Dietary and management factors influence the equine gastric microbiome.

This study investigates the effects of food and management practices on the gastric microorganisms of horses. Specifically, it examines how factors such as type of hay, feeding of sweet feed, horse turnout and stalling influence the equine glandular gastric microbiome.

Research Objective and Hypothesis

• The primary purpose of this research was to understand the correlation between a horse’s diet and management practices and the microbiome of the glandular gastric mucosa.
• The researchers theorized that the microbial community in the gastric mucosa is influenced by diet and management factors.
• Specifically, the team aimed to characterize the gastric mucosal microbiome in relation to these factors.

Research Methodology

• The study utilized 57 client-owned horses from southern Louisiana, including both horses with and without equine glandular gastric disease.
• The diet and management information for these horses were captured using a questionnaire.
• Gastroscopy was employed to ascertain the presence of equine gastric ulcer syndrome and to collect glandular mucosal pinch biopsies.
• 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was deployed for microbiome analysis.
• Similarity and diversity indices, as well as sequence read counts of individual taxa, were compared across different diet and management factors to identify differences.

Research Findings

• The results displayed differences in relation to offering hay, the type of hay given, sweet feed, horse turnout, and time spent in a stall.
• Horses that were offered hay and spent more time stalling exhibited differences in similarity indices.
• Differences in both similarity and diversity indices were observed in relation to the type of hay, the use of sweet feed, and horse turnout.
• Differences in readings of individual sequence counts were attributed to offering hay, the kind of hay, and the inclusion of sweet feed in the diet.
• The study presents preliminary data describing the complex relationship between the glandular gastric microbiome and diet and management factors in horses.

Implications and Future Research

• The study does not establish the ideal microbiome to encourage a healthy glandular gastric environment due to the complexity of the relationship between the glandular gastric microbiome and diet/management factors.
• Future studies need to be conducted to understand these relationships better and determine an ideal microbiome for equine gastric health.