Horses rely on microbes in the hind-gut to ferment the roughage in their diet, and break it down into nutrients they can absorb.
Disruption of the normal balance, for example by the overgrowth of a particular population of bacteria, may affect the normal healthy functioning of the horse’s gastrointestinal tract, and may result in disease.
Changes in the microbiome may lead to diseases affecting the gastro-intestinal tract – such as colic or colitis – and even conditions with more wide-reaching effects such as laminitis.
Researchers at Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), University of Guelph have developed a mechanical replica of the equine digestive system, known as “RoboGut”, which will to help them to understand the composition of a healthy horse’s gut microbiome.
Dr. Luis Arroyo, professor in the Department of Clinical Studies at the OVC, uses the horse robo-gut to understand how various food compounds are digested.
“The robo-gut offers us ways to understand mechanism of disease and potential treatment options for our patients, as well as helping us learn more about early detection and prevention of GI diseases,” says Arroyo.
The researchers can alter the humidity and temperature to simulate the environment within the horse’s gut.
“Through this manipulation, we can encourage a horse gut microbiome to thrive in the robo-gut,” says Arroyo. "Native microbiota play an important role in the digestion, absorption and fermentation of nutrients to maintain a healthy state."
“A healthy gut microbiome is essential for the proper systemic functioning of the horse’s entire body,” says Arroyo. “By looking at horse health holistically, we are able to prevent local and systemic ailments from flourishing.”
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