The health of a horse is largely dependent on the health of its gastrointestinal system. Digestion is one of the most important bodily processes for horses, and they are therefore very sensitive to disruptions in the digestive tract. A healthy bacteria population in the small intestine, cecum, and most importantly the colon of your horse is essential.

Microbiome

The bacteria, fungi, and yeasts in a horse's intestines are called the microbiome. That name indicates that it is actually a whole ecosystem of tiny creatures that collectively perform a lot of tasks for your horse. In the colon, for example, there are bacteria and yeasts that digest the cellulose from plant fibers for your horse and convert these - otherwise indigestible - fibers into fatty acids that your horse uses as an energy source. When the microbiome in the intestines is healthy, your horse can digest its food optimally and extract all the necessary energy, minerals, and nutrients from it. The microbiome is also important for the immune system. And if your horse's immune system is strong, it can better handle issues such as mites. A healthy microbiome is therefore the basis for a healthy horse.

Healthy through good food

To get and keep your horse's microbiome healthy, it is important that the beneficial and good microorganisms can do their work. They should not be 'overgrown' by harmful bacteria, fungi, or yeasts. In fact, you need to provide the microbiome with the right nutrition and not give feed that the harmful creatures like. In practice, this means that your horse should receive enough high-quality roughage. Dry, unpackaged hay with little dust is the best. In pre-cut silage, we often find more unwanted fungi and yeasts than in dry, unpackaged hay. In general, the wetter and more acidic the silage, the less good it is for the horse's stomach. Acidifying foods disturb the body's acidity level. This can prevent minerals from being properly absorbed and disrupt the gut flora.

Low in sugars

Good hay feeds the good bacteria. If you also give concentrates or a balancer, it is good to ensure that they do not contain too many grains, sugars, and starches. These ingredients also have an acidifying effect on the body. A lot of sugar in the horse's diet also gives the unwanted microorganisms in the intestines a nice 'boost'. Harmful yeasts and fungi love fast sugars and thrive better on them than the good microorganisms. Excessive growth of the unwanted creatures disrupts the entire gut flora and ultimately compromises your horse's immunity. Therefore, always provide unpackaged hay and grain-free supplementary feed. Our advice is to give a vitamin pellet or balancer instead of concentrate. This is enough for most horses.