Reading time 3 minutes
Inhalte Verbergen
1 Introduction
2 Horse health: fructan breakdown and endophytes
3 Useful measures

Introduction

Rapidly changing weather conditions put a lot of stress on the pasture grass:
It is sometimes warm and sunny during the day, but cold at night, which not only promotes the storage of fructans, but also the proliferation of endophytes.
Both are problematic for horses, especially if they are already suffering from metabolic disorders. Even small quantities can exert considerable strain on the equine organism.

Horse health: fructan breakdown and endophytes

If dysbiosis is present within the large intestine, the breakdown of fructans may occur ineffectively, leading to a rapid decrease in pH levels and subsequently mass die-off of intestinal flora. Endophytes are fungi that inhabit plants in a symbiotic relationship, enhancing the plant’s stress resistance. Unfortunately, the metabolic byproducts of endophytes are incompatible with horses.

Consequently, many horses are responding with filled legs or a solid neck, geldings often also react with oedema in the sheath and mares with lower abdominal oedema in the mid ventral line in front of the udder. Some horses experience bloating and flatulence that can escalate to colic, or get laminitis. Additionally, there is an increased occurrence of conditions like mallenders and sallenders in susceptible horses.

In light of this, it is highly recommended, particularly for metabolically prone horses, to avoid consuming pasture grass at this time.
This includes letting them out on the pasture to let off steam nor to nibble on the graze verges when going out for a walk or hack. If a horse displays indications of fructan or endophyte overload, immediate consultation with a veterinarian is essential, especially in cases of laminitis or colic.
If the symptoms are miner and still within manageable limits, it makes sense to support the metabolism so that it can rebalances itself.

Useful measures

The administration of bitter herbs can help to stabilise the intestinal environment and at the same time stimulate liver function so that toxins can be better excreted via the bile duct. Detox herbs stimulate kidney function so that oedema can be broken down quicker. In the case of flatulence, intestinal herbs have proven effective and in the case of faecal water syndrome, Okapi ColoProct forte can also be added until the digestive discomfort has calmed down again. In addition to veterinary treatment, Okapi HoofCool forte can also be given if laminitis is suspected, so that the hoof metabolism can return to its natural balance more quickly.

Read more: Top 5 Pointers to consider when returning the horse to full time grazing

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