Not all bacteria are bad. Friendly bacteria in your horse’s hindgut (The Good Guys) assist in the fermentation of fibre and the synthesis of protein and a host of B vitamins. Millions of friendly bacteria die naturally and are lost from your horse’s digestive tract every day. Replenishing these friendly bacteria is vital to supporting your horse’s normal digestion and immune function, helping your horse maintain weight and condition, along with health and vitality. Live yeast is scientifically proven to maintain this healthy balance of friendly bacteria.
What causes reduced levels of friendly bacteria?
The levels of friendly bacteria in the hindgut can be severely reduced following the use of wormers and certain broad spectrum antibiotics. Other factors affecting the balance of good and bad bacteria include the composition of the diet, meal size, time of feeding, and environmental stress. Diets which contain high levels of cereal starch and limited quantities of forage have a negative effect on the hindgut and alter the balance of microflora, including friendly bacteria, to the horse’s detriment. This is largely due to the increased acidity resulting from a change in relative proportions of the different volatile fatty acids produced during fermentation of starch. Horses that are stabled for a large proportion of their day or who travel and compete regularly are also susceptible.
Symptoms
Symptoms include a failure to thrive, lacklustre appearance, loose droppings, frequent bouts of colic, or increased susceptibility to illness or infection. These symptoms can be a stress response to reduced levels of friendly bacteria in the digestive tract.
Treatment
Feeding Equine Gold can help ensure that the levels of friendly bacteria are re-established quickly following the appearance of any of the above conditions. This effect is supported by the Royal Agricultural College, where studies indicated a significant increase in body weight following anthelmintic treatment (worming) in horses fed Equine Gold, compared to a control group where no supplement was fed.
There are many products on the equine market to enhance a horses’ appearance, but nothing surpasses the healthy shine from a horse’s coat that comes from within. A healthy horse is a happy horse and happy horses make happy owners!
