Vets are still debating about whether a horse has hind gut ulcers, whilst the jury is still out, the fact remains that hind gut disease continues to be the largest killer of horses (colic) and the commonest source of discomfort (colitis) in a high percent (68%) of all horses. From this it does seem gastric problems in horses are common, the gastrointestinal tract and microbial community are altered by poor diet, fatigue, stress, use of antibiotics, long periods in the stable and the use of NSAID’s so it makes sense to examine the hind gut population first and to check for links from the bacteria to diseases of the gut.
Other links to disease
The gut bacteria have links to syndromes such as EMS, obesity and endocrinopathic laminitis.
Long Term Imbalances
Many imbalances have been established for a long time, in these cases the horse doesn’t respond to a change of diet or medication, occasionally some improvement is seen but long- term relief is difficult to establish.
The Equibiome test uses state of the art technology, (the same technology is currently revolutionising human research and health care management) and the phenomenal data is interpreted by an experienced team of biochemists, equine microbiologists and geneticists into an easy to read report.
The Equibiome test produces accurate and relevant data, with follow up prebiotic therapy to detect imbalances, restore and repopulate the biome of poorly performing horses and those with dysbiosis [microbial imbalance].
Equibiome is the first equine dedicated laboratory service, specialising in the identification of the equine hind gut microbial population and its relationship to health and performance. It uses the latest MiSeq Next Generational Sequencing technology to produce a snapshot of the internal microbial population, identifying imbalances, inflammation, pain, poor immunity and reduced gut wall integrity.
Diet
It can be almost impossible to find a suitable diet for a horse with hind gut problems and there is much conflicting nutritional advice, however as the Equibiome faecal test identifies thousands of microbes within the hind gut, this takes the guess work out of the what, why and how to feed your horse.
Seventy percent of the energy is produced in the hind gut, the type and ratio of energy produced is vital for immunity, temperament and health of the gut wall. Managing the hind gut has never been possible before the development of next generational sequencing of the bacteria DNA. The test is so accurate that it can identify water contamination (arsenic/nitrate/nitrite), dietary deficiencies, mineral and vitamin imbalances, acidosis, antibiotic resistant bacteria and emerging pathogens.
The test provides in depth, accurate and relevant information on the type of diet that can restore health and stability to the whole horse. Each horse is given a personalized and easy to understand dietary and health report.
