Text: Hannah Botha, MSc<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every pony owner aims to provide the best care possible for their beloved steeds, and that extends to supplementing their diet according to their needs. Among the various supplements available on the market, psyllium is getting increasing attention, but what is it, and why is it used?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Psyllium husk\u00a0is made\u00a0from the seeds of the\u00a0Plantago ovata<\/em>\u00a0plant. It provides soluble fibre, which\u00a0is commonly used\u00a0in both human and veterinary medicine. As it contains high levels of mucilage, a gel-forming fibre that absorbs water, it swells to form a gel-like substance in the digestive tract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the main reasons for including psyllium in your pony’s diet is the theory that this gel-like substance effectively removes sand particles in the gut, thereby reducing the risk of sand colic, which is particularly common in ponies kept in sandy areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u00a0is also thought\u00a0that ponies suffering from recurrent episodes of diarrhoea or loose stools could benefit from psyllium’s bulk-forming effects, which help absorb excess water and\u00a0normalise\u00a0stool consistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Psyllium husk is also rich in fermentable fibre that promotes butyrate (which is\u00a0a short-chain fatty acid) production in the hindgut. Intestinal cells\u00a0use\u00a0butyrate for energy.\u00a0When these cells are ‘happy’ and well-supplied with butyrate, they can be repaired and regenerated, improving overall gut health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recent studies have proposed the theory that psyllium could also help control glucose and insulin, which would benefit ponies struggling with certain metabolic conditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n In terms of sand clearance, the science is very variable. One specific study by the University of Colorado State found that adding a psyllium product did not improve sand clearance compared to a control group. A study in Finland found that psyllium and magnesium sulfate did improve sand clearance. However, in this study,\u00a0psyllium was fed\u00a0at a very high rate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Several studies have interestingly demonstrated that psyllium supplementation is not a 100% effective strategy for sand clearance. However, the most effective sand clearance strategy for horse owners turns out to be feeding free-choice hay, or at least 2.5% of the horse’s body weight per day<\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides feeding free-choice hay, the most effective strategy to mitigate sand accumulation is to prevent sand ingestion from occurring in the first place. Feeding in buckets and off the\u00a0ground,\u00a0while\u00a0preventing\u00a0overgrazing of sandy paddocks are all effective ways of reducing sand colic risk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ponies who received psyllium for 60 days had lower average blood glucose levels after feeding and lower average peak glucose levels. The psyllium-fed horses also had lower average post-feeding insulin levels and\u00a0lower\u00a0average insulin concentrations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This\u00a0suggests that psyllium could\u00a0be beneficial to\u00a0obese, insulin-resistant ponies or those predisposed to metabolic concerns, but larger\u00a0populations of ponies, obese ponies, and ponies exposed to pasture forages need to be studied to understand its benefits further. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dosage and administration should always be discussed\u00a0with your vet in cases of digestive disturbance. Psyllium is typically administered orally\u00a0in the form of\u00a0a powder or granules, which\u00a0can be mixed\u00a0with the pony’s feed. The dosage varies depending on the pony’s size, weight, and specific needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a general guideline, based on some\u00a0of the\u00a0scientific studies, up to 500g per day, split into separate servings for five consecutive days per month for an average\u00a0500kg horse for sand clearing, can be helpful.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, for ponies with a history of digestive issues,\u00a0a daily administration of\u00a0one heaped dessert spoonful twice a day is recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ideally, the psyllium product should be mixed with dry feed (or slightly dampened immediately before feeding), as adding\u00a0larger\u00a0amounts of\u00a0water or\u00a0fully\u00a0soaking feed can lead to swelling before eating, which can be an issue for some ponies.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n While psyllium is generally safe for ponies and well-tolerated,\u00a0certain precautions should be observed. It’s crucial to ensure that the pony has access to ample fresh water when consuming psyllium, as adequate hydration is necessary to facilitate its passage through the digestive tract. Additionally, psyllium should not be administered concurrently with medications or supplements, as it may interfere with their absorption.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pony owners should\u00a0always consult with\u00a0a vet before initiating psyllium supplementation, especially if the pony has preexisting medical conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It seems there\u00a0is a role for psyllium in some ponies.\u00a0However, a vet\u00a0must be consulted\u00a0before\u00a0psyllium is given.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Text: Hannah Botha, MSc Every pony owner aims to provide the best care possible for their beloved steeds, and that extends to supplementing their diet according to their needs. Among the various supplements available on the market, psyllium is getting increasing attention, but what is it, and why is it used? Understanding psyllium Psyllium husk\u00a0is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[113],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pony-channel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hqmagazine.co.za\/pony\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hqmagazine.co.za\/pony\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hqmagazine.co.za\/pony\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hqmagazine.co.za\/pony\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hqmagazine.co.za\/pony\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1544"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/hqmagazine.co.za\/pony\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1549,"href":"https:\/\/hqmagazine.co.za\/pony\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1544\/revisions\/1549"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hqmagazine.co.za\/pony\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hqmagazine.co.za\/pony\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hqmagazine.co.za\/pony\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hqmagazine.co.za\/pony\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Benefits for equine digestive health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
But does the science back this up?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Psyllium and sand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nSand accumulation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nPsyllium and insulin control<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Administration and dosage guidelines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nNote<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nFinal thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n