What makes horses gassy

The most important thing you can do is:. In other words, the most significant change you should strive toward is how to make hay available 24 hours a day. Feed him, simply, like a horse!

Every little improvement makes a difference for your horse and other horse owners boarding at the same location. You might just become a trailblazer! If you'd like to learn more about horse nutrition or Dr. Juliet Getty, visit her website.

Worried your horse may have equine ulcers? Check out this customer's story and how she resolved her horse's ulcers with Redmond Daily Gold! The correct way to use slow feeders. Getty recommends several slow feeders, available at Dr.

Ironically, restricting forage keeps horses overweight. Read my in Dr. What is Gassy Colic? But in general, gas colic can be caused by: Inadequate forage consumption Stall confinement Stress Ulcers Intestinal inflammation Inadequate exercise Dehydration Changing forage sources too quickly Introducing new feeds too quickly The Top 3 Causes of Gas Colic in Horses Limiting forage, too much stall confinement, and stress are the three most common sources of horse gas colic from the list above.

Limiting forage disrupts digestion. Remedies for Gas Colic in Horses With more knowledge and a few changes in your horse's diet and environment, you can help prevent and decrease the occurrence of horse gas colic. Feed changes need to be slow.

Beware of weekly bran mashes. Incorporate horse digestive supplements. B vitamins offer support for the digestive tract lining, as well as reducing stress. It also heals leaky gut caused by cecal acidosis and excess fermentation of carbohydrates. When hay and grain are properly digested, less gas is produced. This should help reduce the incidence of gas colic.

Gas colic is the form of belly pain linked to excessive gas building up and moving through the intestines. The can make horses extremely uncomfortable, sometimes requiring medical care. Colic can be the result of poor bacterial balance, or occur when a new food is introduced. We see this most often in the spring when the rich, green grasses start growing and the horses overindulge. If you start by adding a daily probiotic to the diet, you can prevent gas colic.

The idea is to head off a problem before it starts. So when you start to introduce them to the green, spring grasses, they will be ready with the right balance of bacteria. Practical Horseman. The Team Roping Journal. Stable Management.

The Trail Rider. Equine Network Store. A Home for Every Horse. Hope in the Saddle. World Series of Team Roping. Seasonal Allergies in Horses. Types of Colic. Repeat colic surgeries spell trouble.

Case Report: Standing up to colic. Calculate your horse's colic risk. Reduce the risk of winter colic. Gas colic is the least serious form of colic. However, never be complacent about gas colic because it can lead to complications such as displacement or twisting of the large colon. This process, known as fermentation, produces volatile fatty acids to be used for energy as well as gas.

Gas production is normal. Horses produce tremendous amounts of gas, which is why they flatulate a lot! And there you have it — gas colic. The exact reason for gas colic is difficult to assess, especially since most forms of colic involve some gas accumulation.

But in general, gas colic can be caused by:. Gas colic is common because of two widespread practices. Horses require forage to be available 24 hours a day, all day and all night. Not that they actually eat during the entire 24 hours, but rather to simulate a natural environment where they can graze on forages as they wish.

When they know that forage is always available, they slow down their eating, take time for a nap or socializing, and come back for more when they are ready. If this basic, foundational instinct is not met, the horse releases hormones which can create muscular spasms and interfere with the normal functioning of the digestive tract. On top of that, hormones become out of balance, leading to inflammation of the hypothalamus, insulin resistance, and obesity.

This is not the focus of this article, but I encourage you to read more about it. When there is insufficient forage, the stomach accumulates acid, creating pain and mental discomfort. When the hay finally arrives, the horse will gorge himself, eating quickly and every bit in sight. Forage restriction also leads to ulcers anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract. Consequently, gas production increases because ulcers can interfere with digestion, allowing more undigested feed to reach the hindgut.

Since ulcers can also bleed, blood flow to the large colon is diminished, inhibiting normal hindgut motility. When motility slows, gas cannot be expelled. The large colon is made of muscles which contract and relax in a peristaltic motion, moving digested material and waste products including gas along its length.