Did you miss EquiSUMMIT™ 2024 on Dec. 3 and 4? Don’t worry! We have you covered with recaps of every presentation. Check out the full presentations in the links below, where you can learn how to unlock gut health and stress solutions for your horse from the experts.
Heat Stress: What is Going on Inside Your Horse in Hot Weather
“Heat stress negatively impacts gut health and immune and metabolic function. It likely increases your horse's risk for ulcers and colic. It's going to decrease performance.”
— Dr. Clair Thunes, Principal and Owner of Summit Equine Nutrition LLC and Co-creator and Co-host of Scoop & Scale podcast
Dr. Clair Thunes’ presentation on heat stress highlights the profound physiological changes this condition can have on horses, including heavy sweating, a unique mechanism critical to helping horses regulate their body temperatures. Beyond the visible effects of heat stress, it can cause significant internal complications, including changes in muscle metabolism and gut health problems like Leaky Gut Syndrome, colic, and ulcers.
Dr. Thunes encourages looking for feeds that use technologies to counter the negative impacts of heat stress and reminds horse owners to be cautious about working horses in hot weather.
Leaky Gut Syndrome in Horses: Real Issue or Red Herring?
“The gut really is a critical player in immune responses and inflammation, and certainly the microbiome is a big player in this.”
— Dr. Wendy Pearson, Associate Professor of Equine Physiology at the University of Guelph
Dr. Wendy Pearson discusses the emerging understanding of Leaky Gut Syndrome in horses, highlighting recent research findings that link conditions like gastric ulcers and medications such as phenylbutazone to increased gastrointestinal permeability. Despite its significance, leaky gut remains a relatively unexplored area in equine health, with limited literature on the topic.
While insights from research in other species are being used to create theoretical frameworks for understanding leaky gut in horses, Dr. Pearson emphasizes the importance of future research to investigate its implications specific to horses further and to develop effective management strategies.
Feed Form and its Impact on Equine Health
“Because of the grinding and the cooking [with extrusion], we enhance the digestible components of the ingredients.”
— Dr. Randel Raub, Senior Vice President at Kentucky Equine Research
Dr. Randel Raub's presentation highlights the advantages of extrusion in creating superior horse feed. Drawing parallels to its use in dog and cat food, Dr. Raub emphasizes that extrusion enhances digestibility and safety for horses. Unlike traditional pelleted feeds, extruded feeds break down at lower pressure (10 to 14 pounds), reducing the risk of choking. Additionally, the increased jaw movement required for chewing extruded feeds stimulates saliva production, which helps buffer stomach acidity and protect the lining.
Dr. Raub also explains how the extrusion process improves the digestibility of starches and proteins, ensuring better nutrient absorption before reaching the hindgut and providing significant nutritional benefits for horses.
Nutritional Management Crucial for Gut Health
“Over the last several years, we've realized the importance of gut health. So we have to feed for gut health of the horse as well [as overall health].”
— Dr. Robert E. Bray, Consulting Equine Nutritionist for Star Milling Company
Dr. Robert E. Bray's presentation emphasizes the critical role of nutritional management in maintaining gut health for horses. He highlights the need for feeding programs that prioritize gut health while also meeting energy and nutrient requirements. Dr. Bray also addresses management guidelines for various forages, concerns related to the use of complete feeds, and alternative fiber sources that can support optimal gut health in horses.
The Microbiome: What Does It Mean for Immunity?
“The microbiome is unique to each horse like a fingerprint … there are many variables that can affect each horse's microbiome.”
— Dr. Liz Schatz, SmartPak Staff Veterinarian
Dr. Liz Schatz's presentation highlights the essential role of the microbiome in equine immunity, noting that 70% of a horse's immune system resides in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. She explains the complexity of equine GI anatomy, with distinct digestion processes occurring in the foregut and hindgut. Dr. Schatz also discusses how the microbiome can impact horse behavior, with disruptions potentially leading to anxiety, spookiness, and stereotypies.
Dr. Schatz emphasized the need for future research to deepen our understanding of the critical microbiome-gut-brain axis and its implications for many equine diseases.
Inside Out: Tackling Equine Ulcers
“Researchers estimate that around 60% of performance horses experience ulcers and over 90% of racehorses.”
— Dr. Jyme Nichols Ph.D., Equine Nutritionist and Creator of Feed Room Chemist podcast
Dr. Jyme Nichols' presentation on equine ulcers provides an in-depth look at their prevalence, causes, and prevention strategies. She explains that approximately 60% of performance horses and over 90% of racehorses experience gastric ulcers, also called equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS). Ulcers are often caused by everyday stressors like training, travel, and stalling. Because horses are monogastric animals, they are particularly vulnerable when they lack constant access to food. High-starch diets, such as those containing oats, can exacerbate ulcers, making dietary management critical.
Dr. Nichols emphasized the importance of working with veterinarians and equine nutritionists to implement effective preventative measures and care.