Talk to me about probiotics please?

[spacefaer]

I'd like to give my TB some probiotics for hind gut issues.
Where to start? Most of the over the counter ones seem to be full of fillers
Which are best?
Is it possible to buy without fillers? I read an article which said I should find one with at least 10 species .... is there one?
A minefield

 

[TPO]

I might be talking nonsense but iirc not much makes it to the hindgut due to stomach acid etc.

I *think* Succeed is coated and claims to reach the hindgut. There have been a few threads on here about it so might be worth a search.

 

[Snow Falcon]

I was recommended just straight brewers yeast by a vet as that's in most supplements anyway.

 

[Jambarissa]

I researched a while back, there are a few with scientific tests that show they reach the hind gut. They were mega expensive.

My old cob gets runny at changes from grass to hay and back again. I trued all the cheaper versions with no real luck then tried prebiotics which worked really well.

I think mine was a baileys one, lots on Facebook seem to love protexin brand, the standard one is mainly brewers yeast though.

 

[Melody Grey]

I’ve used quite a few different expensive ones over the years but ended up at Brewers yeast and aloe Vera juice for my long term ulcer prone horse.

He was recommended Gastrokind by science supplements by my vet which I used for a year or so after finishing ulcer treatment though at over £100 month felt I had to try cheaper options! …so far so good 2 years on.

I have used succeed in the past but personally found it made no difference (different horse). If you look up the ingredients, it’s predominately some type of flour.

Though it’s hard to ensure supplements get into the hindgut, in my experience, working to improve the stomach contents has been helpful.

If it’s hindgut acidosis you’re trying to address, bicarbonate of soda shaken in oil can help from my experience.

 

[Melody Grey]

A friend of mine swears by green clay for hindgut imbalance issues, though I’ve never used it myself- might be worth a Google?

 

[criso]

If you want to buy straights without fillers then look at feeding Yeasacc and Bio mos.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Please do read up about this from Equibiome if you have reasons to suspect hind gut issues.

The good thing is that instead of needing expensive on going supplements such as Succeed, which my own mare with hind gut issues was on for over a year, if you instead feed a wide variety of edible herbs you can encourage the horse to repopulate its own hind gut with a much healthier balance of bacteria.

https://www.equibiome.org/post/manage-your-blog-from-your-live-site

This was, quite simply, a life saver for my home bred mare. She was diagnosed with hind gut issues after showing classic ulcer signs but scoping clear for foregut ulcers. She was so unhappy that I was on the verge of having her PTS.

The oily herb/Equibiome protocol was recommended to me for this horse by two very experienced equine vets - it's not wacky stuff. It saved her life.

The likes of Succeed et al only act as a sticking plaster, they do not correct the hindgut gut imbalance.

 

[canteron]

Please do read up about this from Equibiome if you have reasons to suspect hind gut issues.

The good thing is that instead of needing expensive on going supplements such as Succeed, which my own mare with hind gut issues was on for over a year, if you instead feed a wide variety of edible herbs you can encourage the horse to repopulate its own hind gut with a much healthier balance of bacteria.

https://www.equibiome.org/post/manage-your-blog-from-your-live-site

This was, quite simply, a life saver for my home bred mare. She was diagnosed with hind gut issues after showing classic ulcer signs but scoping clear for foregut ulcers. She was so unhappy that I was on the verge of having her PTS.

The oily herb/Equibiome protocol was recommended to me for this horse by two very experienced equine vets - it's not wacky stuff. It saved her life.

The likes of Succeed et al only act as a sticking plaster, they do not correct the hindgut gut imbalance.

This is a really interesting article - and if in humans we need a diverse range of plant foods for a healthy gut, it makes sense for the same to be true in horses?

But I wasn’t quite sure what practical solutions this offered. Apart from letting my horse eat braken on a ride. My horses graze in fields with hedgerows, but should I be feeding a herby feed as well? I do feed carrots in winter, but I need a more diverse feed.

Finding good quality ragwort free meadow hay is pretty impossible!

Eek.

 

[Palindrome]

are you sure it's fillers and not prebiotics?

Brewer yeast I think is considered as a prebiotic as it's not live.
Yea-sacc is probably going to be your cheapest probiotic, but otherwise just go with a reputable company like Protexin, you can't go much wrong.

 

[Tiddlypom]

This is a really interesting article - and if in humans we need a diverse range of plant foods for a healthy gut, it makes sense for the same to be true in horses?

But I wasn’t quite sure what practical solutions this offered. Apart from letting my horse eat braken on a ride. My horses graze in fields with hedgerows, but should I be feeding a herby feed as well? I do feed carrots in winter, but I need a more diverse feed.

Finding good quality ragwort free meadow hay is pretty impossible!

Eek.

Don't worry, it's not eek . It's also relatively simple and cheap.

There's a number of threads on here about the benefits of feeding oily herbs to horses for their hind gut health/diversity. Your base mix is to feed twice daily an equal mix by weight of dried thyme, oregano, rosemary. I buy my herbs on line in 500g bags.

I feed about 50 ml twice daily of this oily herb mix all year round to all my 3, not just the mare with known hind gut issues.

Additionally, though this is not essential, I feed a mix of dried hedgerow herbs such dandelions, hawthorn, nettles, clivers, rosehips, mint.

The whole premise is that the horse needs a wide variety of herbs in its diet to sustain a healthy hind gut biome. The very expensive supplements such as Succeed, Equishure et al are just very expensive sticking plasters which may, to some extent, manage the symptoms of hind gut disfunction in the horse as long as you continue to feed them, but do nothing to address the prime cause. As soon as you stop the supplements, all the symptoms return.

 

[TPO]

Additionally, though this is not essential, I feed a mix of dried hedgerow herbs such dandelions, hawthorn, nettles, clivers, rosehips, mint.

Do you buy this or is that hand picked?

If you buy it, where from? Thanks

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Please do read up about this from Equibiome if you have reasons to suspect hind gut issues.

The good thing is that instead of needing expensive on going supplements such as Succeed, which my own mare with hind gut issues was on for over a year, if you instead feed a wide variety of edible herbs you can encourage the horse to repopulate its own hind gut with a much healthier balance of bacteria.

https://www.equibiome.org/post/manage-your-blog-from-your-live-site

This was, quite simply, a life saver for my home bred mare. She was diagnosed with hind gut issues after showing classic ulcer signs but scoping clear for foregut ulcers. She was so unhappy that I was on the verge of having her PTS.

The oily herb/Equibiome protocol was recommended to me for this horse by two very experienced equine vets - it's not wacky stuff. It saved her life.

The likes of Succeed et al only act as a sticking plaster, they do not correct the hindgut gut imbalance.

We have found that our horses (both mares) will eat their feed with added oily herbs, when they feel that they need them e.g. when moved onto fresh grass etc. And won't clean up when they feel that there is no need.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Do you buy this or is that hand picked?

If you buy it, where from? Thanks

I used to mix my own but now cheat and rather than mix my own, I buy Feedmark No Fill when it is on 50% off, add some rosehips and mint and feed them 75ml twice a day in addition to the oily herbs.

Composition​

Dandelion leaves, Clivers, Marigold flowers, Ginkgo, Nettle, Hawthorn leaf & flowers, Linseed oil, Permitted preservatives.

 

[DressageCob]

I feed my horse a pre/probiotic which I buy from my vet. It was previously their own brand and now it's this https://www.hestevard.com/profix-bind.html

 

[TPO]

I used to mix my own but now cheat and rather than mix my own, I buy Feedmark No Fill when it is on 50% off, add some rosehips and mint and feed them 75ml twice a day in addition to the oily herbs.

Composition​

Dandelion leaves, Clivers, Marigold flowers, Ginkgo, Nettle, Hawthorn leaf & flowers, Linseed oil, Permitted preservatives.

Thanks!

I've got a mix of rosemary, thyme and oregano that I feed them. With winter on the horizon I was considering expanding on what they get to make up for the lack of green stuff

 

[LEC]

I have started this week feeding MGH - I like what I read so far and the ingredients are good https://maxgut-health.co.uk/product/max-gut-health-plus/
I did feed protexin for a week but I don’t like the ingredients and a fair part of the make up is filler in the form of crude ash so as soon as the small pot was finished I have switched.
I have a very sad horse at the moment who has some major things going on due to leptospirosis which is being treated but she is being hit very hard in form of antibiotics, steroids and anti inflams so want to add some additional support as very dull in her coat and looking generally crap. I haven’t got the time to start faffing with stuff too much at the moment and longer term anything I feed has to be NOPS.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I'd like to give my TB some probiotics for hind gut issues.
Where to start? Most of the over the counter ones seem to be full of fillers
Which are best?
Is it possible to buy without fillers? I read an article which said I should find one with at least 10 species .... is there one?
A minefield

Depends if you want to care for the bacteria already then or introduce more. that would narrow it down if you want a pro biotic or a prebiotic

 

[Palindrome]

I have started this week feeding MGH - I like what I read so far and the ingredients are good https://maxgut-health.co.uk/product/max-gut-health-plus/
I did feed protexin for a week but I don’t like the ingredients and a fair part of the make up is filler in the form of crude ash so as soon as the small pot was finished I have switched.
I have a very sad horse at the moment who has some major things going on due to leptospirosis which is being treated but she is being hit very hard in form of antibiotics, steroids and anti inflams so want to add some additional support as very dull in her coat and looking generally crap. I haven’t got the time to start faffing with stuff too much at the moment and longer term anything I feed has to be NOPS.

"Crude ash" is not an ingredient, part of a food analysis is to burn it and then weight how much ash is left over in order to know how much organic vs. inorganic stuff it contains.

 

[lynz88]

I was feeding Protexin but switched to Yeasty Magic and found it more effective and cheaper as it doesn't have any fillers.

I also recommend thr equibiome route having done it with mine and seen a massive difference.

 

[Hollylee1989]

Have a talk with clare from radiance gold, she designed this product herself. I use it and personally I've found it so beneficial (my horse is prone to gas colic, he would have 3-4 bouts a year, since feeding this and strip grazing we're now 14 months without one). Also clears up runny bottoms. Contains no fillers too