Digestive problems

In the first place, and the most important thing to do, is to evaluate if the feces are too soft because it can be a sign of illness due to diet changes or a stressful situation. If your horse is suffering from severe diarrhea, fever, colic symptoms, or weight loss, it is important to see a specialist veterinarian immediately.


If the feces can be described as 'loose' but the horse is otherwise healthy, it is likely that something has changed the delicate balance of microflora in the hindgut. If we detect it in time, we can rebalance the intestine and recover it correctly.

When the nutritionist formulates a specific diet for our horse, the proportion of fiber must always be the highest. A minimum of 1,5% of their body weight must be foraged. The forage can be a combination of grass, alfalfa, or an alternate source of preserved fiber. Less than 1,5% of fiber could result in loose feces and potential weight loss for the horse, as it has the evolutionary ability to digest fiber by fermentation in the hindgut.

The intestinal microflora is in tune with the horse's diet, so rapid changes in feeding can cause digestive discomfort (loose excrement)  until the microbes in the new diet are properly established. If the changes are made slowly, between 7 and 10 days, the microbial population can adapt and the digestive system will remain more stable.

The hindgut microbial population is most effective at a neutral pH. Starchy or sugary foods that reach the hindgut without being undigested will ferment, and then lactic acid will be released. Once the large intestine becomes acidic, the bacteria are killed, releasing toxins that commonly lead to loose feces and, in the worst cases, to colic and laminitis.

 

Even when owners are strict about feeding, horses can experience irregular episodes of soft feces. This can occur for several reasons, such as stress or feeding canned forages. For example, hay offers many benefits: apart from the respiratory system, which is ideal for easy storage, it generates greater digestible energy. However, acidity can cause sensitivities in the hindgut. In cases like this, we can add a supplement to maintain good digestive health.

Supplements with Probiotics and Prebiotics are useful for restoring short-term digestive disruptions. Probiotics are live microorganisms that will join the populations of good bacteria in the gut, and prebiotics are the food that boosts the good bacteria in the gut.

If there is acidity in the hindgut, it will be difficult for the prebiotics and probiotics to establish a new environment, so additional support will be needed. Often, we use digestive clays, which neutralize the acidic environment once digested, similar to an antiacid but acting on the hindgut instead of the stomach. 

In addition to the already known ingredients for intestinal health, such as Saccharomyces, it is important to consider ingredients from plant-based sources, such as chicory and Psyllium, which act as natural prebiotics and help maintain intestinal balance.

As horse owners, we face daily new challenges that come from the modern equine lifestyle, such as a change of stable. This challenge can worsen performance, health and well-being. Understanding these challenges and the help that a quality supplement can provide, will allow us to easily recover his condition and result in a healthy and happy horse.

We recommend GastriAid for proper year-round optimal digestive maintenance, providing antiacid support for the stomach, prebiotic and probiotic support for the microbial population in the hindgut, and controlling pH levels for optimal fermentation of the fiber.