You ask your horse to lengthen his stride and he slams on the brakes. You ask for a canter and get a mincy trot. Then you ask yourself: What is going on with my horse?
When a performance horse does not want to perform, something is wrong. What may appear to be an attitude or training problem may actually be an ailment caused by digestive imbalances severe enough to distract an equine athlete from his work program.
If you have ever tried to run when you have a stomachache, you can understand why a horse suffering from digestion-related upsets such as colic or ulcers may not respond to your aids. He is “stuck” in his pain and can’t focus on anything else. 
Considering that colic surgery costs thousands of dollars and the leading product treatment for equine ulcers runs about $35 per day, preventive feeding is far more economical and humane. Proper dietary practices and certain digestive supplements (such as Alltech’s Yea-Sacc, a live yeast culture specifically selected for its influence on equine performance) are designed to promote increased efficiency in the horse’s “hindgut” or large intestine. Ther fiber is broken down through fermentation and turned into an energy source for endurance and stamina. 
Other targeted nutrients that may promote gut health include: glutamine, polar lipids, threonine, beta-glucan, nucleotides and MOS (mannan oligosaccharides, which are derived from yeast, such as Alltech’s Bio-Mos). Some of these ingredients are additives in certain bagged horse feeds, but the only way to know is to read the label or ask your feed dealer. In addition, feeding whole grains, such as oats and barley, provides natural fiber that can support gut health and help heal a compromised intestinal tract.
So-called “functional feeding” for horses, nutritional programs targeted specifically at gut health—began to gain favor a few years ago in Europe and the U.K. More recently the concept has attracted attention in North America. Last fall at its annual convention, the United States Dressage Federation offered a cutting-edge presentation on the topic.
Why are horses’ guts taking such a pounding these days? Just as humans in modern society, today’s horses are subject to the increased demands of daily life. As a result, stress accumulates. Equine digestive tracts are designed for a lifestyle of grazing, meandering around a pasture with herd mates and constantly nibbling on high-fiber grasses. That stands in contrast to the demands humans have placed upon horses. We confine them to stalls up to 23 hours a day, shuttle them to the unfamiliar environs of competitive events, impose upon them rigorous training and exercise programs, and feed them concentrated rations at arbitrary intervals.
Farnam, which packages Yea-Sacc as a stand-alone product that can be top-dressed, has published a number of studies on the product (www.farnamhorse.com/yea-sacc_studies.php). In addition to the research, anecdotal evidence seems to support the use of Yea-Sacc, which is distributed online by SmartPak (www.smartpakequine.com) in individualized supplement packaging. 
In a SmartPak customer review, a rider and barn manager from Deer Creek Sport Horses in Rhome, TX, said the farm initially purchased Yea-Sacc mainly because of its pleasant aroma and found that it “is easy to feed, very palatable and definitely works.”
She reported positive results after feeding the product to a large Warmblood jumper with a history of persistent mild colic whenever he traveled, competed or experienced any stress. 
“To our surprise,” she wrote, “this gelding hasn’t had a single episode of colic since he was purchased over a year ago. He can go back to being a normal horse again instead of being treated like a fragile, high-maintenance animal.”
Author Darlene Ricker is an equine consultant to Alltech, a global animal nutrition company and sponsor of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. A Warmblood breeder and FEI dressage rider, Ricker is the author of several books on horse training. She covered Olympic equestrian sports as a staff writer for the Boston Globe and the Los Angeles Times.