Adapted from Kauter et al. Animal Microbiome (2019) 1:14 Animal Microbiome
https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-019-0013-3
When you hear the terms “archaea”, “bacteria”, “fungi”, “parasites”, and “protozoa”: what is the first thing that comes to mind? Highschool Biology? Diseases? Maybe that one person, you know, that one that just isn’t a nice human. While all of these answers are probably correct, there is a better one. What if I told you the first thing that should come to mind is your horse’s gut?
All animals, including ourselves, have microorganisms that reside within our bodies. The combination, interactions, and subsequent functions of which can be so specific to the body they belong to that they could even be used as a fingerprint of sorts. Horses are no exception. The set of microorganisms found in the gut are referred to as the microbiota. The microbiota, along with all the genetic material it contains, makes up the microbiome of the gut. It is about this point that I am sure you are wondering why on earth your horse would need things like fungi and bacteria floating around their innards. Well, it’s all because they eat grass.
Being herbivores, horses have a very specifically designed hindgut. This allows them to break down plant materials for optimal nutritional gain. The microbiota plays a massive role in this process as they are responsible for the fermentation process that results in the energy your horse needs. Is that biology lesson ringing a bell again? On top of that, not all plant materials can be digested by the gut. The microbiota are then responsible for breaking down things like cellulose. This increases bioavailability and allows your horse to absorb essential nutrition. So what do we know? We know there is a strong relationship between the gut microbiota and the function of the gut. We also know that horses have a very specific microbiota that has to assist their digestion. So, it is then safe to assume that a disruption of the microbiota can be detrimental to your horse’s health, well-being, and performance. How then do we maintain it?
The first and most important thing is a balanced diet. Without this, neither your horse nor its microbiota stand a chance. The next important thing is to ensure that the proportions of microorganisms remain, as far as possible, the same. Events like infections, spouts of diarrhea, anesthetic, and even the use of antibiotics can have a massive detrimental effect on your horse’s gut health. Inflammation in the gut and any form of colic can also disrupt the normal proportions of microorganisms. To sum it up, to have a healthy gut, you need a healthy horse. To have a healthy horse, you need a healthy gut. But we all know illness, colics, injury, and infections can be inevitable. So how do we rectify the gut when something does go astray?
The term “probiotics” is a household term at this point. In 2001 The World Health Organization, along with the Food and Agriculture Organization, of the United Nations described probiotics as “live strains of strictly selected microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host”. Since the early 2000s we have learned that probiotics also need to be proven to be identifiable, safe, and effective. The same can be said for probiotics created for the equine gut. For a probiotic to be safe and effective in your horse’s gut it needs to be able to adhere to mucus and epithelial cells found along the gut walls. It needs to be able to survive the extreme nature of the stomach and gut environment. Finally, it needs to have antimicrobial effects on the microorganisms you do not want present while contributing positively to the microbiota. So where do you get hold of such a product?
Ahh, now that is where we have you covered.
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