Why Feed Probiotics?
Almost every article you read about probiotics will tell you that the word itself literally means “for life”. Probiotics are the live beneficial bacterial organisms that contribute to the health and balance of the intestinal tract and because of this, have become an increasingly popular ingredient in horse supplements. The use of probiotics dates back thousands of years. In fact, many people today rely on yogurt with active cultures as their source of probiotics. But what does that mean for the horse owner?
Horses are by definition a repository of good and bad bacteria. Managing the delicate harmony between the two is the key to maintaining good digestive health. The equine athlete, pony, miniature, trail horse and breeding stock all have nutritional requirements that evolved from centuries of grazing in lush pastures. With domestication, most horses now face a diet of processed food, stored hays and grasses provided on intermittent feed schedules. There are few grazing opportunities, especially in winter months. Performance horses are often kept in small stalls year round and rarely turned out. Add to this the use of worming products, rounds of antibiotics or other medications, regular vaccinations and you can begin to see that the probability of naturally cultivating an ample source of the friendly intestinal flora found in probiotics is unlikely.
The fragile composure of bacteria in the gut is also easily disturbed by changes in weather, stall confinement, altering the diet, and stress. The rigors of competition can cause drastic shifts in the microflora brought about by the strain of transportation, intense workouts, dehydration and nervousness.
Feeding probiotics is a preventative therapy that utilizes good bacteria to edge out the effects of the bad bacteria. This balancing act is necessary to maintain maximum digestive efficiency. Providing a consistent level of friendly bacteria in the digestive tract has been proven to decrease the incidence of gastrointestinal disorders, supports the immune system and will effectively allow maximum absorption of all other nutrients.
When considering the beneficial health effects of probiotics, it’s also important to contemplate the journey through the digestive system that the product must survive in order to be advantageous. The process of digestion begins by grinding the food and mixing it with saliva. It then passes through the esophagus, into the acidic environment of the stomach and finally its destination within the gut. SMOOTH RUN probiotics are microencapsulated which allows them to survive oral ingestion and finally reach the intestinal tract where it’s potential can be realized.
Daily feeding of SMOOTH RUN promotes efficient feed utilization and aids digestion while improving general health, temperament and performance. Our philosophy is simple: The reason the proprietary probiotic and digestive enzymes of SMOOTH RUN are so important to the diet is that what really matters when supplementing your horse is how well he utilizes the nutrients you take the time to give.
