The effect of a fermented herbal feed supplement on the digestion of horses

Abstract

The main goal of recent study was the impact assessment of a commercially available fermented herbal feed supplement on the digestion of horses and the intestinal microflora. The experiment was made with four adult horses. The product was consumed by the animals for seven days in addition to the usual oats and hay diet, in an amount of 200g. Sampling was made before and immediately after the treatments and 21 days later. From the fresh faecal samples the number of lactic acid and coliform bacteria was determined. At the end of the experiment, the dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, and acid-insoluble ash (AIA) content of hay, oats and faecal samples were measured. According to our results it can be concluded that the horses participating in the experiment responded favourably to the treatments. The positive effect of the product was clearly evident for all nutrients only 21days after the treatments. Based on our results, the lactobacillus content of the product was relatively low. Thus, we concluded that the positive effect of the product is mainly due to the beneficial effect of herbs. The favourable values obtained by crude fiber suggest that the tested product had a positive effect on the bacterial processes in the post-intestine and the efficiency of fiber breakdown. The results of the recent experiment are also confirm the important role of herbs and plant extract in the modern equine nutrition.