Best Probiotic For Horses To Improve Or Restore Gut Health

Last updated on March 23rd, 2020 at 10:16 am

Are you wondering if probiotics are good for horses? Or what is the best probiotic for horses?

Over the past several years, folks have become aware of the many important functions that gut flora and the biome plays in human and animal health. This has led to a surge in probiotic study and their use in supplement forms.

The WHO defines probiotics as “live microorganisms, that when administered orally at adequate concentrations, provide a beneficial effect beyond that of their nutritional value.” These good bugs, or beneficial bacteria, are believed to have a positive impact on the well-being and GI health of humans and animals, especially after a course of antibiotics may have wiped out some of the natural positive gut flora.

Probiotics are sometimes recommended when a horse is undergoing extra stress, such as competing, trailering, change of environment or diet, or other events. Some common probiotics used for horses include Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, the yeast Saccharomyces, and the fungi Aspergillus.

Now, we will provide you with our top recommendations for the best probiotics for equines. If you would like to learn more about the many benefits of probiotics for horses and how they work with your horse’s digestive system, continue reading below for our top picks.

Our Favorites

1. Best Overall For 2020: Probios Dispersable Powder
2. Best Pre and Probiotics For Horses: Equa Holistics HealthyGut
3. Good Value: Uckele Gut Horse Supplement
4. Cheapest: Manna Pro Corp Opti-Zyme
5. Good Choice: Horse Guard Gut Guard
6. Honorable Mention: Forco Digestive Fortifier

Best Probiotics For Horses Reviews

Probios Dispersable Powder – Best Probiotic For Horses 2020

 

Probios Dispersable Powder is our top pick for the best probiotic for horses 2020. We really love Probios because it is natural with several live strains of Enterococcus and Lactobacillus. The dispersable powder formula can be easily blended with any type of current feed.

 

Dosage is 5 gm per day per head for foals and  horses.

We really love that Probios also comes in other forms, such as feed granules and apple flavored soft chews. It also comes in a 25 pound bucket.

 

Equa Holistics HealthyGut – Best Pre and Probiotics For Horses

 

Equa Holistics HealthyGut is the best pre and probiotics for horses that we could find, and it comes with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.

HealthyGut Probiotics formula contains over 25 different strains of beneficial bacteria, combined with 4 grams of Prebiotic Inulin per Serving. Equa Holistics promises that it’s product contains 24 billion active CFU’s per serving.

We really like the long list of probiotic strains found in this equine supplement, and the added prebiotic ensures that the good bacteria have plenty of healthy food to eat.

 

Uckele Gut Horse Supplement – Good Value

 

Uckele Gut Horse Supplement is another high quality pre and probiotic blend that we find to be a good value. It continues to be a top seller on Amazon and it used by many horse owners for it’s high quality.

Uckele Gut Horse Supplement contains a blend of six bacteria strains, along with a prebiotic formula to ensure healthy support of those bacteria. Many users of this horse probiotic supplement find that it improves their horses stool and digestion.

 

Manna Pro Corp Opti-Zyme – Cheapest

 

Manna Pro Corp Opti-Zyme is one of the cheapest probiotics for horses that we have come across. The 48 day supply contains a proprietary blend of bacteria, yeast, and enzymes to help with your horse’s digestion.

Manna Pro Opti-Zyme is very easy to mix with your horse’s current feed, and most horses won’t even know it’s there. If you are on a budget and looking to sample some probiotics with your horse, this is a solid choice.

 

Horse Guard Gut Guard – Good Choice

 

What we like most about Horse Guard Gut Guard and why we think this is a good choice for a horse probiotic is it’s very short ingredient list:

Yeast Culture (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae), Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus, Plantarum, Lactobacillus Casei

There are no fillers in the product. It’s just good pro and prebiotics, along with yeast for aiding in healthy digestion. While there aren’t many reviews available online for this product, we feel that it’s simple formulation makes it worth trying.

 

Forco Digestive Fortifier – Honorable Mention

 

Forco Digestive Fortifier deserves an honorable mention when talking about the best equine probiotic supplements.

We like Forco Digestive Fortifier for it’s list of key ingredients:

– Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast culture
– Aspergillus oryze fermentation extract
– Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract
– Dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product
– The natural, raw-food enzymes, amylase, protease lipase, and cellulase
– Cultures that feed the natural and beneficial internal microorganisms

This product contains no fillers or other unnecessary ingredients. It should be noted that this product is tiny granules, not pellets. This could make feeding a bit more difficult for stubborn horses.

 

Probiotics For Horses Buyer’s Guide

For equines, the heart of many problems such as diarrhea, ulcers, colic, poor doers, compaction, founder, weight loss and poor appetite begin with the digestive system. Probiotics are believed to help to return a horse’s gut and digestive system back to full healthy performance. With an inefficient and poorly functioning digestive system, the horse’s ability to to absorb, extract, and assimilate the essential nutrients from her daily food is compromised, no matter how balanced or complete their daily food might be.

Check out this quick video for a brief explanation of the benefits and uses of the best probiotics for horses.

Bioavailability and Source

Some would argue whether bacterial strains originated from the target host (horses, in this case) are better than strains which were isolated from the intended species. However, it currently appears more important to choose probiotics that are able to withstand the commercial production process and still provide health benefits to the equine. A lot of probiotics cannot survive either the production process and/or the transit through the animal’s stomach.

Pre And Probiotics For Horses

The “good bugs” known as probiotics very often also contain prebiotics, which basically is food for the “good bugs”.  Mannooligosaccharide (MOS), Fructoligosaccharide (FOS), and Inulin are just a few examples of prebiotics. Preboitics are the preferred energy and food source of bacteria which helps to establish and maintain a healthy level of beneficial microorganisms in the equine’s GI system.

How Much Probiotics For Horses?

Experts estimate that one drop of equine cecal fluid contains billions of microorganisms, therefore you should expect that the bacteria concentration of a quality horse probiotic formula will also be in the billions. High quality equine probiotics will show on the label both a CFU number which guarantees the number of viable or live bacteria per gram, and the type of (species and genus name – for example, Lactobacillus acidophilus). Each product contains different CFUs and other ingredients, so it’s important to follow the dosage instructions on the label.

Conclusion

If your horse is having digestion issues due to stress or recent antibiotic use, it may benefit from a probiotic. Pre and probiotic supplements for horses have been around for years, and manufacturers continue to discover new beneficial bacterial strains.

The best probiotics for horses don’t have to be expensive.

We recommend that you consult with your vet to see what they recommend as the best probiotic supplement for horses.

Last update on 2020-04-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API