Benefits of Horse Yeast Supplements

Yeast is a fungus. The most common yeast used in horse supplements is Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Some strains of S. cerevisiae are also used in brewing and baking. The importance of yeast as a horse feeding supplement is its ability to produce fiber-digesting bacteria. Friendly bacteria in your horse's digestive tract may die naturally or from wormers and some types of antibiotics, so replenishing them is essential.

  1. Improved Fiber Digestion

    • Tests conducted over several years show that adding yeast supplements to your horse's feed aids in the digestion of fiber. Research suggests the metabolites, which are produced during the fermentation process, increase the activity of bacteria in the horse's hind gut. The hind gut is a term for the large intestine. A horse is a herbivore, but it is not a ruminant. It has only one stomach, a small intestine and a large intestine. The large intestine is made up of a very large cecum and the colon. The cecum is often called a "fermenting vat." Adding a yeast supplement multiplies the fiber digesting bacteria. This enables more dry matter from a horse's forage diet (hay or pasture) to be broken down, which results in a greater absorption of vital nutrients.

    Weight Gain, Growth and Healthy Bones

    • Positive results have come from feeding weanling horses a yeast supplement. These young ones have averaged a higher weight gain and growth measurement when compared with horses of the same age who were not being fed the supplement. It is believed this is directly related to the enhanced ability to absorb nutrients such as protein.

      Benefits have also been noted in mature horses. As the good bacteria, increased by the yeast supplement, breaks down your horse's food, it allows essential minerals such as calcium and phosphorus to be more easily retained. These are vital for healthy bones.

    Increased Lactation and Foal Growth

    • Research has shown that mares given a yeast supplement in their daily diet have produced larger quantities of milk, if given to them in early lactation. Their foals had a normal birth weight, but within a couple of months, those foals were heavier and taller than foals who drank milk from mothers who did not take the yeast supplement.

    Benefits for Horses in Training or Work Horses

    • Horses who are being worked daily need a higher amount of certain nutrients, as compared with those that are idle. As fiber is digested, volatile fatty acids are formed through fermentation in the intestine. When the horse is worked or put through a training regimen, these acids break down and become a source of energy.

    Summary

    • Horse yeast supplements provide many benefits for your horse. The added production of friendly bacteria enables the fiber in your horse's diet to be broken down more efficiently. This enhances the absorption of crucially important nutrients.