Science Supplements Gut Balancer

What is it?

Gut BalancerTM is a balanced combination of Pre and Pro-Biotics and contains a specially protected live yeast which ensures that high enough numbers of live yeast cells reach the hindgut to beneficially influence hindgut function.

The rate at which it is fed is guaranteed to deliver the highest levels of Pre and Probiotics compared to any brand.  Gut BalancerTM also contains a source of mannanoligosaccharide (MOS), fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and betaglucans, which help stimulate the growth of good bacteria and bind mycotoxins produced by fungal contamination of feed. In two studies, results were seen in just 7 days.

Horses rely heavily on fermentation by a number of different species of bacteria to digest plant material in the large intestine. Changes in diet, stress and exercise can lead to imbalances between the different species of bacteria, which in turn can upset the environment in the hindgut and cause overgrowth of bad bacteria. Fungal toxins (mycotoxins) which are common feed contaminants, but difficult or impossible to detect without laboratory testing, can lead to growth impairment, poor condition, poor health and poor performance.

Why is our Gut Balancer Unique?

Gut BalancerTM contains a protected live yeast of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The yeast inside each granule is protected from acidity, heat and moisture by a layer of dead yeast cells which enhances stability meaning that more yeast cells reach the hindgut alive. Micro-organisms such as yeast which have a beneficial effect on health when eaten are often referred to as probiotics; when translated this means literally "for life". In the hindgut, probiotics such as specific species of yeasts if fed in sufficient amounts, and in a formulation that ensure they survive the conditions in the stomach and small intestines, can influence the balance between good and bad bacterial species. By using our unique protection system, we ensure the optimum level of live yeast reaches the hindgut without being affected by the conditions above. The benefits include stabilisation of the conditions in the large intestine resulting in the stimulation of natural fermentative activity, improving fibre digestion helping to realise and unlock potential from forages such as hay and haylage and aid the efficiency of digestion.

Gut BalancerTM should be fed on a daily basis to help support a healthy Gastrointestinal (GI) tract and to help support gut health and aid digestion. It is also ideal for older horses, poor doers and horses and ponies that lose condition at any time of year. Gut Balancer may also be fed to horses or ponies at times of increased stress, travelling, competition, change of yard or a change in hay or feed etc.

Gut Balancer or GastroKind? What is right for my horse?

GastroKind is developed for the stomach and Gut Balancer is for the hindgut. The stomach and hindgut work in different ways and have different requirements.

If you are looking for support for the stomach please click here for our GastrKind range of supplements.

What’s in it?

A highly concentrated protected probiotic and prebiotic including mannanoligosaccharide (MOS), fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and betaglucans, which help stimulate the growth of good bacteria and bind mycotoxins, which help maintain normal digestive function.

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae When feeding live yeast-based probiotics to horses it is essential that they are fed in a form which protects them from stomach acid so they reach the hindgut alive. We use a protected live yeast, which is capable of withstanding acidic conditions, but will then be broken down in the hindgut releasing the live yeast. Supplementing encapsulated live yeast can have the following benefits for horses:

1. Supporting microflora in the caecum (hindgut)
2. Improved fibre digestion
3. Limiting the overproduction of lactic acid in the caecum
4. Improved body condition

We have carried out a number of clinical trials using encapsulated live yeast in horses. These studies looked at its use in combination with prebiotics.

1. Hale, C.E. and Hemmings, A.J. Differences in dry matter digestibility (DMD) in horses supplemented with and without live yeast (NCYC Sc47), Unpublished manuscript, Royal Agricultural college, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6LS.
2. Medina, B. et al. (2002) Effect of a preparation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on microbial profiles and fermentation patterns in the large intestine of horses fed a high fiber or a high starch diet. Journal of Animal Science, 80(10), pp.2600-2609.
3. Lattimer, J.M. et al. (2005). Effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on in vitro fermentation of a high concentrate or high fiber diet in horses. In Proceedings of the 19th Symposium of the equine Science Society, Tucson, AZ (pp. 168-173).
4. Mackenthun, E. et al. (2013). Effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae supplementation on apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients and fermentation profile in healthy horses. Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition, 97, pp.115-120.

MOS & Beta-glucans MOS and Beta-glucans are prebiotics, which means they create beneficial effects for resident microbes within the digestive tract. MOS is a large molecule which binds toxins produced by “bad” bacteria. Beta-glucans are able to interact with the immune system found in the digestive tract and stimulate it to improve its defence mechanisms.  Research has been performed on these ingredients in the production animal sector as follows:

1. Benage, M.C. (2005) The Effect of Mannan Oligosaccharide (Bio-Mos©) on Horse Herd Health (Doctoral dissertation, West Texas A & M University).
2. Ott E. (2005) Influence of Bio-Mos®, a mannan oligosaccharide supplement, on the immune system of the mare and neonatal foal. In: Nutritional Biotechnology in the Feed and Food Industries, Proceedings of Alltech’s 21” Annual Symposium (T.P Lyons and K.A. Jacques, eds). Nottingham University Press, UK, pp. 447–454.
3. Spearman K. and Ott E. (2004) The effect of MOS supplementation on the immune response of mares and their foals. Journal of Animal Science, 82 (Suppl. 1): 61.
4. Soltanian, S. (2009) Beta-glucans as immunostimulant in vertebrates and invertebrates. Critical reviews in microbiology, 35(2), pp.109-138.

FAQ’s:

Q: Can this be fed to foals?
A: Yes, it is safe to administer to foal.

Q: Can this be fed to mares in foal?
A: Yes, it is safe to administer to mares in foal and lactating mares.

Q: How long before I should start to see any changes?
A: You should begin to see changes within 48-72 hours.

Q: Do I need to give this with feed?
A: Yes it is advisable to feed twice a day, morning and evening alongside your horses regular feed.

Q: Is it safe to give to competition horses?
A: Yes, there are no prohibited substances in this product and all our products are manufactured and tested under our UFAS licence and NOPS scheme.

Q: How much should I give?
A: Please see our detailed feeding guide below.

Ingredients & Feeding Guide

Level 25ml (16.7g) scoops per day

Maintenance - to support GI health:

• Pony - approximately 250kg | 2 Scoops
• Horse - approximately 500kg | 3 Scoops
• Large Horse - over 700kg | 4 Scoops

For horses requiring additional gut support

Scoops per day for 7 days

• Pony - approximately 250kg | 4 Scoops
• Horse - approximately 500kg | 6 Scoops
• Large Horse - over 750kg | 8 Scoops

This product is highly concentrated and has a strong taste. For fussy feeders introduce slowly or mix with a small amount of molasses. Split between meals where possible.

Do not exceed the recommended intake.

One of our core values is transparency. That’s why we list all the active ingredients per daily feeding rate so you know exactly what your horse is getting.

Active Ingredients: Per Daily Feed Rate (3 x 25ml scoops; 50g) provides: 20g protected live yeast (equivalent to 2.0 x 10^11 CFU),10g fructooligosaccharides (scFOS), 5g mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) and betaglucans.

Analytical Constituents: Crude Ash 3%; Crude Protein 19.8%; Crude Fibre 17.7%; Crude Oils & Fats 2.9%; Moisture 6.3%; Sodium <1%; Calcium <1%; Phosphorus <1%.

Composition: Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) from sugar beet, yeast cell walls from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, rice flour.

Additives (per kg of finished product): Zootechnical additives: Digestibility Enhancer: Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCYC Sc47 (4b 1702) 4.0 x 1012 CFU.

Store below 25°C out of direct sunlight.