Winter has officially arrived, and for us horsey guys and girls that means a whole lot of mud and lost wellies. But what does it mean for our horses? In the winter the evident drop in temperature means a loss of nutrients from the grass, meaning changes in your horse’s diet. It is also inevitable that during the colder, wetter, darker months many horses spend more time in their stables. These changes to diet and routine can have a significant impact on the health and integrity of your horse’s gut. This is due to an imbalance of the gut-flora which can cause problems such as ulcers, diarrhoea, and poor body condition.
Your horses gut health is pivotal to their all-round health so needs to be protected all year round, whatever the season. So here are some essential tips to help support your horse’s gut throughout the winter.
Provide Ad-Lib Hay/ Haylage
Forage is the foundation of your horse’s diet. The fibre in it is broken down by billions of microbes in the fermentation process. This provides your horse with an energy source and releases heat to keep them warm, with both of these factors helping to maintain condition. The quality of hay and haylage can vary greatly depending on when it was baled, it is important to feed good quality forage that is full of nutrients and not just dust.
Where possible hay/ haylage should be fed ad-lib. If this isn’t an option for you then ensure it is fed regularly. Also, if your horse is turned out during the winter then putting hay/haylage in their field will help to guarantee they have access to a constant supply of food for optimal gut health. Too little forage can put your horse at risk of colic, ulcers and other digestive problems.
Keep your horse hydrated
Horses naturally drink less in the winter but is still the most important nutrient in their diet. Dehydration increases the risk of gut issues such as impaction. It is therefore crucial for a healthy gut because it keep contents hydrated and stimulates gut motility, reducing the risk of colic.
If your horse is disinclined to drink, you could try soaking feeds or hay. Offering warm water (ideally between 7-18 degrees C) can also encourage drinking.
Make changes to diet gradually
Any abrupt changes can upset the balance of gut flora. Changes should be made over a few weeks by introducing gradually and following relevant feeding advice for the product.
Keep high- starch feeds to a minimum
It is important to keep starch from cereals to a minimum because horses have limited capacity to digest it in the small intestine. If undigested the excess starch reaches the hindgut, here it is rapidly fermented, producing lactic acid and lowering the pH. In turn this creates a more acidic environment, leading to inflammation of the gut, and increasing the likelihood of colic or laminitis.
Fibre should always be the first choice when it comes to choosing your horses food. However, if your horses exercise levels or condition means they require more energy its best to source through feeds such as unmolassed chaff or sugar-beet, by grass chop or pellets or oil such as linseed.
Promote Microbe health by diversity
Research suggests the equine hindgut microbiome contains a diverse range of bacterial species. An assorted diet encourages a diverse microbiome, which in turn promotes a healthy gut, and a healthy gut means a healthy horse.
You can increase diversity within your horse’s hindgut throughout the winter by feeding varied forages like mixed meadow hay or by giving a supplement that contains a mix of natural herbs, like Summerhill Gut Health. Summerhill contains five natural herbs to promote diversity within the gut microbiome and maintain optimal gut health.
Try a Supplement that incorporates Prebiotics and Probiotics
If your horse is prone to gut problems, has experienced diarrhoea, or you’d just like to protect their gut health, feeding good quality prebiotic and probiotics daily will help to promote the growth of good bacteria whilst promoting overall digestive health.
Check out Summerhill Supplements Gut Health, containing a prebiotic and probiotic balance combined with 5 natural herbs and limestone flour for healing an ulcerated gut and maintenance of healthy digestive tract.
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