What is the best thing for a horse's gut health?
Why Feeding a Hay Only diet is often not enough
It is estimated that 85% of the UK’s hay is deficient in protein[1]. Insufficient protein intake in horses can lead to poor hoof and coat quality as well as muscle development issues, as covered in our recent blog on building topline in horses.
With many horses now being swapped to track systems and being fed hay only diets, it is important to understand why hay simply may not be enough. Not only is hay often lacking in protein but the vitamin and mineral levels are often unbalanced also. Take these 4 key trace minerals for example. Recent analysis of meadow hay in the UK suggests that forage only diets provide less than 1/5 of the required copper and less than 1/3 of the required zinc. In contrast, they provide more than two and a half times the required amount of manganese. Whilst it is rare, excess manganese can interfere with absorption of other minerals like iron and phosphorus and can lead to liver damage and neurological issues including irritability, changes in behaviour and muscle tremors.
It is essential to ensure that your horse's diet is carefully balanced and that they are receiving the recommended daily allowance of essential vitamins and minerals to keep them healthy. Vitamin E is notoriously low in hay but hardworking performance horses (and those recovering from injury or illness) require large amounts to aid with oxidative stress and maintaining healthy cells/tissues, which is why we supplement with high levels of natural vitamin E in Ulceraid, Muscle Up and Ultraflex.
A quality feed balancer fed alongside good quality forage will help to ensure that your horse is getting the RDA's of essential vitamins and minerals but your horse's gut health needs more than simply vitamins and minerals. It thrives on diversity.
Why Multiple Plant Fibres Transform Horse Health
Modern horse management has moved far from the natural grazing systems our equine companions evolved to thrive in. Where once horses roamed across diverse pastures, sampling over 40 different plant species throughout the day, today's horses often face restricted diets dominated by a handful of ingredients. When you look at the graph above showing the levels of just a few trace minerals in forage vs the required daily amounts, it is easy to see why it is important that horses should not receive all their forage ration from only one or two sources. The same principle applies for gut health. It is essential to include as many different prebiotic fibres as possible within your horse's diet for optimal gut health as well as overall wellbeing and vitality. At Equell, we've built our entire supplement philosophy around understanding this fundamental shift and addressing what modern horses are missing.
The Natural Blueprint: How Horses Were Designed to Eat
Picture a wild horse moving across varied terrain throughout a single day. Morning might find them grazing native grasses in a meadow, midday browsing herbs and shrubs along a hillside, and evening sampling different plant varieties near a water source. This constant variety wasn't just coincidental; it was essential to their digestive health and overall wellbeing.
The equine digestive system, particularly the hindgut, developed to process this incredible diversity of plant matter. Each different plant species brought unique fibres, nutrients, and beneficial compounds that supported different aspects of health. Some plants provided specific prebiotics that fed beneficial bacteria, whilst others contributed natural anti-inflammatory compounds or essential vitamins and minerals to the wild horse’s diet. They had the ability to forage for exactly what their body’s required. Now they are reliant on what we put within their reach.
We've studied this natural model extensively because it forms the foundation of how we approach every supplement we create. Rather than relying on single-source fibres or isolated, often synthetic ingredients, we intentionally incorporate multiple plant sources and natural ingredients into our formulations to mirror what horses would naturally consume.
The Science of Fibre Diversity in Equine Digestion
The horse's hindgut contains trillions of microorganisms that form a complex ecosystem known as the microbiome. This community of bacteria, fungi and other microbes is responsible for breaking down fibrous plant material and producing essential nutrients, including volatile fatty acids that provide up to 70% of a horse's energy needs.
Research has consistently shown that microbiome diversity directly correlates with digestive health and overall immunity. Elevated microbial diversity is consistently associated with better digestive function, enhanced immune competence, and resistance to gut-related disease. This connection has been demonstrated across multiple equine studies and respected expert reviews. When horses consume varied plant fibres, different microbial populations flourish, each specialising in breaking down specific types of plant matter. This diversity creates a more resilient digestive system that can adapt to dietary changes and resist harmful bacterial overgrowth.
Single-ingredient supplements and feeds, whilst potentially beneficial for specific purposes, cannot replicate this natural diversity. A horse receiving only timothy hay and a single-source fibre supplement/feed for example, is missing the complex interplay of nutrients and fibres that their digestive system was designed to process.
Why We Choose Multiple Plant Sources Over Single Ingredients
When we formulated our Güt Food supplement for hindgut health, we could have chosen one highly researched plant fibre and called it done. Instead, we selected multiple complementary plant sources, each contributing unique benefits to the overall formula. This approach stems from our understanding that no single plant can provide everything a horse's digestive system needs.
Different plant fibres ferment at varying rates in the horse’s hindgut, influencing both the speed and nature of microbial activity. Some fibres break down quickly, offering a fast-release source of energy to fuel beneficial microbes, while others ferment more slowly, providing a steady supply of nutrition that supports gut health over time. This balance between rapid and sustained fermentation helps maintain a stable hindgut environment- essential for digestive efficiency and overall wellbeing.
A key component of this process is the inclusion of specific prebiotic fibres, such as fructooligosaccharides (FOS). FOS are non-digestible carbohydrates that selectively feed beneficial gut bacteria, particularly Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species. By encouraging the growth of these “good” microbes, FOS help to crowd out harmful bacteria, improve fibre digestion and support the production of important short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which nourish the cells lining the gut wall, strengthening the body’s natural defence mechanisms.
By carefully selecting and combining diverse plant-based fibres sources rich in FOS, we create a more complete and targeted prebiotic effect. This not only supports a healthier microbial balance, but also contributes to improved nutrient absorption, immune resilience and metabolic function - all critical components of equine health.
This philosophy extends across our entire product range. Our UlcerAid formula combines multiple plant sources known for their gastric-protective properties, whilst our UltraFlex joint supplement incorporates various plants and botanicals that support the body’s natural anti-inflammatory pathways and includes joint-supporting nutraceuticals.
How do I know if my horse needs a gut balancer?
Horse owners who switch from single-ingredient supplements to our multi-source formulations often report noticeable improvements in their horses' overall condition. Digestive efficiency typically improves first, with more consistent manure quality and reduced instances of digestive upset. This improvement occurs because the diverse fibre sources support a more balanced and resilient gut microbiome.
Coat quality frequently improves as well, reflecting better nutrient absorption and overall health and vitality. Horses with compromised digestive systems often struggle to extract maximum nutrition from their feed, but a healthier, more diverse gut microbiome increases the bioavailability of essential nutrients. A healthy horse shines from the inside out!
Energy levels tend to stabilise too. Rather than experiencing the peaks and valleys that can come with simple sugar-based feeds, horses receiving diverse plant fibres benefit from the steady energy release that comes from proper hindgut fermentation. Think of it like giving a toddler haribo – volatile, unpredictable behaviour can result! By feeding your horse natural ingredients, you help to support a gut-brain reset on the gut-brain axis.
Supporting Horses with Special Dietary Needs
For horses prone to laminitis or those diagnosed with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), plant fibre diversity becomes even more critical. These horses require careful management of their sugar and starch intake, making high-quality fibre sources essential for maintaining proper nutrition whilst avoiding metabolic triggers.
Our multi-source approach allows us to select plant fibres that are naturally low in sugar and starch whilst still providing the variety these horses' digestive systems crave. Rather than limiting these horses to extremely restrictive diets, we can offer safe variety that supports their health without compromising their condition management. Poor gut health is often an overlooked root cause for metabolic conditions and so it is extremely important to support the digestive system with what nature intended – a wide variety of natural fibres.
All our supplements are suitable for prone individuals and those with EMS, reflecting our commitment to inclusive equine care that doesn't leave any horse behind.
Making the Transition to Better Nutrition
Switching to supplements that incorporate multiple plant sources doesn't require dramatic changes to your horse's existing routine. Our formulations are designed to complement any base feed and are highly palatable, even appealing to notoriously fussy eaters.
We recommend starting with our foundational supplement, Güt Food, which supports overall hindgut health through diverse plant fibres and natural prebiotics. (UltraMet is our Gut Food blend specially for fatties!) Once your horse's digestive system is functioning optimally, any additional targeted supplements become more effective because the improved gut health enhances nutrient absorption.
The beauty of this approach lies in its simplicity. Rather than trying to address individual problems with isolated nutrients, supporting overall digestive diversity can aid multiple issues simultaneously.
Your Horse's Health Journey Starts Here
Every horse deserves nutrition that works with their natural biology rather than against it. By choosing supplements that incorporate multiple plant sources, you're giving your horse's digestive system the variety it was designed to process. No added sugar in ANY of our blends, you will never find dextrose in an Equell formulation.
We're so confident in the effectiveness of our multi-source approach that we back every product with our money-back guarantee. This isn't just about selling supplements; it's about ensuring every horse has the opportunity to thrive rather than merely survive in our modern world.
Ready to give your horses the gift of dietary diversity? Visit Equell today and see how our science-backed, nature-inspired supplements cant support your horse's journey to optimal health. Your horse's digestive system will thank you for the variety it has been craving.
Click here to read about the amazing turnaround one of our customers experienced with their horse after using our digestive range.
The Equell Team - 6th August 2025
