Scours, or diarrhea, can be a common issue among horses that causes dehydration and discomfort. It isn’t just a messy inconvenience. It’s a red flag that something’s gone awry in the gut, and in adult horses, it often signals hindgut dysfunction, particularly in the caecum and colon where fluid reabsorption normally occurs.

Most owners of horses with metabolic dysfunction know that they should avoid feeds that are high in sugar, but here are the reasons you also should consider limiting starch.

A study released in August this year in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science into contaminants in horse feeds has found that “99 % (n = 107) of the samples tested positive for fungal metabolites, particularly Fusarium metabolites, unspecific metabolites, and pesticide residues."

It's no surprise that a recent study found that even a short course of anti-biotics will reduce a horse's gut flora.