Horse Gut Supplements

Yes, horse gut supplements are effective in maintaining a balanced digestive system. They promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, reduce the risk of ulcers, and support nutrient absorption. Backed by research, these supplements offer both preventative and therapeutic benefits for equine health.

If your horse is gassy and has a generally disrupted gut, a balancer or supplement may help but there are other steps to take first. Ensure that your horse’s diet is not too high in sugar and starch and reduce the intake of carbohydrates where you can. Make sure your horse has access to fresh, clean drinking water at all times and is able to consume enough high quality forage throughout the day - 1.5% of their body weight is required. Your horse may fart a lot if they have an imbalance in their gut. Make changes to the diet slowly to prevent such disturbances and consider feeding a prebiotic and/or probiotic for horses to keep the microbes in your horse’s gut happy and healthy.

First and foremost, if your horse has diarrhoea they should be attended by a vet immediately. Free faecal water syndrome (FFWS) is not life threatening or even something that should be a huge concern. However, it unpleasant for your horse and may lead to irritation down the back legs. It is also an indication that something just isn’t quite right with your horse’s gut. There are many potential causes for FFWS and the cause in your horse should determined by your vet and addressed. However, there are additions you can make to the diet to help with healthier stool formation and defecation. Adding psyllium husks, salt or B-Complete to the diet will all help support a healthy gut with sufficient fibre to maintain good stool production.

Feeding a prebiotic or a probiotic to your horse will help to maintain their gut health. Within the equine (and human) gut, there is a population of microbes called the microbiome, which are responsible for helping to keep your horse healthy and well at all times. That population of microbes needs to be balanced and healthy to do their job properly. Feeding a pro-biotic will help to add billions of living microbes to your horse’s gut and boost the population. Pro-biotics can be tricky to feed though as they are very sensitive and can die if not kept in the right conditions, in which case they will be useless. There are also very few strains of microbes approved to give to animals in the EU as a probiotic. A pre-biotic is a source of food for the microbes in your horse’s gut. They are carbohydrates that can’t be digested (resistant starch), which then travel through to the large intestine and feed the microbiome. A pre-biotic can come in many forms and through several foods. One example is B-Complete, which is a powerful pre-biotic sourced from dried green bananas. Pre-biotics don’t have to be refrigerated or kept alive, so they’re an easier option than probiotics to have on the yard and to feed to your horse every day.

Supporting your horse’s gut health during a diet change is essential to ensure a smooth transition and prevent digestive upsets. Gradually introduce new feed over 7–10 days, mixing it with the current diet to help the gut microbiome adjust. Incorporate a high-quality gut supplement with prebiotics and probiotics to promote a healthy balance of gut bacteria.