Are Probiotics worth the $?

[lifeishorsesarelove]

I currently have my mare on Omega Alpha’s Biotic 8, because I was told to put my former pony on it by my vet, after having to deal with a few rounds of antibiotics for him. Sold the pony before we finished the jar, so I’m using it up on my mare instead of wasting it.

I’m evaluating my feeding and supplement plan for her as we end our winter off and I bring her back to indoor board and full work. I’m debating on the value of continuing to supplement probiotics after this jar is gone. If I continue with probiotics, it will be with the Mad Barn Optimum product, as Biotic 8 is 5 times as costly as the Mad Barn.

Are Probiotics really worth it? Of the items I am looking at supplementing, this is easily the most costly per day/year. If its not of any particular benefit, I won’t continue it after we finish this canister.

Background on my mare; 6yo mare of unknown breeding, age known as she was purchased as a weanling at auction. Suspected to be QH. 15hh and 1025 lb. Used for low level H/J and fairly intensive trail riding. When fit, generally working 5-6 days per week for 45+minutes, moderate intensity. Stalled at night with full day turnout. Ulcer prone if not kept with hay in front of her 24/7, this is managed with a slow feed net. Harder keeping and right now eating 5lbs daily of Buckeye Cadence Ultra + 2lb of Alfalfa timothy cubes (daily total) as a maintenance level of feed, while she is off. This will almost double when in full work, in multiple feedings of course.

[Jersey_Fresh]

Depends on who you ask.

Supplement manufacturers-yes
Most nutritionists-not yet

There are a few challenges with probiotics in horses that we haven’ answered yet. First, and most important is what strains are beneficial? Second, what is the appropriate CFU/day? Third, do they do anything in a healthy, normal horse?

Other big questions are do they survive the gastric conditions of the stomach and if added to feed, are the stable at the temperatures needed for pelleting or extrusion?

This review is a few years old, but you might find it helpful.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4895607/

That being said, in general they are inexpensive and won’t do any harm, so if you feel like your horse benefits from them, by all means try them.

[findeight]

If the horse is healthy and on a good diet? Save your money. Old horses, on tne road show horses and repeated digestive problems? Maybe. There’s no proof one way or the other but a lot of fancy advertising by horsey celebrities who may or may not actually use the stuff, which they get for free.

The fact it’s helpful for humans is meaningless to other species and even the human products vary wildly in effectiveness and specific strains and amount included as well as storage conditions as live strains are more desirable. Nobody knows if that’s true in horses or not.

[poltroon]

I would supplement a horse that is experiencing diarrhea or one that has been given antibiotics, especially a horse that does not have access to grass. I would not feed it as a routine long term thing generally.

I agree with Jersey Fresh: we don’t know if these strains are all that helpful and we don’t know how well they colonize. We know that gut flora comes through the mouth but that doesn’t mean that the particular delivery of a manufactured product is all that successful. The strains are chosen because they are easy to produce rather than as a result of rigorous research.

When I’m serious about probiotics I’d be inclined to choose something refrigerated.

Diarrhea is one of those things where it can resolve on its own but the sooner the better. The probiotics won’t hurt and sometimes in the early stages you just kind of scattershot it.

[Scribbler]

@poltroon

I would supplement a horse that is experiencing diarrhea or one that has been given antibiotics, especially a horse that does not have access to grass. I would not feed it as a routine long term thing generally.

I agree with Jersey Fresh: we don’t know if these strains are all that helpful and we don’t know how well they colonize. We know that gut flora comes through the mouth but that doesn’t mean that the particular delivery of a manufactured product is all that successful. The strains are chosen because they are easy to produce rather than as a result of rigorous research.

When I’m serious about probiotics I’d be inclined to choose something refrigerated.

Diarrhea is one of those things where it can resolve on its own but the sooner the better. The probiotics won’t hurt and sometimes in the early stages you just kind of scattershot it.

This,

I have found a Canadian brand of probiotics that has cleared up persistent diarrhea (30 plus days) in a course of ten days of treatment, when the diarrhea was related to a change from pasture to hay. I also stopped using that hay, and haven’t had problems since.

For human probiotics, I find Florastor does what it claims which is stops diarrhea that is probably caused from low level food poisoning. I have also tried other brands of probiotics which have had no effect.

The research on probiotics suggests every adult has a relatively stable population of gut flora. If you have lost gut flora a probiotic can get you back to your normal. It can also help your gut flora be more divrse, but once you quit the probiotic you revert to your own normal.

I would not bother with probiotics for horse or human unless there was an actual problem I was trying to solve. And it might take a bit of experimenting to find one that works.

They do seem to be able to buffer the material so it gets past the stomach acid.

[lifeishorsesarelove]

Thanks folks this was what I was thinking too. Not enough evidence!! I will finish this jar and call it good after we move.

[Scribbler]

@lifeishorsesarelove

Thanks folks this was what I was thinking too. Not enough evidence!! I will finish this jar and call it good after we move.

There is strong and growing evidence for specific pro biotics for specific therapies.

But if there is nothing wrong with the horses digestion and no problem to fix, then its a pointless expense IMHO

[lifeishorsesarelove]

She is somewhat ulcer prone, but easily managed by keeping hay or grass available to her 24/7. I will re-evaluate if/when we re-treat her for ulcers (because I’m sure it will inevitably happen at some point).