Has anyone had the Equibiome test done?

[PurBee]

This is the owner's summary. They also offer, and I have requested, a report tailored for vets which I will pass on to my vets.
View attachment 71698

Will be interesting to know your progress with this TP as you implement the foods for the targeted species, and the changes you observe in your horse’s behaviour/physique.

It makes sense that a ems/fat/lami horse would have issues digesting sugars when out grazing at springtime, if theyve spent most of the winter eating mostly soaked hay Leached of sugars. Hence the sudden gut distress of (relatively) lots of grass in spring, and footiness due to the gut simply not having the bacteria present to digest sugars because they’re purposely fed a very low sugar diet.
Then i presume, those extra calories not digested by bacteria have to go somewhere so will likely get shunted by the liver onto the body as ‘calorie storage’, and the horse will get fatter....while owners tear their hair out!

So perhaps another angle needs to be looked at with ems etc - increasing gut microbes that digest sugars and therefore the body is able to USE them as fuel, rather than the body storing the undigested sugars as fat...?
Then we can throw away grazing muzzles, starvation paddocks, soaking hay and other methods to try to restrict horse access to sugars. Of course very high sugar foods are standard to be avoided for most horses, like hybridized ryegrass species, but we’ve got to the point in the equine world where literally feeding anything to ems types results in weight gain/very hard to shift weight, even if cardboard could be fed.

IF the cause is gut biome imbalance, then having plenty of carb-digesting bacteria in the gut, should actually help ems/fat/lami types and free owners of a gruelling upkeep regime, while also helping the horse naturally lose weight.

I wonder what the average stats are for gut biome carb-digesting bacteria of ems/lami type horses?

 

[maddielove]

Really interesting to see this pop up today, I received my mares results yesterday and they have very similar results, the next steps are pretty much the same. Only one of her figures in part one of the report were in the correct range!
Herbs are on order and will order the biome foods once I'm finished my current bag of their general probiotic. Trying to work out the best source for some of the other reccommended additions and it looks like it'll take a bit of searching to get it right.

 

[Tiddlypom]

My non horsey OH looked at my mare's results and said that it was as if she had turned up for the exam on time, written her name clearly on the exam paper and then left the rest of it blank!

She has far too many of some bacteria, and nowhere near enough or none of others.

I've been feeding her the equibiome prebiotic since early March when I sent her poo sample off, and she does already seem more settled at what would normally be a very tricky time of year for her with the spring grass coming through.

 

[cauda equina]

Human microbiomes are becoming more widely studied and I hope the same will happen for horses
Basically what's in our guts is a whole separate living thing and it makes complete sense to look after it

I'm still tempted to get my young laminitic done but some of the advice looks a bit odd (eg feed nuts - which nuts and how much? Are nuts even safe for horses?)

 

[maddielove]

I've been feeding her the equibiome prebiotic since early March when I sent her poo sample off, and she does already seem more settled at what would normally be a very tricky time of year for her with the spring grass coming through.

I'm on to my second bag and would say my mare has also handled the spring grass much better too, I also started feeding Relyne a few weeks after I started the probiotic so hard to tell which is making the most difference but I've been able to get on top of her feacal water issue that has cropped up ever spring for the last 5 years. Gives me confidence that the biome foods should be pretty effective.

I'm still tempted to get my young laminitic done but some of the advice looks a bit odd (eg feed nuts - which nuts and how much? Are nuts even safe for horses?)

This is the bit I am needing to drop them an email for some clarification on, not specifically about nuts but they have recommended feeding Oil of Myrtle an antimicrobial which believe is an essential oil and I am struggling to work out the safest way to feed essential oils. There are also recommendations for some things like grapeseed/quercetin/blueberry extract which seem to exist commonly as human supplements but no idea how much you would need to feed a horse to be effective.

 

[PurBee]

It does seem their suggestions for supplements to increase bacteria that are lacking as shown in the biome test, like nuts, blueberries etc, are foods recommended for human gut biome balance. So perhaps they’re using human biome research and solutions, due to equine volume of research in this area being limited?

It would be a case of researching the bacteria lacking, and finding a whole list of foods that supply that - then pick from the list the ones more suited to horses.
Nuts were suggested for supplying polyphenols, yet also herbs were listed too to supply those, so we would choose herbs for horses as being more suitable, than nuts and beans.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Promising results after less than a month on the equibiome feed programme recommended for my mare. Particularly so bearing in mind the richness of the grass growth at the moment, as grass is a trigger.

She is moving more freely, swinging through her back, and is using herself better. Her temperament has improved.

The chiro vet was out yesterday and noted these improvements, and also on how much more accepting of the treatment she was than before. She used to guard herself against them. Her SI area, which in the past has been locked solid, was especially free and boingy. So while she needed a few tweaks, it was nothing like what she used to need, and she enjoyed them. She just seems happier.

So still early days, but promising.

 

[ycbm]

Loving the boingy SI, is that a technical term, TP ? ?

 

[Tiddlypom]

Boingy SI is indeed a highly technical term ?!

Wish I'd videoed it. Chiro vet pressed down on the SI area in that special chiro vet way to assess it, and the mare's quarters were springing freely up and down. Horse perfectly happy.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Caught up with my regular vet (as opposed to chiro vet) yesterday when she came out for annual flu jabs and health checks. I'd sent my mare's equibiome report onto her, but haven't seen her in person for a while.

She is familar with the test already and has had good results using the suggested post test dietary changes/supplements in horses with persistent diarrhoea.

So it's becoming more mainstream than I initially thought.

 

[PurBee]

Great to hear the results are showing for your horse.

How much does the test currently cost?
Human similar testing cost me 300 a few yrs ago… not sure of prices now.

If the cost of the horse test was 100 or lower, then it would be handy to have it done every switch in seasonal routine/feeds. The biome are a snapshot in time result, and the types and levels of bacteria are always changing when seasonal food type/time management changes, so for it to be affordable as a test to have done for winter, then midsummer…we can more easily know the differences in our individual horses gut on the routine we have for them, and then really tailor-make the supplements seasonally.

 

[Tiddlypom]

The test costs £152.

https://www.equibiome.org/product-page/copy-of-equibiome-fecal-test-kit

They recommend a follow up test 6-12 months after putting the dietary changes in place.

 

[PurBee]

The test costs £152.

https://www.equibiome.org/product-page/copy-of-equibiome-fecal-test-kit

They recommend a follow up test 6-12 months after putting the dietary changes in place.

well thats reasonable considering it's a fairly new thing. Worth doing twice a year for that price, as its easy to spend 300 per yr on hit-and-miss fingers-crossed supplements!
Thanks for the link tp.

 

[maddielove]

Good to hear TP things are going well for your Mare! We're 4 weeks on oily herbs and 2 weeks on biome 5, trying to put some time between adding in anything else to see if differences can be put down to specific changes. Not had any cowpats since we started the oily herbs which is good, one other observation is that her crest is quickly disappearing though not in increased work and not decreasing weight elsewhere, wondering if this could be related, it's never been that big but has been stubborn to get rid of.

Interesting to hear SI issues seem to have improved, my mare has only recently been showing issues here and probably ties in time wise with when I've become more concerned for her gut health and suspected there was something more sinister going on, hopefully these changes will contribute towards helping these issues too, a lot of other factors at play but it all seems to be a very delicate puzzle trying to get her comfortable and hoping guts are the missing link.

 

[FFAQ]

Resurecting this thread because I have just had the equibiome results back for my EMS cob. He had the EMS test done ?? so I have been feeding biome foods 1 and 2 (sent with the test kit) since December.
I've just ordered the next batch of biome foods and a test kit for my mare, but just based on the results from feeding biome foods 1 & 2 i am optimistic. With absolutely no help from me he has lost 40kg and is looking less bloated (the physio even remarked on it the other day). I haven't been weighing /soaking hay because he's been babysitting my friends horse who has a tendon injury, so they mooch around the yard and school with the stable doors open. My lad gets every other day out in the field when i swap him for another babysitter.
He certainly seems less obsessed with food and happier in himself. I will post another update after a couple of months on the new biome foods.

Incidentally, Tiddlypom you mentioned that vets in your area are recommending the test? Unfortunately, vets in my area are less than enthusiastic, but I know a few people who have done it with good results, so let's hope they start to change their minds soon!

 

[cauda equina]

I totally agree about vets changing their minds - doctors are coming round to the idea that the human gut biome is important in health and disease, looking upon it almost as an organ in itself

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I joined the FB page recently as I am considering testing my EMS pony so while this is an older thread it’s been really interesting to read how the tests and reports have evolved in that space of time and the results people have had with the biome food.

 

[GinaGeo]

I'll add an update too. Because I did bite the bullet and get my horse done.

He had awful allergies which presented as full body hives. They started when he was a two year old, after a course of antibiotics. And continued to plague him for the following two years. We tried more antibiotics, steroids and ended up testing him for allergies. The result was he was allergic to pretty much everything except grass. Eliminating everything else helped, but didn't solve. The Equibiome Prebiotics helped again, but if I stopped them he'd flare back up. He also presented with Hind Gut discomfort, which improved when on the Prebiotics, but worsened when off them.

I took the plunge - not long after this thread was started and had the Equibiome test done. Followed their protocols and he still gets the oily herbs now. His skin has cleared up. The Hind Gut issues are a thing of the past and the allergies are no longer present. He can eat Alfalfa, Linseed, Sugar beet and carrots without any negative effects.

Since then I have had my EMS Connemara tested. He was getting harder and harder to manage. I was having to feed him less and less and work him harder - which is hard as he's a former laminitic and has breathing issues. He did the EMS Protocol and is a reformed fat pony. He can now have free access to netted haylage and doesn't gorge himself silly. The fat pads have melted off and he can be managed like a normal horse. Nothing else has hugely changed.

I was a sceptic, but have been impressed.

 

[FFAQ]

I'll add an update too. Because I did bite the bullet and get my horse done.

He had awful allergies which presented as full body hives. They started when he was a two year old, after a course of antibiotics. And continued to plague him for the following two years. We tried more antibiotics, steroids and ended up testing him for allergies. The result was he was allergic to pretty much everything except grass. Eliminating everything else helped, but didn't solve. The Equibiome Prebiotics helped again, but if I stopped them he'd flare back up. He also presented with Hind Gut discomfort, which improved when on the Prebiotics, but worsened when off them.

I took the plunge - not long after this thread was started and had the Equibiome test done. Followed their protocols and he still gets the oily herbs now. His skin has cleared up. The Hind Gut issues are a thing of the past and the allergies are no longer present. He can eat Alfalfa, Linseed, Sugar beet and carrots without any negative effects.

Since then I have had my EMS Connemara tested. He was getting harder and harder to manage. I was having to feed him less and less and work him harder - which is hard as he's a former laminitic and has breathing issues. He did the EMS Protocol and is a reformed fat pony. He can now have free access to netted haylage and doesn't gorge himself silly. The fat pads have melted off and he can be managed like a normal horse. Nothing else has hugely changed.

I was a sceptic, but have been impressed.

Fantastic result! My friend has a pony who is allergic to everything so she did the test nit long after I did. I really hope her pony comes right like yours did!

 

[Tiddlypom]

It's really interesting and encouraging to hear how other people's horses are benefiting from the Equibiome test and protocol.

My own mare has continued to do very well following the protocol. She's been on just the maintenance prebiotic biome food 7 since the main course finished in Oct, although I've kept up with the oily herbs and extra dried herbs such as hawthorn, dandelion, cleavers and marigold. I had carried on with the Succeed for a few weeks simply because I had some left, but that finished many months ago.

She had a blip recently when her tense and ratty behaviour returned, and I was disheartened thinking that her hind gut must be playing up again. It turned out that two sarcoids she had near her back end were impinging on each other, and once banded off she reverted back to her former soft self overnight.

I so nearly had this mare put down for her extreme grumpiness before I tried the Equibiome regime .

 

[Chianti]

I've just had one done, and got the results, as I've had a pony for a year who clearly has gut issues- ulcers, colic and laminitis. The wording in the report can be a bit ambiguous but I've emailed them a few times and they come back almost immediately with an answer. I'd got to the stage where £152 didn't seem that bad given the vet interventions and amounts I've spent on supplements that don't seem to have helped. I'm pleased I've had it done as I think it gives a way forward.

 

[Chianti]

I'm on to my second bag and would say my mare has also handled the spring grass much better too, I also started feeding Relyne a few weeks after I started the probiotic so hard to tell which is making the most difference but I've been able to get on top of her feacal water issue that has cropped up ever spring for the last 5 years. Gives me confidence that the biome foods should be pretty effective.



This is the bit I am needing to drop them an email for some clarification on, not specifically about nuts but they have recommended feeding Oil of Myrtle an antimicrobial which believe is an essential oil and I am struggling to work out the safest way to feed essential oils. There are also recommendations for some things like grapeseed/quercetin/blueberry extract which seem to exist commonly as human supplements but no idea how much you would need to feed a horse to be effective.

If you email Sharon will get back to you. I've also got lots of questions for the Facebook group.

 

[sbloom]

Really interesting to read, I recommend the test to some customers so it's good to see continued good feedback, there have been one or two not quite so good experiences but they seem to be a while back now.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I'd got to the stage where £152 didn't seem that bad given the vet interventions and amounts I've spent on supplements that don't seem to have helped. I'm pleased I've had it done as I think it gives a way forward.

I fully agree.

It's much better to be able to correct the hind gut imbalance and go forward, rather than using sticking plaster techniques to try and correct multiple arising issues, without getting to the bottom of the problem.

Not every horse will turn out to have hind gut issues, but for those that do it can be a game changer.

 

[maddielove]

I am still really pleased with the results now we are well in to what was usually a very problematic time of year for my mares guts. First winter in the 6 years I've had her that she has had a clean backside and I am beyond delighted.

She has been on maintenance 7 since the end of summer, I was initially feeding additional oats, oily herbs and sainfoin however she just gets a bit of additional hedgerow herbs now, I think my additional bits were maybe throwing off the goodness of the biome 7. We had a small blip for about 2 1/2 weeks in October where I really worried we were back to square one but a couple of tweaks to her diet (switched to a balancer with a mycosorb a and a tiny amount of psyllium) and it's been fine ever since.

Has anyone tested again to see if there are any improvements in bacteria levels?

 

[Chianti]

I fully agree.

It's much better to be able to correct the hind gut imbalance and go forward, rather than using sticking plaster techniques to try and correct multiple arising issues, without getting to the bottom of the problem.

Not every horse will turn out to have hind gut issues, but for those that do it can be a game changer.

My next step is to to try to involve the vet. I'll be interested to see how he responds to it.

 

[SEL]

I am still really pleased with the results now we are well in to what was usually a very problematic time of year for my mares guts. First winter in the 6 years I've had her that she has had a clean backside and I am beyond delighted.

She has been on maintenance 7 since the end of summer, I was initially feeding additional oats, oily herbs and sainfoin however she just gets a bit of additional hedgerow herbs now, I think my additional bits were maybe throwing off the goodness of the biome 7. We had a small blip for about 2 1/2 weeks in October where I really worried we were back to square one but a couple of tweaks to her diet (switched to a balancer with a mycosorb a and a tiny amount of psyllium) and it's been fine ever since.

Has anyone tested again to see if there are any improvements in bacteria levels?

I've got a couple of friends who retested. I think Carol was hoping to use one of the horses as a case study but sadly it was PTS. That horse was one of the original tests and she had such a low level of bacteria they thought there was something wrong with the sample. Sample was fine and owner put the horse on a herbal protocol with a couple more tests showing the levels of good bacteria increasing well.

The other friend got two young cobs from the same place and they had decent worm burdens. Treated but she was worried about their guts. She's not using Equibiome for re tests because she's found somewhere a bit cheaper but both are showing good steady improvement. The older mare has become a lot less reactive too

 

[Tiddlypom]

I haven't retested my mare. I know that I should do, as her first sample was taken 13 months ago, and then the two sets of results could be compared.

I'm not alone, I remember my chiro vet mentioning that other clients haven't gone on to retest either, simply because they've been so pleased with the improvement in their horses that they consider it 'job done'.

There always seems to be something else to spend £150 on...

The first test has saved me well over £150 over a year, though. Not to mention saving the life of the horse, as it was her last chance.

 

[lynz88]

It's really interesting and encouraging to hear how other people's horses are benefiting from the Equibiome test and protocol.

My own mare has continued to do very well following the protocol. She's been on just the maintenance prebiotic biome food 7 since the main course finished in Oct, although I've kept up with the oily herbs and extra dried herbs such as hawthorn, dandelion, cleavers and marigold. I had carried on with the Succeed for a few weeks simply because I had some left, but that finished many months ago.

She had a blip recently when her tense and ratty behaviour returned, and I was disheartened thinking that her hind gut must be playing up again. It turned out that two sarcoids she had near her back end were impinging on each other, and once banded off she reverted back to her former soft self overnight.

I so nearly had this mare put down for her extreme grumpiness before I tried the Equibiome regime .

Reading this along with my thread from yesterday, it really seems like this is the place to start for mine. I think ruling in/out hind gut issues for £150 vs the cost of scoping and/or trying GG or any other 'supplements' which won't reach the hind gut and costs significantly more is definitely the place to start given your story of your mare which is sounding fairly familiar. I get paid tomorrow so will be purchasing just to test and see. I think £150 in the grand scheme of things is annoying but is peanuts in comparison and is good to see a "sample" of the report you get back. I'm taking the plunge!!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Another update. Regular vet was out yesterday for annual jabs and health checks.

She stood looking at my mare who has had the Equibiome analysis and follow on protocols, and declared 'She looks healthy now'.

That sums it up. Also, interestingly, this is the first year since she came back off loan 4 years ago that she hasn't thrown up new sarcoids in the spring. According to the vet, it has been a bumper year so far for sarcoids.

Mare remains on the Equibiome no 7 maintenance supplement, plus oily herbs and hedgerow plants, fed fresh when available, otherwise dry. The other two are getting the same less the supplement.