Healthy Gut, Healthy Horse

Carol Hughes, Geertje French

• Publisher: Kenilworth Press
• eBook ISBN:
  9781910016596
• Year: 2026

Healthy Gut, Healthy Horse highlights how equine health is influenced by diet and environment. Advances in technology and microbiology have now made it possible to examine the causes of gastro-intestinal diseases and the effects of diet on the health and welfare of horses. Extensive research has found that diseases such as ulcers, equine metabolic syndrome, colic and laminitis are caused by diet. Many of these are preceded by inflammation, which becomes the precursor for feed-related sickness. Authors Carol Hughes, an equine physiotherapist, phyto nutritionist and microbiologist, and Geertje French, an equine nutritionist and behaviourist, explain these factors and, by using the latest valuable research, provide insight, solutions and remedies for the benefit of the wider equestrian community.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Preface
• Introduction
• 1. The Status of the Horse in a Controlled Environment
• 2. The Diet of the Horse in a Modern World
• 3. The Intestinal Tract – Organs – Vital Systems of the Horse
• 4. The Brain and Central Nervous System – Gut Bacteria
• 5. Prescription Drugs, Other Medications and Their Effects on the Gut
• 6. Feeding the Horse – How to Prepare Your Own Feeds
• 7. The Importance of Vital Vitamins, Minerals and Trace Elements
• 8. The Microbiomes of Wild Plants
• 9. Pastures – Paddocks, Meadows and a Walk Through the Seasons
• 10. Feed-related Diseases and Feed-related Behaviour
• 11. Climate Change, Pollution and Their Effect on Horses and Their Environment
• 12. End of Life Care for Your Horse
• List of Abbreviations
• About the Authors
• Acknowledgements