Equine Gut Health: Why Your Horse’s Happiness Starts in the Stomach
Ever had a horse that’s girthy, moody, fussy with feed, losing weight, or just not quite right? You might chalk it up to personality or age, but chances are, there’s something deeper going on.
At NZ Tack, we’re all about helping you get the best out of your horses and that means looking at things holistically. One of the biggest game changers we’ve seen lately? Paying attention to horses gut health.
How Does Gut Health Work in Horses?
In simple terms, a horse's gut health is all about how well their digestive system is functioning. Good equine gut health plays three key roles:
- Digesting and absorbing the horses feed properly
- Acting as a barrier against harmful pathogens and toxins
- Hosting trillions of bacteria that support digestion, immunity, and even behaviour (this is the horses gut microbiome).
Your horse's gut includes the foregut (stomach and small intestine) and the hindgut (cecum and colons). When everything runs smoothly, you have a happy, healthy horse. But when it doesn’t, things can go downhill - quickly.
Why Gut Health Matters So Much in Horses
More and more research is revealing that many common issues - often dismissed as just part of a horse’s nature - are actually linked to the horse having poor gut health. These include:
- Gastric ulcers
- Weight loss
- Mood and behavioral changes
- Soft, smelly manure or scouring
- Laminitis
- Colic
- Girthiness
- Poor coat and hoof condition
- Loss of appetite or picky eating
Even subtle signs, like stiffness on one rein, or anxiety at feed time can indicate your horse may have gut imbalances.
Did you know? A horse’s hindgut contains more than 100 trillion bacteria. Maintaining the right balance of these bacteria is essential to your horse’s overall health.
Good vs. Bad Bacteria
The good bacteria in your horse’s gut thrive on fibre: hay, grass, and chaff. These bacteria help break down feed into usable energy, support immunity, and promote a stable mood and condition.
On the other hand, bad bacteria feed on starches (often grains) and sugars. Excessive starch in the diet can lead to acid build-up (hindgut acidosis), inflammation, and damage to the gut lining. This can result in serious conditions like colic, ulcers, or even lead to laminitis.
Common Causes of Poor Gut Health in Horses
Many standard feeding and management practices can unintentionally harm your horse’s gut health. Key culprits include:
- Feeding too much grain or starch
- Not providing enough fibre
- Feeding large, infrequent meals
- Changing feeds too quickly
- Extended periods in stables
- Competition or travel stress
- Overuse of anti-inflammatories or antibiotics
If any of these sound familiar, don’t worry, there are simple steps you can take to improve your horse’s digestive health.
Three Simple Ways to Improve Your Horse’s Gut Health
1. Feed More Fibre
Horses should consume 1.5–2% of their body weight in forage daily. For a 500 kg horse, that means 7.5–10 kg of hay, chaff, or pasture (dry matter, and New Zealand grass can be up to 80% water) per day. Fibre feeds the good bacteria, helps buffer stomach acid, and supports your horse's overall digestive function.
Great fibre options include:
- Future Feeds Timothy, Lucerne, Oaten or Meadow Chaff
- Fibre Fresh Range (Fiber Protect, Fiber Boost, Fiber Meadow, etc.)
- Cool Fibre & Cool Fibre Extra
2. Be Smart With Grain
If you choose to feed your horse grain, do so in small meals, no more than 1 kg per feed for a 500 kg horse. Except for oats, all grains should be cooked (extruded, micronised, or steam-flaked) to aid digestion and reduce starch overload in the hindgut. Supplements with digestive enzymes can also help ensure your horse can digest the grain in their diet.
Great options include:
3. Feed a Balanced Diet
Make sure your horse’s diet provides adequate protein, vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients are critical for gut repair, immune function, and long-term health.
Options to support vitamin and mineral balance:
Options to increase protein:
When Extra Support Is Needed
Sometimes dietary changes aren’t enough especially if your horse is dealing with ulcers, travel or training stress, or has had long-term gut issues.
In these cases, a targeted digestive supplement can make a big difference. We recommend Digestive EQ, or Digestive HP for performance horses and horses recovering from gut health issues. These NZ made supplements are designed to support, protect, and restore your horses gut health using a powerful combination of:
- Digestive enzymes (EQ has one, HP has two)
- Essential amino acids (EQ has four, HP has five)
- pH buffers to help protect the gut from acid (HP has more)
- Specific yeast prebiotics and postbiotics ideal for supporting horses gut health. Prebiotics feed beneficial bacteria and postbiotics are beneficial byproducts and components produced by 'good' bacteria. (HP has more)
These gut health supplements are ideal for horses recovering from gut damage, going through stressful periods, or just daily gut support for all horses to aid long-term health.
The Bottom Line: Don’t Ignore the Horses Gut
Gut health plays a major role in your horse’s physical wellbeing, behavior, and performance. Many health and behavioral issues we see today can be traced back to imbalances or damage in the digestive tract.
Next time your horse seems “off,” consider what’s going on inside their gut. A healthier digestive system might be the key to a happier, more comfortable, and better-performing horse.
