Gut supplements advice

[Ample Prosecco]

Just wanted some opinions! When Lottie was recovering from her SI injury over a year ago now she was very uncomfortable and vet felt she had huind gut ulcers as the tenderness was right over the caecum on the right hand side. Vet wanted to manage it with lifestyle and diet as she said that would mean long term successs. So Lottie has been carefully managed as a horse prone to hind-gut issues ever since. We started on Equine 74 Gastric and she looked good on it. After 1 month I reduced the dose to 'maintenance' as it was costing me a fortune and she immediately looked uncomfortable again so it went back up to a treatment dose. After another 2 months it ran out and I decided to see how she was without. Within days she looked uncomfortable so she went back on. In April I went away and she had more turn out which coincided with Spring grass. She dropped condition alarmingly in those 2 weeks so I added in Equishure and took her off the grass. After that she was out at night, in during the day. She picked up after about a week and she was on both Equine 74 and Equishure all season while competing. She looked and felt fantastic all season. Then I allowed it to run out slowly. First the 74 Gastric and then the Equishure. So during the 'chill out' rest after the season (hacking & groundwork but no travelling, schooling or jumping) she has slowly come off both. I added in Protexin as a much cheaper alternative but that has also now run out. She is looking amazing. Fit, shiny, not girthy, happy in her work. But we are picking things up again now so I feel she should be supplemented to prevent a recurrence. But what with? I really don't want to go back to Equishure and Gastic 74 unless I need to (in which case if course I will) as they were cosrting me £100 a month!! A lot all year round. I am not convinced the Protexin did anything as sge may have been fine on nothing during the 'off' season. I did not dare try absolutely nothing though. Any advice?

She is fed on Baileys 21 (she hated Saracens Releve) & Honeychop calm and shine which is a soft, short chop with extra oil. She is out in the day at the moment but will come off the grass in the daytime when it starts growing.

 

[Barton Bounty]

The main composition of the equine 74 is red marine algae and of course you cannot buy it alone, and I know that seaweed etc is also used in comfort gut pro. Maybe something like that would be worth a try. I have a full 3kg tub of comfort gut pro if you want it. There is something in it bb is allergic to, he is very sensitive.
Going on a recommendation from ycbm and pearls a singer I started using aloe juice and honestly, the difference is amazing. I used to use bentonite clay and it worked too.

 

[Dexter]

Oily herbs seem to have helped mine, they cost me about £3 a month as well so very low cost to try.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Thanks BBB that is a very kind offer. I have thought about what I think works best - The 74 Gastric helps the stromach with the marine algae and the hindgut with the live yeast to reudce the PH. The Equishure also works on the PH of the hindgut. There os no evidence Lottie has ever had stomach ulcers. Everything points ot hind gut. So I wonder if the key ingredient has not been the marine algae but the yeast or equishure? The Equishure just soaks up the acid whereas the yeast balances the gut and reduces the acidosis. So by my logic, a yeast based supplement is what helps her.

On that basis I am trying Yea Sacc as a cheaper version that ditches the algae. And hopefully means equishure is not needed either.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Thanks BBB that is a very kind offer. I have thought about what I think works best - The 74 Gastric helps the stromach with the marine algae and the hindgut with the live yeast to reudce the PH. The Equishure also works on the PH of the hindgut. There os no evidence Lottie has ever had stomach ulcers. Everything points ot hind gut. So I wonder if the key ingredient has not been the marine algae but the yeast or equishure? The Equishure just soaks up the acid whereas the yeast balances the gut and reduces the acidosis. So by my logic, a yeast based supplement is what helps her.

On that basis I am trying Yea Sacc as a cheaper version that ditches the algae. And hopefully means equishure is not needed either.

Yeah and also give brewers yeast a bash too along side the yea sacc ?

 

[Squeak]

I've had similar sort of experiences and have had flushes from grass cause problems too. At the moment he's doing brilliantly on Progressive Earth's Yeasacc and it's so cheap. I didn't have any joy with aloe vera although I've just bought some oily herbs to give them a go. When I looked at it, the Dodson & Horrell hedgerow herbs were good value and had the recommended herbs in ( I think it was YCBM who had recommended it in the post I saw).

 

[LEC]

I feed a lot of Feedmark. Mine are currently on the Original Balancer, Limestone Flour and Brewers Yeast and look great - ex racer who is very sensitive in his stomach (electrolytes caused carnage) and a mare who was diagnosed with severe ulcers. All are very happy. I also have the Feedmark gastric comfort which is fed if staying away or have longer than 45 mins travel.

Look at Equine Products Transvite Excel it’s very good gut balancer and worth starting there.

 

[ycbm]

What's her forage? I can't get Ludo's hind gut happy on haylage, he has to have hay. Second cut haylage is a particular problem.

I also feed yeasacc and oily herbs daily, and aloe whenever he's likely to be stressed.
.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

She’s on hay. I’ll add in the oily herbs.

 

[AntiPuck]

I recently switched off of Protexin to this Yeasty Magic stuff after seeing it recommended on here and my horse seems really happy on it so far - when I ran out of Protexin I saw a negative change in attitude after a couple of days, but nothing but positive changes 3 after weeks on this so it will become a permanent fixture for her now https://horseward.co.uk/collections...asty-magic-a-healthy-gut-equals-a-happy-horse

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I feed the oily herbs with dried spearmint I often feed physilium husk at times of a disruption in the gut, I rate the oily herbs I think they really help and they seem to love them, I've just started mine on aloe vera juice as well as one has been chewing my fence!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Slippery elm is good for gut health as well I have fed that at times alongside yea sac.

 

[Snow Falcon]

My old vet recommended brewers yeast to me. If you look at most of the gastric supplements, this is one of the main ingredients.

 

[lynz88]

I recently switched off of Protexin to this Yeasty Magic stuff after seeing it recommended on here and my horse seems really happy on it so far - when I ran out of Protexin I saw a negative change in attitude after a couple of days, but nothing but positive changes 3 after weeks on this so it will become a permanent fixture for her now https://horseward.co.uk/collections...asty-magic-a-healthy-gut-equals-a-happy-horse

have you (or anyone else) had any experiences with any of the other products that GG has? Some of their formulas look quite interesting. I want to put mine back on the Protexin but it only got him 75% happy and wanting to see if I can find something that will get him to closer to the 100% mark without having to throw the book at him (and the yard staff make more fun of me for all the stuff I have him on but yet keeps him in work). The yeasty magic seems to work out more expensive than the Protexin (I have been buying the 3.5kg Protexin) at maintenance rate. I'm also tossing around the idea of putting him on the Equibiome prebiotic as I know a few others who have seen some good results.

I have a slight feeling that the wormer combined with being put in a field with actual grass to eat and running out of the Protexin all within a very short timeframe has his tummy in some very bad knots. Am trying gut health pro on recommendation from a friend who has had success with it and seem to have a slight turnaround but he's still very tense in his back

 

[AntiPuck]

No, sorry - it's the only thing I've used from them

 

[Fieldlife]

have you (or anyone else) had any experiences with any of the other products that GG has? Some of their formulas look quite interesting. I want to put mine back on the Protexin but it only got him 75% happy and wanting to see if I can find something that will get him to closer to the 100% mark without having to throw the book at him (and the yard staff make more fun of me for all the stuff I have him on but yet keeps him in work). The yeasty magic seems to work out more expensive than the Protexin (I have been buying the 3.5kg Protexin) at maintenance rate. I'm also tossing around the idea of putting him on the Equibiome prebiotic as I know a few others who have seen some good results.

I have a slight feeling that the wormer combined with being put in a field with actual grass to eat and running out of the Protexin all within a very short timeframe has his tummy in some very bad knots. Am trying gut health pro on recommendation from a friend who has had success with it and seem to have a slight turnaround but he's still very tense in his back

The Yeasty magic isn’t more expensive as it’s a lot more concentrated than Protexin.

Feeding 5ml a day will match Protexin standard dose.

The guidance dose for yeasty magic on website provides much higher amounts.

Protexin is relatively expensive per gram as contains Alfa as a filler snd less active protected yeast.

I’ve used other products from same website. I’d recommend messaging the owner as I’ve had really helpful advice eg when my horse had surgery supporting him.

 

[lynz88]

Thanks FL. It said to feed 20g as maintenance vs the 10g maintenance on the Protexin so that's what I based it on. If it's more concentrated (which I think you may be right with the alfalfa filler in the Protexin) then actually can likely get away with feeding less. I am going to drop them a note. Thanks for that viewpoint.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

What's her forage? I can't get Ludo's hind gut happy on haylage, he has to have hay. Second cut haylage is a particular problem.

I also feed yeasacc and oily herbs daily, and aloe whenever he's likely to be stressed.
.

That’s interesting about Ludo’s gut not happy on haylage. My mare got really loose poos on haylage recenlty, stopped feeding it a week ago but still finding sloppy poos so assuming it could be grass coming through. (The vet involved as of the liver damage)

Was going to try brewers yeast first.

 

[ycbm]

That’s interesting about Ludo’s gut not happy on haylage. My mare got really loose poos on haylage recenlty, stopped feeding it a week ago but still finding sloppy poos so assuming it could be grass coming through. (The vet involved as of the liver damage)

Was going to try brewers yeast first.

The worst for him is swapping between one cut and another, or a better bale and a worse one. Especially if I can smell different acid levels in it. He's been absolutely consistent on hay, no more bed digging or belly kicking.
.

 

[lynz88]

Having now fed Yeasty Magic for a few weeks (feeding at 10g/day atm) I can say I have noticed a very positive difference in my boy. He's still not 100% but he has relaxed through the back quite significantly (I would say 85%-90% difference) and is no longer tucked up. So will continue to feed Yeasty Magic though may at some point drop it down to 5g/day which is still much more concentrated than the Protexin.

 

[Fieldlife]

Having now fed Yeasty Magic for a few weeks (feeding at 10g/day atm) I can say I have noticed a very positive difference in my boy. He's still not 100% but he has relaxed through the back quite significantly (I would say 85%-90% difference) and is no longer tucked up. So will continue to feed Yeasty Magic though may at some point drop it down to 5g/day which is still much more concentrated than the Protexin.

Fantastic. I think it’s a great product. (No connections!)