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Foals and adult horses have exquisitely sensitive gastrointestinal tracts that do not typically do well with sudden changes in diet. One of the main ways to keep a healthy gastrointestinal system in horses is ensuring the happiness of the microscopic organisms that reside within. But how do we do that unless we know what microbes actually live in the digestive tract?

As highlighted in a recent article*, there is a complex bacterial ecosystem inhabiting the large intestine of horses needed to break down food (plant fiber) and provide energy. Although it is speculated that the bacterial community is established early in life, little research in foals has been conducted to confirm this hypothesis.

“The pioneer bacteria that start the community in foals could ultimately play a role in the overall maturation of the gastrointestinal tract—a process referred to as ‘microbial succession’—and impact the health of the foal throughout life,” explains Bryan M. Waldridge, D.V.M., head veterinarian for Kentucky Equine Research.

Previous studies show that bacterial communities are similar between mares and their foals (71%) between 6 and 12 months of age. Considering that weaning is a time of great change in diet and social life for foals at 4 to 6 months of age, what happens to the bacterial population then?

To answer this question, the research team obtained meconium and fecal samples from foals periodically throughout the first year of the their lives. They subsequently analyzed those samples using a relatively novel technique called “automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis” to essentially “fingerprint” the foal feces to document the dynamics of the bacterial community in the gastrointestinal tract.

The study authors reported, “…the establishment of the intestinal bacterial community in foals is a sequential process, which reaches its climax state at around one month of age.”

No change in bacterial populations at the time of weaning was noted, which was somewhat of a surprise considering that weaning is generally thought of as a stressful time involving an increase in forage intake and the cessation of milk intake. Suggesting that weaning might have an impact on the gastrointestinal bacterial population would be reasonable and akin to a “sudden” change in diet in an adult horse.

The study authors concluded, “This study presents the first successful analysis of age-related changes in the bacterial community structure in foal feces, from birth to one year of life, including weaning. Further studies using new generation sequencing-based methods could be conducted to identify which bacterial genera are established during the first month of life.”

*Faubladier, C., S. Sadet-Bourgeteau, C. Philippeau, et al. 2014. Molecular monitoring of the bacterial community structure in foal feces pre- and post-weaning. Anaerobe 25:61-66.

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