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.
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 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.
Equine America ULS-gard Pelletshave been formulated using carefully selected ingredients to help maintain gastric health and comfort including:
Slow-release calcium and magnesium from marine algae, to help support a healthy gut pH.
Lecithin- a special type of fat which to support healthy stomach lining cells.
Pectins, Marshmallow root and Liquorice- to help produce mucilage which acts as a physical barrier for the unprotected upper portion of the stomach.
Aloe Vera and Glycine- to help support a healthy gastric mucosa (lining of the stomach).
High nucleotide yeast- to providebeta-glucanswhich help to increase the viscosity of stomach contents, and provide nutritional support for a healthy gastric mucosa.
Pre and Probioticsto support a healthy gut microbiome.
Alfalfa and soya hullsto provide a fibrous "mat" and to help maintain a healthy gastric pH.