Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

  Mike has a good point. I'll try to sway the conversation toward 
something more useful and scientific. I came across an article on the 
KER website, where they tested the effect of yeast (saccharomyces 
cerevisiae) on the pH of the hindgut of the horse. They tested diets 
with high grain content as well as a high fiber diet. They fed yeast in 
some and not in others. They found that the yeast-fed horses had a 
higher pH in the hind gut (less acidic, a good thing) than those not fed 
the yeast. Up to four times less acidic, and presumably less likely to 
cause colic. They feel that the results were caused by the yeast 
encouraging the production of bacteria that utilize lactic acid as fuel 
and decreased the production of lactic acid-producing bacteria. They 
also postulated that the yeast encouraged the breakdown of fiber, adding 
to the buffering effect on the hindgut. As a side note, the fermentation 
process that is promoted by yeast aids in the release of volatile fatty 
acids, that the horse can use for aerobic work.
 I have fed Diamond V yeast for years, and have virtually no tummy 
problems. I never have difficulty keeping weight on my horses either. 
They get so much more out of their hay, and I feed very little grain 
overall, other than that which I feed after a hard workout or during an 
endurance ride.
  Any comments?   Bruce Weary




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