Colic is a wide-ranging term that describes any equine stomach pain or upset and is a major cause of concern for most horse owners. Colic can be caused by an abrupt change in diet, lack of exercise, change in weather or any change in environment or activity. With the cold weather that has settled over […]
How to Know the Quality of Your Hay
You walk into the barn, the horses nicker in excitement to see you and also with anticipation to get their breakfast. When prepping their feed, it is easy to determine what nutrients are found in each grain since these feeds come with a guaranteed analysis. But what about the hay? It can be difficult to […]
How Antibiotics Impact the Gut Microbes
Gut Microbiota: it is all the rage right now in the equine industry. But what does it mean? The equine digestive system holds billions of tiny, living organisms that play a role in how your horse digests and processes food, and also in the onset of challenges like colic, laminitis or weight loss. (To learn […]
The Importance of a Balanced Microbe Ratio in the Gut
Gut microbes: the good and the bad All horses have a resident population of microbes (microscopic “bugs”) living in their digestive system. This population is referred to as the gut microbiome and includes many different types of bacteria, fungi and protozoa, some of which are good for the gut and some of which are bad […]