The horse is known as a hindgut fermenter, this means that they break down a large amount of fibre in the large intestine. They rely on tiny microorganisms to breakdown the long chains of fibres so that they are able to extract nutrients from them. This method of digestion is extremely efficient.
The hindgut environment is a delicate ecosystem that can be easily disrupted, sudden changes in diet and stress can cause problems. The microorganisms cannot digest sugars, this is done in the small intestine, any sugar which reaches the hindgut can trigger issues such as lamintis.
When the hindgut environment is compromised, it can be necessary to rebalance the population of bacteria.
Prebiotics…
Prebiotics are fibres which cannot be broken down in the same way as the horse’s standard fibre. The microorganisms (“good” bacteria) in the large intestine use prebiotics as a source of food thus keeping them active and operating effectively to maintain a healthy gut flora.
The prebiotics Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and Mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) provide food sources for beneficial bacteria that are responsible for fermenting fibrous foodstuffs the horse eats.
Probiotics…
Probiotic is the name given to the live microorganisms (or “good” bacteria) in the large intestine, feeding these to a horse will help to repopulate the hindgut and improve digestion rate.
Certain probiotics provides the horse with a supply of live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) which is an important component of the microbial population, and which stimulates the activity of bacteria within the hindgut, optimising fibre fermentation. This probiotic also maintains activity of bacteria that break down lactate which helps to support the hindgut.
Postbiotics...
A combination of inactivated microbial cells, cell components and metabolites (biologically active compounds produced by yeast and bacteria) that are used by the horse to support their health.
These non-living microorganisms and their byproducts, can support your horse’s gut health. Metabolites work to promote a healthy balance of bacteria in the horse’s gut, supporting overall digestive health.
Postbiotics have also been shown to increase volatile fatty acid production in horses, which enhances fibre fermentation, particularly for high-fibre forages. This makes them particularly beneficial for horses and ponies fed low calorie, high fibre diets and for metabolic or weight management reasons.
Bacteria species within the hindgut are also more consistent in horses fed the postbiotic compared to those fed a control diet, making it beneficial for keeping the hindgut stable and maintaining digestive comfort.
If you are interested in supporting your horse’s digestive system for a settled and happy horse, get in touch with our registered Nutritionist, you can call 0800 585525, email [email protected], use the live chat function on our website, or send us a DM on social media.