Horses are amazing animals that are able to accomplish a variety of skills ranging in the categories of performing, working, and simply being great companions. Those of us in the horse industry love the thrill of successful training, winning performances, and reaching our horses on a deeper level, but as with all good things, we must remember first things first. Great horses can only be the best when they feel their best, and, naturally, great health begins in the gut.
Horses are hind gut fermenters meaning they digest simple carbohydrates in their foregut, but rely on the incredible digestive abilities of the hindgut, along with its special forces to breakdown the much more complex diet of forages nature intended for herbivores. The special forces necessary to the hindgut are the fungi that tear into the heavily fortified plant cellulose to expose a nutrient dense interior that the bacteria swoop in to breakdown so absorption can take place. The horse’s hindgut and its microscopic companions make an amazing biological team that makes it possible to produce life’s most precious commodity: energy.
No matter where we would like to spend our horse’s limited energy, their bodies remember first things must come first. The everyday maintenance of life is at the top of the to-do list and the rest of life’s activities follows in decreasing priority: growth and development, immunity, lactation, reproduction, and finally chasing down that dream of ours. Meeting the energy requirements is necessary for healthy, happy horses but when we are asking our horses to be a step above the rest, we must take the initiative to make sure the extra energy for superior stamina and performance is available. There are two categories of products horse owners can use to increase their horse’s digestive efficiency and get more out the animal’s diet. Probiotics are a way to add live bacteria to the gut. Prebiotics are food for the microscopic organisms already living there. Amaferm® is a prebiotic that is unique to the market—it is the only known product to show significant, positive growth to fungi, the first responder in the gut. Fungi stimulated to work and reproduce faster prepare the way for revved up bacteria to do their job to their fullest potential. The results are better digestion, more energy, and healthier horses with greater potential.
So whether the goal is to make your horse slick and shiny in the pasture, content and dependable on the trail, graceful and athletic in the arena, or strong and enduring on the ranch, a solid part of the foundation of success is a healthy horse, completely able to satisfy its nutritional and energy needs. Using a prebiotic like Amaferm® is a great way to set yourself and your horse up for success. When you take care of the first things first, don’t be surprised when the end result is… well, first.
