Maag-darm problemen in de herfst en winter

You’re likely already taking steps to help your horse stay healthy through the colder months. But while the outside needs extra care, don’t forget the inside—your horse’s digestive system faces quite a bit of stress during seasonal transitions. Autumn and winter are key times to stay alert to potential digestive problems.

Seasonal changes and digestion

The shift from pasture season to paddock season brings a lot of changes for your horse—think forage management, altered training schedules, and reduced social turnout time. Combined with colder, wetter weather, these changes can weaken your horse’s immune system. All of this impacts the gastrointestinal tract.

Horses are herbivores, meaning they get all their nutrients from plants. Their digestive system is designed to break down ingested food into ever-smaller particles so the intestinal wall can absorb the nutrients. A horse’s body uses two types of digestion: mechanical and chemical.

Mechanical Digestion
This involves the grinding motion of the teeth and tongue, and the peristaltic (wave-like) movements of the intestines.

Chemical Digestion
Chemical digestion happens through enzymes and bacteria in the saliva, stomach, and intestines. Bacterial digestion, or fermentation, mainly takes place in the cecum and large intestine, while enzymatic digestion primarily occurs in the stomach.

The Impact of Feed Changes

When your sport horse is stabled more during colder months, their diet changes accordingly. Fresh pasture is replaced with forage. Forage contains both water and dry matter. The dry matter includes all nutrients such as fiber, carbohydrates, protein, fats, and minerals. Horses that graze throughout the day naturally consume much more moisture than horses fed only hay or silage. A sudden change in diet can disrupt the microbial balance in the cecum and colon. This disturbance can lead to digestive problems such as impaction or colic.

Gastric Ulcers

Horses are trickle feeders—they eat small amounts continuously, which stimulates saliva production. This saliva acts as a buffer, forming a protective layer for the stomach lining. That’s essential, as the horse’s stomach produces acid constantly to aid digestion and kill harmful microbes.

In autumn, changes in feed can reduce saliva production, weakening that protective layer. With less buffering, the stomach lining becomes more vulnerable to irritation from stomach acid, increasing the risk of ulcers. Feeding more frequently helps stimulate saliva and support stomach health. A targeted supplement can also support overall digestive function.

Lowered Immunity

Digestive issues often arise in autumn due to weakened immunity. There are various reasons a horse’s immune system may be compromised, but seasonal changes—especially during spring and fall—are a major factor. Sudden temperature shifts and management changes reduce resistance, making horses more vulnerable to viruses. Common symptoms include:

• Fever
• Coughing
• Lethargy

With lowered immunity, skin infections can also become more likely. Harmful bacteria can more easily penetrate the skin and cause infections, such as mud fever.

Supporting from Within

Digestive supplements help maintain a healthy gastrointestinal balance, which also supports immunity. During this season, your horse’s diet tends to be less varied. That’s why it’s important to complement forage with natural nutrients. This gives your horse’s immune system a helpful boost, supporting coat change, energy levels, and recovery after harder training.