As a horse owner I have a strong interest in my horse’s well-being, because our partnership rests on this. And that’s just as true for leisure riders as it is for competitive riders.

Gastric acid is an integral part of the digestion of all the food consumed by horses. Gastric acid kills germs and undesirable bacteria that cannot survive in such an acidic environment. It is produced around the clock because this is the only way to ensure that the digestive process, which begins with mastication in the mouth, can continue all the way to excretion.

In addition to this natural process, horses can also suffer from stress-related acid formation, meaning that any form of stress – anxiety, new and unfamiliar situations, unsettled atmosphere in the stable, uneven and irregular feeding times – can lead to increased formation of gastric acid and thus to an excess of acid in the stomach.

The horse's stomach can cope with this over short periods of time. Equine stomachs and intestines, however, are not designed for prolonged increase in acid production. Excess acid in the horse's stomach will slosh back and forth like a small lake through movement and the contraction of the stomach, causing it to reach areas insufficiently protected by glandular mucous membranes.

This causes pain and additional stress which in turn favours stress-induced production of gastric acid, creating a cycle which must be interrupted. If the acid reaches the unprotected stomach walls often enough, this will lead to stomach lesions and ultimately to stomach ulcers. The digested feed is also usually too acidified, so that the microbes, which break it down further in the intestine, either die off from too much acid or cannot develop their full effect through a non-optimal pH environment.

This leads to an intestinal flora imbalance and ultimately to digestive ailments such as diarrhoea, flatulence or watery stool. Back to well-being: if I, as a horse owner, know that changes to the horse’s keeping or riding are not possible, I must then take appropriate steps to bind and neutralise the horse’s excess gastric acid.

What makes Equine 74 Gastric so special?

What’s special about Equine Gastric 74 is that it works, helping not only the stomach, but also the intestine. The enormous absorption capacity of this mineral complex makes it possible to bind a large part of excess stomach acid and thus neutralise it. That's just the start. The consequences are a balanced stomach pH and the lower risk of acid reaching the unprotected stomach walls.

In addition, the digested feed pulp enters the intestines in a much better consistency and the acid doesn’t inhibit intestinal microbes from doing their job, resulting in improved digestion.

Equine 74 Gastric is used in professional riding stables, is recommended by veterinarians and is used on almost all horse breeds and horse age groups. For us, the best thing is when, after 4–6 weeks of consistent feeding, customers call or write how happy they are that they have finally got their rideable horse back.