In 2022, we devised a formula for our new Opti-Gut for Horses. We felt we were onto a winner with our natural probiotic formula. It’s designed to support equine gut health by replenishing gut flora and improving nutrient absorption.
And we’re pleased to say that the recent feedback from horse owners and carers has been overwhelming.
Kelley Walker is the sole Director of Performance Horse Therapies and works in Victoria and Tasmania. After speaking with Graham about Opti-Gut, Kelley decided to give it a try.
So, rather than trying to rewrite her feedback or make any claims ourselves, we’ve published her story in full. (As published on her company’s Facebook page)
A big thanks to Kelley for sharing her experiences with us and others.
Kelley Walker, Performance Horse Therapies, reports her experience using Opti-Gut for Horses probiotic supplement
Let me talk to you all about gut health and why I started using Opti-Gut – and my monstrous journey with my horse. (I also stock the product for sale)
I will never ever use another product if any of my animals (horses, small animals, and humans, has a gut issue). I am usually a total sceptic because of my line of work in an industry where there are so many “snake oil” types of products out there.
So…make a cuppa, a drink, sit down and put your feet up. This will be long-winded (*cough, those who know me well know my ability to “talk”).
The last time I rode my beautiful mare Emma (now 13 years old, warmblood) was September 2020. I was having a lesson with my coach and friend Jenny Bray. I had organised for Emma to be inseminated, and the stallion was only available in October.
Jen actually said to me that ride “Are you sure you want to stop, I think we have finally turned a corner”. Brief history… Emma was that her entire riding life, she had been extremely tricky, sharp, hot, reactive, stressed, angry and pretty athletic. We always put it down to her bloodline – tricky but exceptionally talented. God knows I actually enjoy “a bit of wicked”. But with her, it has always been one step forward, 10 steps back.
My problem is I have never sat on anything that is as special as she is, the feel she gives you when all the planets are lined up is phenomenal. I couldn’t give up on her.
Pregnancy didn’t occur, and on third try, she filled with fluid, so that was that. I jumped back on board and suddenly I had an aggressive, fire-breathing lunatic. Squirting every time I put a leg on, angry…so, so, so angry with everything. Even a gelding she loved heading out into the bush with, she suddenly wanted to kill him, roaring, striking and very stallion-like. Dangerous to ride, which she had never been before.
Exploring the problem
I organised for her to be ultra-sounded. There was a mass on her left ovary.
We organised for her to see a reproductive surgeon to have it removed. All this took many months.
In July 2021, she was finally up at GVEH (Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital) to have her surgery when I got a phone call and asked to describe what was going on. I had dropped her off on the Sunday and the surgeon wasn’t around).
I described everything to him, and he stated that they had conducted an ultrasound and that there was no longer any sign of the mass. He thought that it must have been a cyst rather than a tumour, and she had passed it.
He asked whether I would like to scope for ulcers while she was fasted for surgery. Of course, we did, as over her entire life, I had used omeprazole paste for her in the lead-up to clinics, dressage competitions, etc. All that ever did was take the edge off things, And then they slowly built up again, so I knew we had a problem there.
The Diagnosis
I was not prepared for the call to advise me that she had quite the case of severe, close to bleeding, glandular ulcers at the pyloric exit to the small intestine.
Glandular ulcers are graded “mild, medium or severe”, whereas squamous ulcers are graded 1-4 as to severity, with 1 being mild.
Roll on months and months of treatment with pastes, human medication of two varieties and no riding. Glandular ulcers are thought to be related to stress, as opposed to squamous ulcers, which are usually related to feed and/or drugs. There is not a lot of definitive information in relation to gut issues, and I was told that sometimes these things aren’t resolved.
Eventually, after many gastroscopes, where there was no change or down-grading of her ulcers, I requested we change to injectable Omeprazole,. This calmed her, but they were still there on gastroscope, although they were no longer severe.
I was told that her ridden life would change substantially, as the stress of training would exacerbate her ulcers again…at most, 20 minutes of riding at a time. Her life would have to be a mixture of management and treatments.
One year on…
Another year passed where she had various stages of courses of injectables to settle things at different times…still unridden. The last lot of injections was November 2022 when she had an appearance at Equitana as a demonstration horse. I wanted to ensure that the stress of the situation wouldn’t tip her over…..(let’s not talk about the Brahman Bull housed opposite her in the stables on her second day….😱).
I always stable over winter. So usually, by about month two of winter boxing, Emma needs some form of ulcer treatment assistance due to the added stress of being “locked in” overnight.
This is now where it gets interesting…
Using natural probiotics helped return Emma the horse to good health
Time to side-track – please don’t groan…stay with me here……LOL About six years ago, we started to use organic fertilisers from a company called BioLink4Plants. I am a weed-free, good pasture freak, and we usually cut for hay off about five acres on our property.
Using their products, we generally get about 25 round bales. And as the quality of pasture has become exceptional and is also really good for horses because of how the pastures are “fed”.
This February, I ran into Graham, one of the owners of BioLink, and he asked me how my horses were. I told him how crappy Emma was. He handed me this “new probiotic” they had created and had done research on in the cattle industry. Under the new requirements, it reduced methane emissions in the cows by creating a healthier gut and utilising food properly and more effectively.
It has been produced since then for the animal industry, including the horse industry. He told me it would fix Emma and that I needed to use it.
Me being me, did an internal eyeroll, but knowing how great their pasture microbes etc were, thought “what have I got to lose”.
Because of how the probiotic is developed, there is no means of “watering” the product down. In my unqualified non-science mind, a “full strength” product with no dilution.
The added bonus is that this product is so bloody cheap compared to everything else out there!
The Results
Emma had been really unwell in February and was dangerously anaemic. I had concerns there may be a “bleed” somewhere, so she was put on iron, and I started using the new probiotic. Within the first week of use, she was perkier. I put down to the iron, but she kept getting better.
It got to the end of April, and into the stables, the horses went. Emma remained happy, stress-free and pretty calm (*cough until the deer started visiting my paddocks), and I have not used any form of ulcer treatment since November. She looks simply magnificent in her coat – silky, soft and glowing despite no washing since Equitana.
Yesterday, I scoped her as I needed to do my usual check on her ulcers. Graham also wanted to see how the probiotic was working for her post-stabling.
I am totally and utterly blown away. No sign of ulcers, the walls are clean with no scarring visible. The scope even went out to the other side of the pylorus to look. The entire length of her gastro-intestinal region is totally clean.The only thing I have changed is feeding this probiotic.
I have always known that gut health is essential in humans. Good gut health is sought by medical and naturopathic practitioners around the world. It is even touted in humans that a good and healthy gut system reduces the risk of certain cancers as they can’t thrive with a system without inflammation.
I have ALWAYS said that horse people make feeding horses way too complicated. Their gut system is simple, yet we feed powders, liquids, high and low concentrates of feeds, pastes, and other slops. We double up with different feeds and don’t feed enough fibrous food. We are our horses’ worst problems. Then you add to that the stresses of environment and training, and it tips the balance of the gut. Hello, ulcers!!!!
Kelley’s final word on using Opti-Gut for Horses to support equine gut health
This probiotic, for me, is a game changer.
It has balanced Emma’s gut system so well that the environmental stresses she has no longer show by way of ulceration. That is my belief, as nothing else has changed in her life.
I will continue to monitor her gut with periodic scopes as to how she is coping. Now I can FINALLY bring her back to work. But I actually feel that as long as her gut is operating as it should, she will remain ulcer-free.
It is not a miracle ulcer treatment; it is simply a bloody good probiotic which has helped to resolve a serious ongoing ulcer problem.
Thank you if you managed to stay to the end. I figured that I needed to tell my story as to why I love and carry this product and why I am ravingly rabid about it.
The main photo shows Emma on her first time back in the arena – calm and happy.
Kelley Walker can be contacted at +61 427 962 552.
