WHEN you ride your horse, you are not his only “passenger”. In his mouth, his upper respiratory tract, on his skin and especially in his digestive tract, he carries many millions of microbes, collectively known as his microbiome. These comprise bacteria, protozoa, viruses and fungi.
The horse’s caecum and colon together can be described as a large “fermentation vat”. Dietary fibre – chaff, grass, hay and haylage – is digested there by the action of microbes, producing short-chain fatty acids, which are absorbed into the circulation. These are key energy sources for the horse, accounting for more than 50% of his daily need.
The microbiome is a complex, highly dynamic ecosystem, which we now know affects not only digestion, but also immune stimulation, protection from pathogens, metabolism and behaviour.
A huge amount of research
