1. How do I know if my horse needs stomach support, hindgut support, or both?
It can be tough to know what kind of GI tract support your horse needs. However, since your horse’s stomach and hindgut have very different functions and their own unique problems, choosing the right support is important. Let’s take a look at what can lead to the various problems in your horse’s foregut and hindgut so you can make a smart choice for your horse.
Horses are known as “trickle feeders,” meaning they’re designed to frequently take in food throughout the day. (If it were up to him, your horse would spend up to 17 hours every day grazing!) As a result, your horse is constantly producing stomach acid. However, many horses have a diet composed of infrequent meals of hay and grain, with much of the day spent with an empty stomach. This leaves your horse’s sensitive stomach lining
exposed to harsh gastric acid, which can cause lesions. If your horse has a history of gastric upset, or is under stress from training, competing, traveling, or living in a stall, a supplement that will help maintain his stomach health is a smart choice.
When your horse’s hindgut isn’t functioning properly, it can lead to a variety of digestive issues, including excess gas, loose stool, and even potentially fatal complications. Supplements that support the hindgut are designed to help your horse manage digestive stress caused by hay changes, grain changes, training, travel, and more.
you may have noticed, many of the risk factors that can lead to gastric issues can also put your horse at risk for hindgut problems. That’s why there are supplements designed to provide comprehensive support for the entire gastrointestinal tract, from stomach to hindgut. If your horse is under stress from training and traveling or is prone to digestive disturbances, support for both the stomach and the hindgut is the optimal choice.
2. Are ulcers and colic the same thing?
Since the word colic simply means “abdominal pain,” it technically refers to any painful condition inside your horse’s abdomen, which houses his entire GI tract. Therefore, a horse suffering from painful ulcers in the stomach is technically experiencing colic. However, there are other conditions, many of which occur in the hindgut, that also cause mild, intermittent, or recurring colic, so a horse can experience colic without experiencing ulcers, too.
3. I know constant access to fresh hay is key, but my horse gobbles his hay up right away! What can I do?
If your horse vacuums up his hay in two seconds flat, consider getting him a small hole hay net. The smaller openings restrict access to the hay inside so your horse will slow down and enjoy his hay longer (and you’ll have a lot less waste).
I bought a 13 year old QH mare. She has had a runny nose since I bought her. I can’t get a straight answer from any vet. I know it’s not good. I’ve had her on senior health supplements. What might be some of the causes? And cures? Thanks for any help.
Assuming she has no fever, and the discharge is clear or white (not yellow or green, which would suggest infection), I would consider that she may have a hay/feed allergy. My gelding is allergic to orchard grass and his eyes and nose trickle watering discharge constantly and he develops a cough over time. Try a gradual transition to a different hay (my guy gets mostly alfalfa – I know many think alfalfa is the devil, but it works for him) or, as an alternative, soak her current hay by covering with water in a wheelbarrow or cart for 15-20 minutes before feeding. This will help to knock down, pollen, dust and mold which may be irritating her upper respiratory tract and causing the runny nose. If soaking is a pain or not practical, pelleted hay can be more tolerable for horses prone to allergies. Omega Horseshine is an excellent supplement for horses with allergies. My gelding is actually able tolerate one flake of orchard grass now and no longer has chronic insect skin allergies. Good luck!