Horses are designed to trickle feed – grazing for up to 16 hours a day. This means that they need to constantly secrete acid to help digest this almost continual source of food entering their stomach. A grazing horse will also produce up to 9 gallons of saliva a day which as well as lubricating the food, also acts to help maintain a healthy gastric pH.
Furthermore, the physical presence of food in the stomach acts as a fibrous “mat” or barrier to support gastric health.
The horse has a small stomach, and food does not stay in there for very long, so even short periods during the day without access to forage should be minimised.
Providing a small amount of forage, such as a handful of chaff, prior to exercise will also support gastric health and comfort.
There are a number of additional management tips which may also help support gastric health:
- Plan yard and field regimes to avoid stressors such as bullying or excessive activity near the stable.
- Avoid high starch feeds and instead use a forage-based regime with digestible fibre sources and oil to provide additional energy.
- Try to provide periods of turnout or hand-grazing if possible, to enable the horse to benefit from antioxidants in fresh green forage.
- Plan training and competition schedules carefully, especially where long-distance travel may result in restricted forage intake.
Equine America ULS-gard Solutionhas been formulated using carefully selected ingredients to help maintain gastric health and comfort including:
Calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonatehelp to support a healthy gut pH.
Lecithin -a special type of fat that helps to support healthy stomach lining cells.
Pectins, Marshmallow root and Liquorice -to help produce mucilage to help support the unprotected upper portion of the stomach.
Seaweed Gel extract -high molecular weight extract, which swells to many times its original size, forming a protective 'raft' in the stomach, helping to prevent acid splashing.
Aloe Vera and Glycine -to help support the gastric mucosa (lining of the stomach).
Prebiotics -from chicory, to help support a healthy gastric microbiome.
Additional Management factors to help support digestive health and comfort.
- Turnout to grass where practical and possible, ideally with a placid companion, even if only for short periods.
- Ensure ad-lib forage where practical. For good-doers, where calories are restricted, offer very frequent, but controlled amounts of forage, with the largest allocation overnight. Select clean, but low-calorie forage to enable larger amounts to be offered.
- Offer forage in different locations in the stable to encourage natural foraging behaviour.
- Try to reduce social stressors such as bullying stablemates, or proximity to the feed store.
- Feed a good double handful (or 1 round scoop) of alfalfa chaff before exercise or competition warm-up to provide a fibrous "mat" in the stomach - even if forage is available in the stable or lorry.
- Consider replacing some starch-based calories with Equine America Supreme Omega Oil in the diet.
Benefits of ULS-gard Solution
- Natural, nutritional support for gastric health and comfort (Calcium, magnesium, lecithin, pectin, glycine).
- Key ingredients traditionally used to soothe the stomach wall (Aloe vera, marshmallow root liquorice).
- Prebioticsfrom chicory to support a healthy microbiome.
- Palatableand easy to mix for fussy feeders.
- Suitable for foals at a reduced serving rate.