In Monday Myths we debunk common misconceptions about a range of topics regarding equine digestive health and care. These are real statements made by real horse people. Have a question or topic you would like to see covered? Submit your idea here.
Statement: SUCCEED is a great product for supporting gastric health in horses.
It’s common to find information about SUCCEED Digestive Conditioning Program shared on other shopping sites, blogs, and forums that categorizes this equine supplement solely for the support of gastric health in horses. This is simply not the case.
Here’s why SUCCEED is a feed supplement that supports the health of horse’s whole digestive tract, not just the stomach.
SUCCEED is NOT Just a Gastric Health Supplement
The term “gastric” refers specifically to the stomach. A horse’s stomach makes up only about 10 percent or less of its entire GI tract. It is primarily responsible for initially breaking down feed, which happens in about 40 minutes or less. On the other hand, many of the nutrients in a horse’s diet – such as vitamins, simple carbohydrates, fats, and proteins – are then absorbed through the small intestine in a matter of hours. To this point, horses are similar to other animal species that also have just one stomach, including humans.
But here is where they differ greatly … the horse is hugely dependent on the cecum and colon for digestion of a majority of its food – forages like grass, hay, and beet pulp. Even in horses that receive concentrated feed, these fibrous foods provide 70 percent or more of a horse’s energy, and are digested solely through the process of fermentation (by beneficial microorganisms) in the hindgut. This process can take up to 2 or 3 days. So, the health of the cecum, colon, and the microbial population that lives there is critical to a horse’s digestive wellness.
Yes, SUCCEED does contain ingredients that support the health of the equine stomach, a very small portion of the overall digestive tract and process. But it is also highly-engineered for the support of the entire equine gastrointestinal tract – especially the hindgut.
SUCCEED IS a Supplement that Supports the Health of the WHOLE Equine Gut
SUCCEED is crafted from a unique, patented formulation that incorporates higher concentrations of beneficial components found in its all-natural ingredients, such as polar lipids, beta glucan and specific amino acids.
Supports nutrient absorption throughout
The ingredient oat oil in SUCCEED is extracted from oats through a process that retains high amounts of polar lipids. Polar lipids help improve nutrient absorption by strengthening the tight junctions between enterocytes, the cells of the intestines responsible for absorption of nutrients. Extracts of yeast also support the growth of intestinal villi that line the intestines, increasing surface area necessary for nutrient absorption.
Supports healthy function throughout
The oat flour in SUCCEED is made from oats that are higher in bran and lower in starch, and the oat is processed to retain high concentrations of beta glucan (found in the bran part of the oat). Beta glucan, a soluble oat fiber, helps to moderate transit time in digestion – this helps ensure that starches are absorbed properly in the small intestine instead of reaching the hindgut. Beta glucan also is known to moderate the release of sugars, which can help reduce sugar highs and lows that can affect a horse’s behavior. Beta glucan is also well-known for supporting a healthy immune system.
L-Glutamine is an amino acid that not only provides fuel to muscles, it supports the immune cells in the intestinal mucosa (lining of the gut). And another essential amino acid, L-Threonine, supports the production of mucin which is a necessary component of mucous, which lubricates the lining of the gut.
Supports hindgi tract health
Yeast in SUCCEED is rich in beta glucan and MOS, which supports hindgi tract health and a healthy immune system. MOS can also serve as a prebiotic, or food for the good bacteria in a horse’s hindgut.
All of the ingredients work together to help the entire equine GI tract function correctly and stay healthy. This helps the horse get the most from its feed – even in the face of challenges related to modern feeding, care, travel, and competition.
SUCCEED only supports gastric health in horses = myth. SUCCEED is engineered to support the health of the entire equine GI tract, including the stomach and especially the hindgut.
