A Good Gut Feeling

Part and parcel of being a competition horse is spending long periods of time on the road. While some horses take travelling in their stride, for others it can be a stressful experience — and this can have a knock-on effect on their gastric health.

Aside from travelling, there are any number of other scenarios that can cause anxiety, which in turn can upset your horse’s digestive system. These might include; competing, a change in routine, a change in diet or an inadequate diet, a yard/stable/field swap, injury, illness or box rest.

Top riders understand the importance of giving gastric support where it is needed and feeding a product such as Vetrogut Balance & Protect – which promotes good digestive health through supporting intestinal tissue and the beneficial bacteria, reducing system inflammation, reinforcing the first and second lines of active defence and enhancing nutrient digestibility. It can be hugely beneficial to help prevent acid build up in a horse who is prone to anxiety.

Irish international young event rider Tara Dixon explains that her four-star horse, Master Smart (Fred), has suffered from ulcers in the past and she feeds him Vetrogut Balance & Protect as a matter of course – one scoop a day as a maintenance level and a second scoop, given in a second feed, when Fred is competing or due to travel.

“We are based in Northern Ireland and we often cross the Irish sea for training and competitions,” explains Tara. “Fred is not a good traveller and we have to manage him very carefully. He even has to have a special harness that attaches to the lorry floor to stop him from rearing up and getting his front legs on the tack lockers.”

Tara is careful to keep Fred in the same feeding routine whilst she is away from home and also ensures he has access to hay at all times whilst travelling. “Feeding Fred Vetrogut Balance & Protect has definitely made a big difference,” she says. “He hasn’t had any problems with ulcers since he started on it and I don’t worry nearly so much when he has a long road trip.”

Stress, nutrition and age are the three major factors to impact upon the horse’s immune system function. Young or very old horses are particularly vulnerable, while if a horse does not receive the right nutrition, they might not be effectively protected against illness and disease.

Seasonal changes to your horse’s forage – from reduced turnout over the winter to having more access to grass come the spring, for example – can cause digestive imbalances and a stressed immune system.

In competition animals, it is often stress that is the major influencer on immune function. Constantly placing horses in situations that trigger their anxiety levels – for example transporting them to events and shows where large numbers of unfamiliar horses congregate – increases the risk for them to be exposed to pathogens, making them more susceptible to illness.

Maintaining proper immune system function is therefore paramount and feeding a supplement like Vetrogut Balance & Protect can really help.