Digestive supplements: what’s on the market this winter?
With increased stabling, decreased turnout and reduced grazing quality at this time of year, dietary change is inevitable. Digestive supplements support your horse’s digestive system to help him cope with this transition. Often containing soothing herbs as well as pre- and probiotics, these supplements aim to maintain a healthy digestive system, provide a buffering effect against excess stomach acid and promote a normal population of bacteria to make sure your horse is getting the most out of what he eats while keeping him comfortable.
Common ingredients include…
- probiotics, which are often referred to as “good bacteria”
- prebiotics, which are the “food” for probiotics, helping them to work effectively
If you compete with your horse then it is important you make sure any supplements you use do not contain any prohibited substances.
Browse the wide range of digestive supplements that are currently available below in our alphabetical list, which includes the manufacturers’ descriptions of their products…
Alltech Forage Guard
This supplement is designed to help lessen the damaging effects of mycotoxins (toxins caused by moulds that naturally occur in forages) on performance and health. It prevents their absorption from the gut, without removing key nutrients from the diet.
£45 for 5kg
01780 764512
Aloeride aloe vera
An organic aloe vera supplement that supports a healthy digestive system.
£55.20 per carton.
Animalife Vetrogard Intense
This supplement supports the natural defences of the gastric lining. It supports cell regeneration of the stomach, reducing irritation of the stomach lining, while improving appetite and faecal quality.
£99.99 for 525g
01212 969900
Aviform Pro-Choice Gold
This supplement features a unique blend of a pre- and probiotic making it ideal for horses prone to stress or any who may need extra support during the winter months. Available in a 100% compostable pouch.
From £24.95 for 500g
01953 528008
Baileys Digest Plus
Feeding Baileys Digest Plus prebiotic during the changeover to winter forage will give the bacterial populations of the hindgut the support they need as they get used to the new fibre sources arriving in the gut, ensuring your horse gains the maximum nutritional benefit from the forage in his diet.
From £16.99 for 1kg
01371 850247
Blue Chip Super Concentrated Ulsa-Cool Balancer
This supplement is formulated to assist with the maintenance of acid balance in the gut. It includes an acid buffering agent that can help to alter gut pH by slowly releasing calcium, magnesium and silicon, over a prolonged period, to enhance the buffering effect it has on stomach acids.
£24.95 for 3kg
0114 266 6200
BSC SeaBuckthorn
This is a highly palatable supplement that nourishes the entire digestive tract. Seabuckthorn provides a comprehensive profile of omega, anti-oxidant and prebiotic nutrients, for a triple-pronged defence against digestive upset.
£70 for 5l
01438 861 900
Cavalor Vitaflor 365
This supplement maintains gut health, restores the intestinal flora and ensures maximum feed intake. Daily use helps prevent acidification in the large intestine, which is a common occurrence throughout winter when horses are stabled more often and consume more compound feed.
£64 for 2kg
01352 763350
Dengie Digestive Health Plus
This supplement supports the digestive system — ideal for those horses that are underweight, struggle to maintain condition or veterans. It includes a prebiotic to feed the beneficial gut bacteria, while yeast metabolites and live yeast to help promote a healthy gut and fibre digestion.
From £29.25 for 1kg
01621 841188
Dodson & Horrell Digestive Support
This high specification, pelleted supplement provides nutritional and herbal support for the entire digestive system, promoting the normal population of bacteria within the large intestine. It is ideal for sensitive digestive systems, those undergoing dietary changes, being stabled for long periods, travelling or during periods of change or competition.
£10.80 for 1.5kg
01832 737 300
Equiform Nutrition Excel Digest
Daily use of this supplement can help support the digestive tract — it contains a unique blend of minerals, plant extracts and digestive soothers.
From £36 for 1kg
01270 530930
Equine America Pro-Gut Balancer
This unique combination of pre- and probiotics will help to maintain the health of the microbial population in the gut in the light of the many challenges faced by modern performance horses.
From £13.50 for 450g
01403 255809
Equine Products UK TransVite Excel
This high-grade probiotic is one of the strongest currently available and works by balancing the good flora inside the gastrotestinal tract, which helps to increase appetite and condition.
From £63.69 1.5kg
0191 264 5536
Fine Fettle Feed Happy Tummy Charcoal
Haylage and high-protein grasses can disrupt the pH balance in the hindgut. This supplement is formulated to rebalance the pH by absorbing acidic toxins and removing them naturally.
From £20.50 for 500g
0800 612 7496
Foran Equine Nutri-Gard Extra
The digestible fibre in this supplement can help coat the stomach lining while prebiotics aid gastric health, optimise feed metabolism and promote gut-friendly bacteria, especially during periods of reduced turnout.
£77.45 for 3kg
Global Herbs Gut Support
This supplement is designed to target digestive health for normal droppings, appetite and feed utilisation by maintaining the levels of beneficial bacteria through a blend of pre- and probiotics. A quick-acting and concentrated formula, it is ideal for use during winter months.
From £24.15 for 500g
01243 773363
Hack Up Bespoke
Using fresh raw ingredients that support the digestive system, such as powerful pre- and probiotic, zeolite and chamomile, every bespoke supplement is hand-made, free from fillers, preservatives and chemical caking agents. The supplement is packaged in paper and stored in tinplate pail.
From £22.99 for 1kg
01359 308866
Hi Form BioEquus
This supplement helps to maintain a healthy bacterial flora and has a beneficial impact on metabolic processes, maintaining normal, healthy intestinal and immune function.
From £57 for 250g
0118 324 7471
Hilton Herbs GastriX
A dry supplement containing herbs, such as slippery elm, meadowsweet and cramp bark, to help support healthy digestion, optimum nutrient absorption and maintain balanced pH levels. This is especially helpful during the change in routine and diet that comes with winter weather.
From £33 for 1kg
0800 294 1250
Horse First Acid Aid
This supplement is formulated to support stomach health, soothe the gastric system and settle excess acid. The ingredients complement each other to form a balanced product which helps maintain healthy acid levels in the stomach.
From £39 for 1.5kg
028 3084 8844
Lincoln Yea-Sacc 30
This product is a combination of yea-sacc and brewer’s yeast, which gives both pre- and probiotic digestive support while also providing essential B vitamins and amino acids. It helps to maintain a healthy hindgut, supporting and stabilising the hindgut microflora to avoid digestive upsets.
From £13.99 for 1kg
01522 529206
Maxavita Maxabiotic
This supplemet contains natural pre- and probiotic ingredients, plus green-lipped mussel, to help maintain a healthy, balanced digestive system. Yeast is added to encourage the growth of friendly bacteria, with dietary fibre and Alfalfa to help maintain regular gut function.
£24.95 for 900g
01270 530930
NAF GastriAid
This supplement is an advanced formula containing a unique blend of key ingredients to maintain gastric health, soothe the stomach wall and support the balance of pH levels within the gut.
From £32.99 for 1.8kg
0800 373106
Nettex VIP Ulsa Shield
This supplement is an advanced, sugar-free, vet-approved formula that helps to maintain gastric health, soothe the stomach walls and support normal acid levels. It is ideal to feed during changes in season, routine and grazing.
£57.69 for 2kg
01283 524222
NutriScience Gastro Care
Designed to have a multi-faceted approach to gastrointestinal health, this supplement contains antacids that help mimic the effects of saliva and protect the stomach lining from acid. It helps to absorb and buffer excess acid to allow the natural regeneration of the stomach lining.
From £74.99 for 1.8kg
nutriscience.ie
+ 353 (0)51 304 01
TopSpec Digestive Aid
Designed to optimise digestive health and stimulate appetite in horses, this supplement contains high levels of a pure, protected probiotic yeast and pre-biotic MOS as well as vitamin B12. It is particularly effective for horses that are working hard, on high concentrate/low forage diets, or stressed.
£30.50 for 3kg
01845 565 030
Vital Equine Gastri-Max
Gastri-Max helps support optimum digestion and maintain normal acid levels within the digestive tract, allowing horses to cope with day-to-day stresses and deliver their best results. It is ideal for changes in the horses routine, which could be changes in forage from grass to haylege, or increased stabling.
£34.50 for 2.5kg
01270 530930
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