EquiBiome Gut Health For Horses

01/05/2025

Why Horses with Laminitis and EMS Need a Microbiome Test 🧬

If your horse is struggling with laminitis or equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), it’s time to look beyond just diet and exercise. The gut microbiome — the complex community of microbes in the digestive tract — plays a critical role in metabolic health, inflammation, and immune regulation.

🔍 Why test the microbiome?

Laminitic and EMS horses often have imbalances (dysbiosis) in their gut bacteria.

These imbalances can contribute to chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, and poor nutrient absorption.

A microbiome test can reveal which microbes are over- or under-represented and guide targeted support.

✅ With a microbiome test, you can:

Identify harmful bacteria that may be linked to inflammation and insulin dysregulation

Support beneficial microbes that aid in digestion and reduce metabolic stress

Tailor nutrition and supplements based on your horse's unique microbial profile

🎯 Early intervention through gut health could mean faster recovery, fewer flare-ups, and a better quality of life.

💡 Don’t just manage the symptoms — understand the root cause.
📩 Message us to learn more about EquiBiome gut testing for your horse.



www.equibiome.org

14/02/2025

With Spring around the corner, there has never been a better time to check the internal workings of your horse's gut. The microbial community is crucial for health and well-being, there are so many links from the gut to other parts such as the feet, temperament, allergies, and food sensitivities. Take advantage of the 25% discount and start the rebalancing and restoration process, with our help!

14/02/2025

Spring is around the corner, this is a great time to check the health of your horse's gut. It's one of the most important organs of the body. Restoring and rebalancing the microbiome has never been easier, treat your horse with our discount code!

15/11/2024

There has never been a better time to test the microbiome, the bacteria in the gut have strong links to performance, temperament, and disease.
Some horses with colitis go on to develop laminitis, for help email sharon@equibiome.org
Black Friday Discount Code BF24 For 20% discount ends November 30th

Equine faecal test kits for all horses and ponies. Take the guesswork out of what and how to feed your horse with the Equibiome test. A full analysis of the gut bacteria associated with EMS/gastric ulcers/colitis and other gastric conditions.

27/08/2024

The EquiBiome Analysis helps identify levels of stress in competition horses and helps you to manage his well being. Overstressed horses have high levels of gastrointestinal inflammation. Read more on www.equibiome.org. Sign up to the website to receive offers and discount codes. The EquiBiome Analysis is used and trusted by leading trainers, riders and vets around the globe.

18/07/2024

Watery diarrhea is a symptom of colitis. A recent paper analysed the changes in the microbiome of horses with this type of diarrhea.
Some of the horses then went on to develop laminitis and severe colitis, these horses had a different microbiome profile with higher percentages of specific bacteria.
The onset of laminitis has long been associated with a change in the microbial community, an increase in the permeability of the gut wall (intestinal mucosa) allowing microbial toxins to be absorbed across the membrane.
A feature of colitis and laminitis is an increase in Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, and Enterobacteriaceae, creating a change in the pH and an increase in lactate.
During a laminitis event, Enterobacteria increase sharply and then die off equally as quickly causing the release of endotoxins, mucosal damage, and translocation of toxic bacteria byproducts that induce lamellar separation and laminitis.
Feeding probiotics containing lactobacillus at this time is likely to be contra-indicative as the horse already has high levels of this bacteria.
The study suggests that some bacteria are associated with the onset of laminitis and chronic colitis and that diarrhea is the triggering event.
It is possible to rebalance the microbiome if you can identify exactly what bacteria are in the gut community a simple faecal test is all you need to do.
Ayoub, C., Arroyo, L. G., MacNicol, J. L., Renaud, D., Weese, J. S., & Gomez, D. E. (2022). F***l microbiota of horses with colitis and its association with laminitis and survival during hospitalization. Journal of veterinary internal medicine, 36(6), 2213-2223.

09/07/2024

the dietary management of horses with Equine Metabolic Syndrome.
‘’This study demonstrated that oligosaccharide (FOS) supplementation could improve insulin dysregulation in geldings with Equine Metabolic Syndrome suggesting that s*x susceptibility might be a factor to consider. Additionally, a tendency of reduction of obesity-associated bacteria was observed. Furthermore, the diversity of the gut microbiota was significantly dependent on laminitis status and insulin concentrations. ‘’
von Münchow, A., Torp Yttergren, S., Jakobsen, R. R., Luthersson, N., Hansen, A. K., & Lindenberg, F. (2023). Oligosaccharide feed supplementation reduces plasma insulin in geldings with Equine Metabolic Syndrome. Frontiers in Microbiomes, 2, 1194705.

Find out what’s happening in the gut of your horse, laminitis, EMS and obesity are all associated with gastric dysbiosis or imbalance of the gut bacteria.
https://www.equibiome.org/product-page/copy-of-equine-faecal-test-kit-for-gut-imbalances-uk
For horses with insulin dysregulation feed EquiBiome pure FOS powder
https://www.equibiome.org/product-page/equibiome-fos-powder

28/06/2024

What sort of food is suitable for a horse/pony prone to EMS?
For my EMS-prone ponies, a spell in the mixed deciduous wood seems to work, it’s my version of a track system. The wood is cool, and the track is thick with leaves and mulch which the ponies seem to love.
A session in the woods has always triggered their browsing button more than anywhere else. A lot of snuffling and rooting, a bite of this and that, careful picking and choosing, but as the grass is lacking, there can be no gorging grazing sessions, neither do I have to be concerned with what the sugar levels are each day.
This leads me to conclude that suitable foods for the EMS-prone might be other plants than grass.
Why might that be so?
Wild shrubby plants, barks, and mosses are high in bioactive peptides, these have multiple biological beneficial effects and mechanisms ie antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic properties some of these potent bioactive peptides (especially those found in moss) have an anabolic effect that ameliorated obesity and insulin resistance.
High levels of insulin have been linked to high levels of streptococcus in the gut.
Reducing grazing sessions doesn’t reduce streptococcus in the gut, levels can flare up again if the diet contains glucose or carbohydrates.
Antimicrobial bioactive peptides do help reduce strep as do fructo-oligosaccharides.
Strategy
1. Check levels of streptococcus with the EquiBiome EMS test www.equibiome.org
2. Find a wood or a hedge-lined lane/track instead of a field.
3. Feed 40g of pure FOS per day for 2 weeks.
4. Test again in 6 months, levels of strep should remain low if the diet contains bioactive peptides. If you are struggling to access this type of grazing add EMS 1 www.equibiome.org to the diet as it contains a plant steroid with anabolic action.

25/06/2024

In discussion with owners of horses predisposed to EMS there seems to be 4 different grades or subtypes, each with different symptoms and dietary /management requirements. Download the free, easy to read pdf.
https://www.equibiome.org/so/e8P1G4bmI?languageTag=en

24/06/2024

In a group of horses with EMS the Shannon beta diversity score of the gut in horses with insulin concentrations > 60 mIU/L was greater (p = 0.0073) than in horses with insulin concentrations < 60 mIU/L.
Having a biodiverse community of gut bacteria is important because it improves microbiome stability, resilience, and ultimately good health for the horse.
Is it possible to have a diversity score that's too high?
Yes, we have noticed (from our database of thousands of horses) that in horses with EMS the microbial community has a higher than average beta diversity score caused by increase in bacteria that are efficient at extracting nutrients and those that produce anti-inflammatory compounds as secondary metabolites.
These horses have higher levels of Streptococcus and species not present in horses without EMS, these being streptococcus_didelphis, constellatus, caprae and _sanguinis. Streptococcus is related to good metabolism when present in the microbiome at low levels but when percentages increase streptococcus has been proposed as a biomarker for many inflammatory diseases.
The best antimicrobials to reduce streptococcus can be found in green tea and propolis. The EquiBiome EMS test will identify the species of streptococcus and a feeding strategy on how to reduce them.
Some foods help to increase streptococcus, especially sugars and carbohydrates, the gut then becomes more acidic.
Look out for new EquiBiome products to help reduce strep.
EMS Test at www.equibiome.org
Von Münchow, A., Torp Yttergren, S., Jakobsen, R. R., Luthersson, N., Hansen, A. K., & Lindenberg, F. (2023). Oligosaccharide feed supplementation reduces plasma insulin in geldings with Equine Metabolic Syndrome. Frontiers in Microbiomes, 2, 11947

18/06/2024

Metformin is used in horses with diagnosed EMS and/or in horses with chronic or recurrent laminitis. It inhibits gluconeogenesis, decreases hepatic glucose production, and increases glucose transporter type 4 on the cell membranes of skeletal muscle cells.
But, the oral bioavailability of Metformin in horses is poor (3.9-7.1%).

Metformin changes the gut microbiome composition in humans by increasing levels of Akkermansia spp. which significantly improves glucose tolerance and decreases adipose tissue.

We haven't noticed a similar increase in horses with EMS (from our population database of thousands of horses) but we have seen an increase in Akkermansia in horses by using a natural plant compound called ecdysterone.

An increase in Akkermansia muciniphila and other beneficial bacteria of the gut boosts the production of short-chain fatty acids which are positively correlated to the anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 and decreased systemic inflammation in horses.

www.equibiome.org

Von Münchow, A., Torp Yttergren, S., Jakobsen, R. R., Luthersson, N., Hansen, A. K., & Lindenberg, F. (2023). Oligosaccharide feed supplementation reduces plasma insulin in geldings with Equine Metabolic Syndrome. Frontiers in Microbiomes, 2, 1194705.