Feed Additives for Horses: Supporting Gut Health and Whole-Horse Wellness

When building a nutrition program for horses, forage, balanced concentrates, and clean water form the foundation. Beyond these basics, feed additives provide targeted support to gut health, immune resilience, and metabolic efficiency, influencing daily health and performance.

BioZyme is a global fermentation company focused on animal nutrition and health. Through rigorous research and high-quality manufacturing, BioZyme develops feed additives such as AO-Biotics Amaferm, a research-proven prebiotic that increases digestibility across species.

VitalizeEQ is the line of equine supplements designed to support gut and systemic health, from foals to senior horses, including performance and broodmares.

Feed additives for horses are specialized ingredients included in the diet to enhance nutritional value, improve digestion, or support specific physiological functions. They fine-tune how the horse utilizes core nutrients such as protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals.

Think of them as fine-tuning behind the scenes. They help the engine run more smoothly, burn fuel more efficiently, and recover faster after the work is done.

Core categories include prebiotics, probiotics, yeast cultures, enzymes, buffers, electrolytes, and targeted vitamin and mineral support. While each plays a unique role, many focus on the digestive tract as the central system for health and performance.

The Gut: Where Performance Begins

The equine digestive system is efficient yet sensitive. A large portion of the immune response starts in the digestive system. The hindgut ferments fiber with billions of microbes that produce energy from forage. When the microbial ecology remains balanced, horses maintain proper weight, efficiently convert feed, and display steady energy and immune defenses. Disruptions from stress, dietary changes, illness, antibiotics, or antibiotic deworming can upset the microbial population and lead to issues such as inconsistent manure, poor nutrient absorption, weight fluctuations, dull coats, reduced stamina, and digestive upset. Feed additives help promote microbial balance and gut integrity.

Probiotics: Reinforcing the Microbial Team

Probiotics are live beneficial microorganisms that help populate and support a healthy digestive tract. They can enhance fiber digestion, immune function, manure consistency, and transitions during dietary changes. They are particularly useful for traveling, competition, or new feeding programs.

Prebiotics: Fueling the Microbial Network

Prebiotics are non-digestible fibers that feed desirable gut microbes. By nourishing beneficial populations, prebiotics promote digestion, gut integrity, energy stability, and immune support, especially when paired with probiotics for synergistic effects. Amaferm is a precision prebiotic with substantial research showing increased digestibility and nutrient absorption; Amaferm has more than 150 published research papers.

AO-Biotics Amaferm: Fermentation at Work

AO-Biotics Amaferm is a proprietary prebiotic derived from fermentation that supports the horse’s native microbial population and enhances hindgut fermentation. It does not introduce bacteria but delivers bioactive compounds that improve nutrient utilization and gut health, supporting a normal immune response and consistent performance across feeding programs.

Enzymes & Feed Efficiency

Enzyme additives help break down complex feed components such as fiber, starch, and protein, improving digestion and feed conversion, supporting steadier energy and condition, and reducing waste. They maximize the value of concentrates and performance diets, especially amid rising feed costs.

Beyond Digestion: Whole-Horse Benefits

A healthy digestive tract supports immune defenses, inflammatory balance, metabolism, muscle recovery, behavior, and focus. The benefits extend to performance horses, broodmares, foals, and seniors as nutrients are more efficiently utilized, creating a ripple effect across systems.

VitalizeEQ: Nutrition Powered by Fermentation

The VitalizeEQ line builds on BioZyme fermentation expertise to deliver targeted digestive and nutritional support specifically for horses. Formulated with Amaferm, these products aim to improve fiber digestion, nutrient absorption, gut stability during occasional stress, and immune and metabolic function to support consistent performance.

Owners may observe improvements such as healthier coats and topline, steadier energy, improved manure quality, and more consistent body condition. These gains are gradual and align with ongoing management and feeding programs.

Choosing the Right Feed Additives for Horses

BioZyme emphasizes science-based formulations and a three-pronged research approach consisting of discovery studies to generate hypotheses, mechanistic studies to elucidate mode of action, and validation studies to observe efficacy in real-world environments. This framework supports reliable results across diverse management systems.

Trust Safe, Accurate Products Made by Vitalize

Vitalize products are research-proven and produced in an ionophore-free closed production system to ensure safety for horses. The company maintains a robust quality program and participates in industry standards programs, including NASC, with some products carrying the NASC quality seal, reflecting high standards for equine supplements.

Start with the Basics

• High-quality forage
• Balanced rations
• Fresh water
• Regular dental care
• Consistent feeding schedules
• Stress management

The Bottom Line

Feeding horses requires applying science to practice. Feed additives provide targeted tools to improve digestion, nutrient use, and performance, with fermentation-driven Amaferm delivering more value from existing feeds. Gut-centric nutrition supports immune function, metabolic balance, and overall vitality across life stages and performance levels.

Vitalize Offers Feed Additives for Horses in a Tidy Package

VitalizeEQ products are available through online and authorized dealer channels. For program selection, the Vitalize Product Navigator can help identify suitable options. Distribution is handled through BioZyme dealers and retail partners to ensure access. Contact information for BioZyme and dealer networks supports local purchasing and service.

Contact: 6010 Stockyards Expressway

St. Joseph, Missouri 64504

Phone: 816-238-3326