October 2019 FRC Member Newsletter

Educational Seminar
Christina Reynolds of Triple Crown Horse Feeds
discussed “Leaky Gut” and the horse’s GI tract.
Wednesday, 18-Sept-2019
Christina identified that there are numerous impacts to a horses GI tract: changes in feed, changes
in environment, stress and illness. Of the things that can cause stress – and in particular impact
the GI tract are: heat, competition, trailering, etc. Literally any event that can be considered
something “stressful” can provide an impact to the equine GI tract. Stress response starts an inflammatory
process in the GI tract and those inflammatory cells then change the “intestinal lumen.”
Those lumen essentially “hold things together” and keep nutritional matter flowing and outside
of the bloodstream. The stress resonse causes inflammation to develop gaps or “leaks” In
the intestinal lumen. Since the lumen provide a smooth, gap-free passage of nutrients along the
digestive tract, when there are gaps from an inflammatory response, both good and back bacteria
can leak into the bloodstream. Imbalances in bacteria populations occur.
Researchers have applied and extended their research from large scale porcine (hog) studies to
the equine field (limited scope/population.)
Leaky Gut Leaky Brain: the leaks in the intestinal lumen from the stress response can further lead
to blood-brain barrier infiltration. Gut Disbiosis: in humans this is called gut biome remodeling
which induces anxiety and depression. Similarly, in horses a Leaky Gut (when the gut is essentially
leaking bacteria through the loosened intestinal lumen) this crossing of the blood-brain barrier
results in altered behaviour. Where does this mostly occur? In the HINDGUT where leaky gut
is most likely to occur.
Conditions when a horse may develop leaky gut – aside from stressful situations such as competition,
trailering, heat, etc. include administration of antibiotics. Suggestion and common prophylactic
protocol is to also provide probiotics while the horse is on antibiotics, to offset the undesired
elimination of all gut bacteria. Probiotics help replenish the beneficial bacteria that are often impacted
by antibiotics.
Common signs and symptoms: resistance to leg aids, particularly on the right side, funny odor to
the manure, slow eating, picking eating, girthing, diarrhea, changes in skin or musculature.
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