Supercharge Your Horse’s Health: The Power of a Thriving Hindgut!

Understanding the Horse’s Digestive System: Why the Hindgut Is Key to Their Health

Horses are truly fascinating when it comes to their digestive systems. Unlike humans, who primarily digest food in the stomach and small intestine, horses rely heavily on their hindgut - an area that's not only vital for processing food but also hosts a thriving community of microbes that help break down fibrous roughage. Without these microbes, your horse wouldn’t be able to absorb many of the nutrients it needs to thrive.

Let’s take a closer look at why the hindgut is so crucial, how its health impacts your horse, and how prebiotics and probiotics can help keep everything running smoothly.

Horses have a unique digestive system that’s specially adapted to process large amounts of fibrous roughage. The system is broken down into several key parts:

• Mouth and oesophagus: Where food is chewed and swallowed.
• Stomach and small intestine: The location for breaking down proteins and carbohydrates with digestive enzymes.
• Hindgut: The powerhouse of digestion, consisting of the cecum, large and small colon and rectum. This is where the fermentation of fibre and the majority of nutrient absorption happens.

The hindgut is essential because this is where most of the fermentation takes place. It's home to billions of microbes, including bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. These microbes produce volatile fatty acids (VFAs), which provide a significant portion of the horse's energy. Without this fermentation, horses wouldn’t be able to extract the energy and nutrients they need from grass, hay, and other fibrous feeds.

Fibre: The Hero of the Hindgut!

When you think of horse nutrition, fibre should be at the forefront. Fibre is not only a major energy source for your horse, but it also has a critical prebiotic effect. It feeds the beneficial microbes in the hindgut, which helps maintain a healthy microbiome. In simple terms, fibre keeps the good gut bacteria happy.

However, it’s not just about quantity, it’s about quality too. The types of fibre consumed can impact the fermentation process. For example, soluble fibre is quickly fermented, providing energy, while insoluble fibre helps to keep the digestive tract moving and prevents conditions like constipation and colic.

But, as with everything, balance is key. While fibre is essential, feeding too much starch and sugar can lead to serious digestive issues. Let’s take a deeper dive into how these sugars and starches can wreak havoc on your horse's gut.

The Risks of Excess Starch and Sugar

In the wild, horses evolved to graze on low-starch, high-fibre grasses, but modern feeding practices have led to an increase in grain-based feeds and concentrated sugars, especially for performance horses. When horses consume more starch and sugar than their system can handle, these carbohydrates pass undigested into the hindgut, where they are rapidly fermented.

This is a big problem because fermentation of starches and sugars leads to the production of lactic acid, gas, and heat, which disrupt the delicate microbial balance. A sudden increase in lactic acid can lower the pH in the cecum, killing off good bacteria and allowing bad bacteria to overhaul. This can cause major digestive disturbances such as colic, diarrhoea and laminitis.

How does Johnson’s Natural Formula take a Proactive Approach to Decrease Sugar & Starch in their Raw Ingredients?

• Harvesting Height: We make sure to cut the crop at a specific height, leaving more of the plant intact. When crops are cut too short, the plant has to use energy from its roots to regrow, which increases sugar levels. By cutting the plant a little higher, we help it keep more energy in the roots, which lowers the sugar content in the harvested crop.
• Testing: All our raw ingredients are analysed for nutritional content, such as its protein levels, fibre content, moisture, minerals, and other essential nutrients. It also undertakes testing for the sugar and starch content to determine its quality and suitability for our products.

So, what else can we do to keep the Hindgut Happy?

Let’s talk about prebiotics.

These are non-digestible compounds found in foods that act as food for beneficial microbes in the gut. Think of prebiotics as the “fuel” that helps good bacteria thrive and outcompete bad microorganisms.

Johnson’s Natural Formula use Mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) which specifically target and bind to harmful pathogens, preventing them from attaching to the gut lining. Unlike some other prebiotics, which primarily stimulate the growth of beneficial microbes, MOS offers an added benefit by directly reducing the risk of gut infections and maintaining a balanced microbial environment.

The Power of Probiotics in Enhancing Digestion

Just as prebiotics support the good bacteria, probiotics are live microorganisms that help maintain and restore balance to the microbiome. Essentially, probiotics reinforce the army of good microbes in the gut, which can lead to better digestion, improved nutrient absorption, and overall health.

Probiotics are especially beneficial for horses under stress, those in heavy work, or horses consuming large amounts of grain. These factors can put a strain on the gut microbiome, making probiotics an excellent choice to restore balance and keep everything running smoothly.

Is Your Horse a Candidate for Prebiotics or Probiotics?

While many horses could benefit from prebiotics or probiotics, certain signs and circumstances make it particularly worthwhile to consider. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is their manure consistent and healthy? Loose stools or diarrhea may indicate digestive issues.
• Is your horse underweight or struggling to maintain body condition? Digestive imbalances can impair nutrient absorption.
• Is their coat quality dull or lacklustre? Poor coat health can sometimes be a sign of digestive issues.
• Does your horse experience bloating or excessive gas?
• Is your horse consuming a lot of grain or concentrated feeds? Grain can increase the risk of digestive upset.
• Is your horse under stress due to training, travel, or competition?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, it might be worth considering prebiotics or probiotics as part of your horse's diet to maintain a healthy, happy gut.

Luckily, you can find these already included in majority of Johnson’s Natural Formula feeds!