29/10/2025
🌿 Is Your Horse’s Hindgut the Hidden Cause of Digestive Discomfort?
It’s well known that horses in training or competition are prone to gastric ulcers, but what many horse owners don’t realise is that ulcers and irritation can also occur further down the digestive tract — in the small intestine (duodenal ulcers) and hindgut or colon (colonic ulcers, often referred to as Right Dorsal Colitis).
Horses suffering from these “hidden” gut issues can show a wide range of subtle signs — soft or “cow-pat” manure, recurring mild colic, bloating or gassiness, sensitivity when brushed along the flanks, loss of appetite, weight loss, or just that ‘off’ attitude under saddle.
These problems are often linked to hindgut acidosis, microbiota imbalance, or mycotoxin irritation caused by high-grain diets, stress, long-term anti-inflammatory NSAID drug use, or poor fibre digestion.
🧠 Understanding the “Hidden” Ulcers
The causes, symptoms and management of gastric ulcers is becoming well known. Ulcers in the small intestine and hindgut are not as common but can develop from time to time.
📍 Duodenal Ulcers occur in the upper small intestine and are often seen in conjunction with stomach ulcers. They’re linked to:
• Intensive training and confinement
• NSAID medications like phenylbutazone (“bute”)
• High-grain or heat-processed feeds low in natural mucilages and fibre
Common signs include:
🐴 Loss of appetite
🐴 Gradual weight loss despite good feeding
🐴 Mild or recurring colic
🐴 Smelly, poorly formed droppings
🐴 Spending long periods lying down or appearing uncomfortable after meals
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📍 Colonic Ulcers (Right Dorsal Colitis) affect the large intestine (hindgut) — the area responsible for fibre fermentation and much of your horse’s natural energy production.
Recent studies have found up to half of performance horses in regular training with gastric ulcers may have colonic ulceration.
Typical signs can include:
⚠️ Intermittent colic or flank sensitivity
⚠️ “Girthy” behaviour or discomfort when brushed over the belly
⚠️ Soft, cow-pat manure or intermittent diarrhoea
⚠️ Unexplained weight loss
⚠️ Dull coat, poor topline, or reduced performance
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🏇 Management Tips for Recovery and Prevention
✔️ Avoid or reduce long-term NSAID use — discuss alternatives with your vet.
✔️ Feed small, frequent meals with high-quality forage (lucerne, beet pulp, lupin hulls).
✔️ Provide Omega-3 oils such as Energy Gold™ to support natural intestinal immunity.
✔️ Allow regular turnout or hand grazing to relieve digestive stress.
✔️ Use supplements that ‘coat’ to protect and nourish the gut lining — not just buffer acid (for example Kohnke’s Own Gastro-Coat).
✔️ Use of a digestive supplement that targets the gastro-intestinal system to improve hindgut function, such as Kohnke’s Own FABBY. This supplement maintains a good stomach and small intestinal lining, plus is particularly helpful to the optimal health and digestive function of the equine hindgut.
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💚 FABBY® – For a Fabulous Hindgut, Naturally!
Kohnke’s Own FABBY® is a unique, multi-action digestive supplement formulated to support total gut function, balance microbiota, and aid natural recovery from hindgut irritation or excess hindgut acid build-up that can often lead to colonic ulcers.
It contains a powerful combination of:
✅ Functional Fibres – to help support normal gut motility and aid healthy fermentation.
✅ Active Yeasts and Probiotics – live beneficial microbes that help reduce hindgut acidity and support balanced bacterial populations.
✅ Beneficial Prebiotics – to ‘feed’ good bacteria and improve fibre and starch digestion.
✅ Broad-Spectrum Mycotoxin Binders – to help minimise digestive disturbances from feed-based mycotoxins.
✅ Specific Amino Acids, including L-Glutamine and L-Threonine – to help nourish and fuel the cells of the intestine for improved barrier function and mucosal lining health.
Together, these ingredients help to maintain a stable and efficient gut environment — the key to optimal digestion, nutrient absorption, and long-term hindgut health.
Because a healthy gut = a happy, healthy horse. 🐴✨
