends the gassy horse condition.
Daily Scoop contains probiotic and prebiotic supplements for horses of all ages, which support colonizing your horse's microbiome(s) in the gut.
Advantage:
- HealthyGut is a well-tested formula packaged to ensure the availability of helpful microorganisms in the gut. It includes prebiotics so these beneficial bacteria can grow in your horse's digestive system.
- The prebiotic and probiotic formula helps rejuvenate the gut's health after long-term antibiotic treatment and helps prevent gastric/intestinal ulcers.
- It facilitates normal digestion, defends against ulcers due to excess acid production, and prevents post-effects of stress.
- HealthyGut powder helps relieve signs of long-term antibiotic use and aids general support to the horse's hindgut.
4. MagnaGard™: Gastric Support Supplement for Horses
Mangard, a gastric supplement for horses, is a source of magnesium and other essential trace minerals. Magnesium is naturally calmer in case of ulcers and helps reduce horse stress. Mangard is an excellent choice of gastro supplement as it interferes with acid production and defends ulcer formation.
Advantage:
- Mangard is a pool of electrolytes and magnesium that helps calm your horse during extreme weather conditions and prevents stomach upsets.
- MagnaGard is the first choice as a hindgut supplement for horses when your horse is in pain, sensitive to touch, or showing more pronounced signs of ulcers.
- Your search ends here If you're searching for a fantastic supplement for a gassy horse because MagnaGard acts as a buffer in the stomach, promoting extra acid and gas production.
- MagnaGard powder is rich in trace minerals like magnesium, which naturally has the property to fight ulcer formation.
Anatomical Considerations of Horse’s Gut
As a horse owner or buyer, understanding the anatomy of your horse's gut is essential to ensuring their overall health and well-being. The horse's gut is a complex and delicate system highly susceptible to disruptions that can lead to colic, a potentially life-threatening condition.
The horse's digestive system is divided into two main sections: the foregut and the hindgut. The foregut consists of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and small intestine, while the hindgut includes the cecum, large colon, small colon, and rectum.
The horse's small stomach can hold about 2-4 gallons of food. The horse's stomach is not designed to handle large meals or frequent feeding, unlike other animals. Instead, horses have evolved to graze throughout the day, consuming small amounts of food.
The small intestine length of the horse is 70 feet long in an average-sized horse. The small intestine is bordered with tiny finger-like projections called villi that work by increasing the surface area for absorption.
However, most equine diets comprise structural carbohydrates that the foregut can't efficiently digest. Hence, the hindgut plays an essential role in digesting these carbohydrates. Caecum is the first part of the hindgut chamber. It is a large fermentation chamber at the beginning of the large colon. The cecum is where bacteria break down fiber into nutrients the horse can absorb. The large colon is the longest part of the horse's digestive tract, stretching up to 12 feet.
Finally, the small colon and rectum eliminate the feces from the horse's body.
It's important to note that any disruption in the gut's delicate balance can lead to colic, a severe, life-threatening condition. Common causes of colic include:
- Feeding large meals.
- Feeding infrequently.
- Feeding poor-quality hay.
- Sudden changes in diet.
Signs of colic can include abdominal pain, bloating, kicking at the belly, and decreased appetite. The prognosis of colic is life-threatening if not treated early. The best way to conquer colic is to add gastric supplements to the horse’s feed. Highly recommended best gut supplements for horses are discussed later in this blog.
Facts Related to Equine Gut Health
Equines have a unique digestive system compared to other mammals. They are more like humans in gut anatomy, having single-compartment stomachs. According to feeding habits, horses are categorized as non-ruminant herbivores.
Horses are also called hindgut fermenters. Horses mainly rely on fermentation processes in their hindgut to form energy from the consumed forage.
Derivation of energy and other nutrients takes place by microbes in the hindgut, which are responsible for fermenting various plant fibers and cellulose into volatile fatty acids (VFAs). The resultant fatty acids are absorbed through the cecum and large intestine. These fatty acids are later used in nearly 40% of horses' total caloric energy production.
Equine gut health is a critical aspect of horse care that many owners overlook. However, maintaining the health of the digestive system is crucial for overall equine health and well-being.
Benefits of Using Gut Supplements for Horses
In several ways, gut supplements can benefit horses showing signs of disturbed gut health. These supplements contain essential nutrients, probiotics, and prebiotics that support and promote a healthy digestive system, which can help alleviate symptoms and improve overall health and performance.
Here are some ways that gut supplements can benefit horses with disturbed gut health:
Restore gut flora: Gut supplements contain probiotics, beneficial bacteria that can help restore a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut. This can improve digestion and nutrient absorption and prevent harmful bacteria from thriving.
Improve nutrient absorption: Horses with digestion problems may be less able to absorb nutrients from their food. Best gut supplements for horses contain digestive enzymes, helping in efficient nutrient absorption.
Alleviate symptoms: Gut supplements can help alleviate symptoms such as diarrhea, colic, and reduced appetite, improving health and performance.
Support immune function: A healthy gut is essential for a robust immune system, and gut supplements can contain ingredients that support immune function, such as prebiotics, which feed beneficial gut bacteria.
Aid in recovery: Horses recovering from digestive issues may need extra support to restore their health fully. Gut supplements can provide the necessary nutrients to support healing and help prevent further health issues.
Qualities of Best Gut Supplements for Horses
We have mentioned the top looked-after qualities of a supplement that are well-researched and formulated for a horse's happy gut microflora below:
Probiotics and prebiotics: Probiotics are naturally occurring beneficial bacteria that can help restore a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut. At the same time, prebiotics are non-digestible plant fibers that feed beneficial gut bacteria. Best gut supplements for horses contain probiotics and prebiotics to support foregut and hindgut health.
Digestive enzymes: Various digestive enzymes break down food and improve nutrient absorption. Look for supplements that contain digestive enzymes such as amylase, protease, and lipase.
High-quality ingredients: Choose supplements that use high-quality ingredients, free of fillers, additives, and artificial preservatives. Look for supplements with natural and easily digestible ingredients such as herbs, fruits, and vegetables.
Palatability: Horses can be picky eaters, so choose palatable supplements that are easy to feed. Look for supplements with natural flavors that horses enjoy.
Scientifically backed: Look for scientifically backed supplements that have undergone clinical trials. Scientifically proven products ensure the safety and efficacy of gastric supplements.
Choosing the Right Gastro Supplement For Horses
Consult with your veterinarian: Your veterinarian knows your horse's medical history and can recommend the best gastro supplement based on your horse's needs and current health status. Or else you can read further to know the highly recommended best supplements for horses' gut.
Determine the type of supplement needed: Different gastro supplements target different digestive issues. Identify the digestive problem your horse is experiencing and choose a supplement that addresses that specific issue. For example, if your horse has diarrhea, look for a supplement that contains probiotics and prebiotics to restore healthy gut flora.
Check the ingredients: Look for supplements with high-quality ingredients, free of fillers, additives, and artificial preservatives. Ensure the supplement contains the nutrients and enzymes needed to support digestive health.
Check the dosage and administration: Ensure that the supplement's dosage and administration suit your horse's weight, age, and condition. Some supplements may need to be given with food, while others may need to be provided on an empty stomach.
FAQs
Q 1- What are the signs of gut problems in horses?
Ans: Your horse may show signs of colic (abdominal pain in general), pain sensation towards the flank, diarrhea, and inappetence. You need to consult your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Q 2- How to improve a horse's hindgut health naturally?
Ans: Feed your horse little and frequently (not just before or after exercise), high-quality forage feeding, lower starch intake, and use hindgut supplements for horses.
Q- 3 How do I choose a gut supplement for a horse?
Ans: Conduct research on the supplement available, evaluate the nutrition requirement of your horse, prefer natural supplements, and consult your veterinarian.
Q- 4 Does my horse need a gut supplement?
Ans: If your horse is suffering from recurrent digestive issues like diarrhea, colic, and lower appetite, then you must add a gut supplement to your horse's diet.
Conclusion:
Horse's gut supplements containing probiotics, prebiotics, digestive enzymes, and high-quality ingredients are scientifically backed for consumption along with the diet.
You must research appropriately for the type of gut supplement needed and ensure that the dosage and administration are suitable for your horse's weight, age, and condition. For your convenience, we've already added the best digestive supplements for your horses above.
You can go with a veterinarian's recommended Ukele Gut Pellets rich in vitamins and minerals. Pellets contain quine-specific cultivated prebiotics and probiotics, making them the best digestive supplement.
You can improve your horse's gut health and overall well-being by switching to a proper diet. Adding supportive supplements like MagnaGard, containing magnesium and other minor minerals, can help reduce the chances of colic and improve digestion.
Prevention is key, so maintaining a healthy gut through a balanced diet, regular exercise, and gut supplements is vital for your horse's long-term health.