Prevent abrupt diet changes for horses

This is stated on the website of Kentucky Equine Research Centre (KER). Based on the finding in the study: Influence of short-term dietary starch inclusion on the equine caecal microbiome, published in the Journal of Animal Science,

Kathleen Crandell, PhD., a nutritionist with KER explains: “Aside from the potential for laminitis, the sudden addition of feeds rich in dietary starch may cause an alteration in the intestinal microbiome. The population of microbes forms early in a horse’s life and fluctuates based on diet, transport, stress, exercise, weight loss, and disease state, among other factors”.

The research team found that pH of cercal contents decreased in horses fed a high-starch diet, and volatile fatty acid production increased. Further, the diversity of the intestinal microbiome decreased, meaning that fewer species of microorganisms were identified following an abrupt, short-term inclusion of dietary starch.

Source: KER