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There are many probiotic supplement products on the market in Australia. There has been some discrepancies in the efficacy of feeding a probiotic supplement to horses for many years, and if it actually will help the equine athlete? There has been quite a bit of research to answer this question. One most well known studies was conducted by Kentucky Equine Research.

Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D is a nutritionist for KER and suggests that:

"The intestinal microbiome serves several important functions in horses, including producing short-chain fatty acids that serve as a horse’s primary energy source,”

This suggests that probiotics benefit horses and equine athletes by improving the health of fungi, bacteria and parasites and yeast the comprise the equine intestinal microbiome.2

In general probiotics are naturally occurring good bacteria that can be supplemented by the addition of live bacteria to the horses intake. Prebiotics on the other hand do not include live bacteria or other organisms.

Prebiotics are typically inert complex sugars that are non-digestible, that provide a source of nutrition for the existing bacteria in the hind gut. The ensure the populate of bacteria is health and abundant.

Each horse or pony is different, and the requirement of a 25 year old retired pony may be completely different that a high level showjumper in it's prime. The general health and well being of the horses at the beginning of the supplement addition should also be taken into consideration. The supplement should be added daily to your horse or ponies feed.

The recommended rates are below:

• 20 g / 2 scoops - Horses in work, under stress, weanlings, lactating mares, mares late gestation
• 10g - Horses not in work, ponies under 200kg

In most cases there is no issues with the animal consuming the supplement. If they generally are a good eater, they wont even know the supplement is in the feed. However in some cases where they are already picky eaters, or overly anxious, the addition to they feed may be like any new inclusion. In this case we recommend introducing in-sideout in small amounts over a few days or a week.

You can also mix the supplement with water and use a syringe like you would a working paste. Generally as the supplement begins to take effect over a few weeks, the horse or ponies appetite will improve as their overall intestinal health and overall well-being improves.

There is no need to answer this question as we have a dedicated product, in-sideout Dog & Cat for small animals that provides the same probiotic benefits to your cat or dog, and is specifically formulated for canines and felines.