Equine Colic
and Direct-Fed Microbials
Colic. The
five-letter word that all horse owners fear. Many horses
experience colic of various degrees at some point in their lives.
Understanding colic and your horse's susceptibility can lead to a
management program to reduce the incidence or severity of colic.
However, colic may occur due to many reasons and no horse should be
considered "safe" from colic.
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Research studies are attempting to determine the exact causes of colic; however, the answers seem to be evasive. All breeds of horses are susceptible to colic, and gender does not influence the likelihood of colic. Parasite infection, soil consumption, dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, strenuous exercise, or shifts from heavy exercise to no exercise are among the many situations pre-disposing a horse to colic. Changes in a horse's day-to-day activities or schedule alter the body's metabolism and digestive tract function. A steady, constant environment and schedule is the healthiest for your horse. Over-feeding of grain, or even high-concentrate consumption, is cited as the most frequent cause of colic. A confounding factor is that horses fed large amounts of grain are generally undergoing intense training or performance events. However, the greater the grain content in the diet, the greater the risk of colic. Starch from grain and any dietary fat needs to be digested and absorbed in the small intestine. Enzymes breakdown starch into its building block units of glucose, which in turn, are absorbed by the horse. Unfortunately, the limited amount of starch-digesting enzymes secreted by horses may be overwhelmed when high levels of concentration are fed. Undigested starch flow from the small intestine to the forage fermentation vat, known as the large intestine. Starch fermentation changes the microbial balance and pH of the large intestine. Many researchers and horse people cite excessive digestion of starch in the large intestine as the greatest cause of colic. The equine digestive tract features a large intestine design to ferment and utilize grazed forages and hay. Enhancing the microbial population and environment of the large intestine would increase the extraction of energy from forages consumed by the horse. Horses with high-energy requirements should be fed prime-quality hay and then fed a concentrate to fill the energy deficit. Research studies suggest that beneficial bacteria, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Enterococcus faecium, could aid in starch digestion and absorption in the small intestine. Increasing starch utilization in the small intestine would reduce the starch flowing to the large intestine, thereby lowering the potential for digestive upset. Yeast culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is noted for increasing the populations of fiber-digesting and pH-stabilizing bacteria for a more efficient utilization of forages. Supplementing a direct-fed microbial product featuring beneficial bacteria and yeast culture could theoretically increase energy utilization of forages, improve the efficiency of starch utilization and reduce the level of concentrates needed by a horse. An excellent-quality hay or forage is the basis of a sound horse nutrition program. Many horse owners and trainers supplementing the Natur's Way MSE's (Multiple Stabilized Enzymes - the #1 probiotic product in the world) direct-fed microbial products to their horses report the ability to maintain excellent performance and condition in their horses while lowering the concentrate proportion of the diet. Horses vary greatly in their metabolism and digestive efficiencies, and should be monitored individually for their response to the MSE products and need for concentrates to obtain optimal results. The MSE products do not prevent or treat colic. However, many horse owners and trainers utilize the MSE products as management tools in their nutrition and performance programs. Put Your Horse on The MSE track! Trainers and owners report that providing the MSE products to their horses results in:
Supplement your horse's diet with live acid-producing bacteria, yeast, fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and vitamins in Natur's Way MSE direct-fed microbial products. Natur's Way MSE direct-fed microbials - the natural way The appearance and performance of your horse is dependent upon the proper digestive track health. Birth, weaning, transporting, environment conditions, strenuous training, athletic performance and antibiotic therapy can upset the digestive tract. The unique combinations of natural lactic acid-producing bacteria, enzymes, and specialized proteins in the Natur's Way MSE products help to ensure a healthy digestive track and peak performance. Learn more about MSE Direct-fed Microbials for your horse here.
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