Do digestive supplements 'work' ?

[rextherobber]

The Managing Horses with Ulcers FB group is the Ponease and Equinectar Appreciation Group. I am convinced the admin is somehow connected to them. I asked her directly and she said no, but people then PMed me saying she's on commission. So not directly employed but incentivised to sell the stuff. I've noticed that even when people post positive experiences of other products she immediately says ''research' shows Ponease/Equinecta is superior to 'X product' and when asked to produce the 'research' she says she's seen it but can't share it as it's not yet published. But the results are amazing! Honest Guv.

Well if she's getting advanced copies of research papers, (or more likely being told broad conclusions about research) then she clearly IS connnected to them. Plus unpublished research, funded by the company making the product under invesitigation, has not yet been peer reviewed or independently scrutinsed and therefore - frankly - worthless at that stage,

So I have left the group. And will seek not to get sucked down rabbit holes again.

Incidentally I am not saying it helps no-one. But that group annoyed me intensely as it appears to be a promotional group, pretending to be independent.

She also really rubbishes all other feeds than Thunderbrooks - wasn't he the sex pest guy? Soya is the devil's work ...

 

[Ambers Echo]

Yes! Pink Mash, Ease n Excel, Agrobs Gut Mash - all bad.

 

[PurBee]

Yep apparently the ingredients are secret! Their secret blend of magic herbs. Wtf.

Thats exactly what Agrobs told me about their alpine forage products when i emailed them and enquired exactly what are the blend of 60 grasses and herbs in their products.
I asked them due to having imported from a different supplier alpine hay bales palleted from europe, and discovered alpine meadowland often contains clovers unsuitable for horses, aswell as other weeds (or ‘herbs’ if we want to get into marketing semantics! )


Regarding probiotics, there’s some that are innately acid-resistant, like the lactobacillus, bifidum and streptococcus group species. They are often grown and sold as powders, fairly cheap, as a gut pick-up.
There’s other strains that are not acid resistant, and reputable firms know it and use coatings to protect the strains from stomach acid.

The reason why some might find they did nothing is because of the dosage of some products. For a human gut issue, we really want to be taking billion CFU dosages, and there are some brands offering these dosages. Most offer million CFU doses. The marketing for low dosage works well as people think “wow, there’s 10 million gut bacteria in every pill”! But there’s a big difference between million and billion, and we have gazillions in number already in us, so 10 million is a literal drop in the bacteria ocean of our bodies.
Horses guts are huge, so it makes sense they would easily need billions of CFU’s per dose as a relatively ‘low’ dose. But we have to be mindful that their guts are sensitive and any sudden change can cause symptoms, even if its from something ‘good for them’.
Probiotics is the type of treatment that works better over the long term as the gut slowly grows a better mix of balanced bacteria. If we expect a difference within a week of giving low dose, we’re likely being unrealistic.
There’s the ‘rapid high dose’ probiotic syringes available which are for acute symptoms that usually work well.

If probiotics dont work and the horses poops are seriously odd or watery, we’d have to be considering the state of the gut lining. If the gut lining isnt right, no amount of probiotics will work as they cant stick to the lining, or get through the gut wall to other parts of the digestive system to colonise those parts.
Bute is known to reduce the bodies ability to grow cells for the gut lining, so if the horse is on longterm bute, that needs changing / considering.
Other irritants/allergies might cause gut lining to be inflamed, which would reduce any probiotics effectivity.

One study that was a pleasant surprise, discovered how strains added with glucose increased the protection of the strain from acid, down to PH.2. They didnt know why glucose did this, but its protective actions were clear from their research numbers.
So those whose horses can handle some glucose sugar could try mixing their probiotic powder with mashed banana before feeding to maximise the successful passage through the gut.

The likely reason why good probiotics are expensive is because its a lengthy involved process not dissimilar to growing mushrooms, in a tightly temperature/humidity controlled environment, with very precise measurements required for each strain. The substrates and entire lab used have to be sterilised to the max so contamination doesnt occur. Its a lab-grade type process with many carefully handled steps, even before its harvested and dried/encapsulated/packaged. The knowledge and skill aswell as equipment investment costs are enormous. It likely would be far easier growing mushrooms!

I feed brewers yeast, and mine like it. I give about a dessert-spoon, mixed with about 1 stubbs scoop of soaked beet…with other stuff thrown in. Brewers yeast is a really foul taste, so maybe those that have horses not eat it might be using too much, or not diluting it enough with other feed?

As others have said, feeding good pre-biotics is a very good call, and help hugely too. A combo of pre and pro-biotics for an ill horse is usually worth trying as the gut biome is the most important organ to have working well, as overall body health cant be achieved without a good balanced gut.

People usually opt for all kinds of performance supplements for issues theyre seeing in their horses, whereas biology dictates, without a good gut, no feed given will be utilised well, and we’d be wasting money on nutritional supplements in an ill gut.
Best to focus on gut health first and foremost, if we are going to be spending money on nutritional support.
I’ve always been more willing to be more spendy on the gut, than other supplements. A good healthy gut can utilise all the nutrition available from forage and grass, and tolerate cheaper inorganic nutritional supplements. Whereas an unhealthy gut cant absorb and make the most of even the most expensive chelated ‘human grade’ nutrients.

 

[Needtoretire]

I've got a hunter that is a repeat offender with gassy colic over a 5 year period plus an impaction caused by not drinking enough. Any change in management was triggering her into yet another episode. Grass was a major player, as was being without hay for too long. Vets were stumped but we tried everything on her including Succeed, Equine 74, various off the shelf products and a prolonged gastro guard and sulcrafate treatment period, (scoped grade 2,) no soya, no alfalfa, soaked hay, dry hay, haylage, no cereals etc etc. I could write a flipping book ! I tried everything but nothing helped her. Her temperament was vile, dangerous and very upsetting. She looked abysmal, was crooked to ride, flat and resistant. Vet work up found nothing other than windgalls both hinds which I bought her with years ago.

I asked on this forum if anyone had tried ponease and equinectar, the general feeling was its all rubbish and don't waste money. I heeded that advice and did more online digging. There certainly are positive reviews but there is no doubt a few people are making money on the back of the stuff with various discount codes etc. There are also owner reviews claiming huge changes for the better with a variety of horse types. One that caught my eye was a dressage dealer type yard who alleged their horses benefitted from the products and were routinely put on it as they arrived in the yard to be produced for sale. Is spoke to them and decided I would try it for my horse, she had already cost me a kidney so nothing more to lose really ! I had also got very close to losing her several times.

We are 3 months in now, I did a 8 week course of ponease at 100ml x once daily, which will end shortly, the difference in attitude and way of going changed dramatically by week 3 and not being bitten daily was appreciated. Added equinectar 100ml x twice daily, at week 4 and wow, what a transformation. A totally different horse, happy, forward going (very at times !) enjoying life, looks stunning, coat and skin so much better, no biting or kicking at the tack and a delight to spend time with again. I have my horse back.

 

[clairebearfur1]

I can also say that ive used ponease but not equinectar. Id tried ron fields, equine74, gastrogard, omeprazole and none of these would settle my horse. Week two on ponease we done a scope as vet was doing a livery on the same yard, my horse had ulcers but you could see them healing. Week 7 the livery on my yard was doing another scope an as much as i hated it I done one for my horse too. The ulcers had all gone! I paid £180 for the course and the livery had paid £800 for her treatment and still hadnt a clear scope! Shes now added ponease along side it. I agree all treatments wont work for all horses but highly recommend adding it along side vet treatment or doing it alone. I regulary recommend it to people vet is happy for me to use it too.

 

[lauragreen85]

I can also say that ive used ponease but not equinectar. Id tried ron fields, equine74, gastrogard, omeprazole and none of these would settle my horse. Week two on ponease we done a scope as vet was doing a livery on the same yard, my horse had ulcers but you could see them healing. Week 7 the livery on my yard was doing another scope an as much as i hated it I done one for my horse too. The ulcers had all gone! I paid £180 for the course and the livery had paid £800 for her treatment and still hadnt a clear scope! Shes now added ponease along side it. I agree all treatments wont work for all horses but highly recommend adding it along side vet treatment or doing it alone. I regulary recommend it to people vet is happy for me to use it too.

I can say we have had similar results. We are using the maintenance that Ponease do as a preventive for acid splashes when riding. I have seen many horses do a turn around for the best on this supplement. I feel when I recommend it people assume you are on a commission because so many have had good results. For us it worked and I do tell others a lot about it to save the a fortune.....

 

[HeyMich]

One of mine with very watery poos has reacted really well to a daily dose of Protexin Gut Sponge and I also give them all a scoop or two of Gut Balancer if thery're going away to a camp or competition to pre-empt any stressy situation. And no, I'm not on commission.