The horse’s stomach is designed to process feed all the time (picture the happy horse grazing all day in the field), so produces acid constantly to digest the food. However, this constant supply of acid can cause problems if the horse is off food for any length of time (e.g. the 6 hour drive from Perth to Geraldton to play polocrosse for the weekend), competing in a 40km endurance ride, unable to graze (e.g. the time between feeds stood in a yard) or if feed availability is low (e.g. summer in Perth with little to no green pick and no access to ad lib hay). If there is no food in the stomach, this acid can reek havoc on the lining of the stomach and may lead to gastric ulcers. This situation is worsened if the horse is worked on a empty stomach, because the acid sloshes up into the un-protected region of the stomach once the horse moves out of a walk (imagine what happens at a gallop…).
So what is the solution? Well, firstly you need to make the digestive health of your horse a priority with a product such as our Equine Digestion Bars. Secondly, you need to actively work to protect the digestive system of the horse during high risk periods or work, travel and competition.
Top tips for a healthy digestive tract:
1. Make sure that your horse has access to pasture or hay so that they can eat regularly and their stomach can function as designed.
2. Offer your horse a small amount of lucerne chaff prior to work to help to buffer the stomach acid during work (chewing lucerne is thought to have antacid properties)
3. Give the horse our Digestive Support Elixir (either mixed through a small amount of chaff or syringed down the horse’s throat) or our Equine Pre-work Bars prior to work and travel to help to buffer the stomach acid, and protect the stomach lining during these vulnerable times.
Contact us or buy now to help maintain your horse’s healthy digestive system this year.
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