The EquiBiome Test takes the guesswork out of gastric health and diet
How can EquiBiome help my horse?
The modern horse lives very differently from the horse its digestive system evolved for.
Over the last 20 years, equine diets have shifted towards highly processed feeds — finely milled cereals, balancers, concentrates and supplements. Yet the horse’s hindgut (the caecum and large colon) evolved to slowly ferment long, fibrous plant material, not rapidly fermentable powders.
When finely milled feeds enter the hindgut, they alter fermentation patterns, microbial balance and resilience. Over time, this can quietly limit performance, reduce digestive stability, and increase susceptibility to issues such as inconsistency, poor recovery, metabolic stress or recurrent gut disturbance — even in horses that outwardly appear well.
Until recently, the hindgut ecosystem could not be meaningfully assessed. Today, advanced genomic techniques allow us to analyse the equine microbiome in detail — identifying the microbial communities responsible for fibre fermentation, energy extraction, resilience and stability.
EquiBiome Analysis uses this insight to help you understand whether your horse’s current diet and management genuinely support its gut ecosystem — or whether subtle imbalances are holding it back.
By analysing the microbiome, we can guide targeted adjustments that go beyond changing feed brands, focusing instead on feeding the microbial community that underpins digestive efficiency, health and performance.
Each EquiBiome faecal sample kit includes clear instructions, and results are delivered in a structured, owner-friendly report with practical recommendations you can act on with confidence.
Why is hind gut health so important?
Equine gut health is important to the horse’s overall health and wellbeing.
The bacteria, fungi, archaea and protozoa living in the horse’s hind gut are directly responsible for energy metabolism.
Energy metabolites can be easily collected and analysed to give a full picture of the microbiome. This information gives valuable insight into the energy produced and whether it is sufficient for performance horses.
The Equibiome Test will also tell you if there are any imbalances associated with discomfort.
Could my horse become ill because of an imbalance?
Veterinary research has consistently shown that imbalances within the gut microbiome are linked to poor health outcomes in horses. When beneficial bacteria are reduced or overwhelmed, opportunistic and potentially harmful microbes can gain ground, disrupting the stability of the gut ecosystem.
This loss of microbial balance — often referred to as dysbiosis — is associated with digestive discomfort, inflammation, colic risk and reduced resilience. In some cases, microbial imbalance in the gut may also influence health beyond the digestive system, particularly where gut barrier function is compromised.
Healthy horses consistently show a different microbial profile from horses with dysbiosis. One common finding is reduced levels of beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium, which play an important role in supporting gut stability, limiting inflammatory species, and producing metabolites that contribute to overall health.
Through a simple faecal sample,
the EquiBiome Analysis provides a detailed picture of the horse’s gut microbiome. This insight allows diet and management to be adjusted in a targeted way, creating an environment where beneficial microbes can thrive and the gut ecosystem can regain balance and resilience.
About Equibiome
EquiBiome is a specialist team working at the intersection of biochemistry, equine microbiology and genomics. Our purpose is to help horse owners better understand the health and resilience of the hindgut — and to remove much of the guesswork around feeding and gut management.
We use advanced genomic analysis to generate accurate, meaningful microbiome data, which is then carefully interpreted to support informed decisions around diet, management and gut stability. Rather than focusing on single bacteria or quick fixes, The EquiBiome Analysis looks at the balance, resilience and functional capacity of the gut ecosystem as a whole.
If you have any questions about the Equibiome test, please visit our FAQs page. For more information on the latest research and the equine microbiome, please visit our blog.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Equibiome Blog
Our blog features a number of articles covering a range of equine gut health topics. We comment on the latest research, offer insights into the role of hind gut bacteria and provide more information on the Equibiome Test and Report. Our latest blog articles are featured below:
