When it comes to horses, caring for their digestion can often require special attention. Maintaining a horse’s digestive tract means carefully planning their diet, nutrition, vitamin and mineral supplementation and also taking measures to avoid colic and other digestion related problems that arise over the course of an animal’s life. One of the main concerns with horses maintained on sandy grounds is the risk of sand colic caused by ingestion of dirt and sand while grazing. The inclusion of psyllium husk in a horse’s diet may assist improved bowel function and help clean the intestines.

What is Psyllium Husk?

Psyllium husks are the outer covering of seeds obtained from plants from the genus Plantago. These seed husks are high in water soluble fibre and turn into a gelatinous mass when mixed with water. It is an active ingredient in constipation release medications and is used worldwide.

Benefits of Psyllium Husk for Horses

Psyllium husk is primarily used to pick up and help remove sand from the intestinal tract of horses. Research indicates that horses treated with psyllium husk pass more sand than horses who received no psyllium husk, showing a correlation between psyllium husk usage and the use of psyllium husk as a prevention for sand colic.

Testing your horse’s manure for the presence of sand is a simple procedure that may provide you with some valuable information.

This is a simple method to test manure for sand-

1. Gather a few nuggets of fresh manure into a clear glove or ziplock bag. Be careful not to pick up dirt when collecting the sample.
2. Add water to the glove, so the hand portion is 3/4 the way full, or fill the bag 2/3 full.
3. Break down and completely mix the manure in the water and hang the bag, allowing it to sit for several minutes. The sand will accumulate in the fingers of the glove or at the bottom of the bag. If using a ziplock bag, hang the bag on an angle so that one corner points towards the ground enabling the sand to collect in the point.
4. Give the sand time to settle, about 5 minutes and evaluate. Anything more than a tablespoon means that your horse has a high sand load, and you should take steps to help remove the sand.

Premium Psyllium Husk for Horses, Dogs and Cats in Australia

Psyllium husk is a widely used, well established natural remedy for digestive issues in horses, dogs, cats and humans. In horses suffering from sand related colic, recent studies have shown a likely correlation between sand expulsion from the digestive system in horses grazing on sandy pastures. Crooked Lane prides itself in providing a wide range of premium natural supplements and nutritional products. Our comprehensive distribution network ensures that all products are delivered to your doorstep, anywhere in Australia. Visit our website to order today!