Supporting your horse’s digestive system through every change in forage
If you’ve ever watched a horse graze freely in a field, you’ll know just how naturally they take to it. Heads down, moving slowly, taking small, steady mouthfuls for hours on end. That image, unhurried, consistent, rhythmic, is a window into how the horse’s entire digestive system is designed to work. And it’s that understanding that sits at the heart of Horslyx Digestion Balancer.
Horses are born trickle feeders and that matters more than you might think
A horse in its natural environment will spend somewhere between 14 and 16 hours a day grazing. Not because it’s particularly hungry, but because its digestive system genuinely needs that constant, low-level flow of fibre to function well. The equine stomach is relatively small, it makes up only around 10% of the total digestive tract and unlike ours, it produces acid continuously, whether food is present or not. When a horse goes without forage for an extended period, that acid has nothing to buffer it.
The real powerhouse of equine digestion is the hindgut the caecum and large colon where billions of microorganisms get to work fermenting fibre and producing the energy sources the horse relies on. This microbial population is remarkable, but it’s also sensitive. Change the diet suddenly, switch hay batches, move from field to stable, or let spring grass arrive faster than expected and that carefully balanced community of microbes can be thrown off balance quickly.
It’s why so many digestive upsets in horses happen not during steady, settled periods, but during transitions. Seasonal changes. New forage. Different grazing. Anything that disrupts the consistency of what’s arriving in the hindgut can have a knock-on effect.
Horslyx Digestion Balancer is a complementary feed designed to support the digestive system during these periods of change not to replace good forage management, but to work alongside it.
Why a lick? Because it works the way your horse works
One of the things that makes Horslyx different is the delivery format itself. A high density lick block can’t be bolted it has to be licked. That means your horse naturally returns to it in short, frequent visits rather than consuming a large amount all at once. It’s a feeding pattern that mirrors the trickle-feeding instinct horses have, encouraging saliva production with each lick and providing a drip-feed of supportive nutrition throughout the day and night.
It also means intake is self-regulated. Horses consume what they need and move away when they’ve had enough, which suits both the product and the horse’s natural behaviour. For owners trying to replicate something closer to a natural feeding rhythm particularly during periods when forage supply is reduced or inconsistent that’s genuinely useful.
What’s inside Horslyx Digestion Balancer, and why it’s there
MOS — MANNAN-OLIGOSACCHARIDES
MOS is a prebiotic derived from the outer cell wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. As a prebiotic, it may help support a balanced environment in the hindgut, particularly during periods of dietary change when the microbial community is most likely to be disrupted.
Slippery Elm — Ulmus fulva
Slippery Elm has been used for centuries in both equine and human digestive care. The inner bark contains mucilage, a natural substance that forms a gel when it meets moisture, which may help support the mucous membranes lining the digestive tract. Horses going through changes in forage often benefit from this kind of consistent nutritional support.
Actisaf Yeast — Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Actisaf is a live yeast with a strong evidence base in equine nutrition, not just any yeast, but a specific, characterised strain produced to a consistent quality standard. It works within the hindgut to support the bacteria responsible for fibre fermentation, helping them to function more effectively. During periods of dietary change new hay, seasonal pasture shifts, a switch between forage types. Actisaf may help support a more consistent hindgut environment.
When Digestion Horslyx is at its most useful
Any time your horse’s forage is changing, in type, quality, or quantity, is a time worth thinking about digestive support. Spring, when grass arrives quickly and its nutrient profile shifts week by week. Late summer or autumn, when you’re transitioning back to hay or haylage. Times when a new hay batch has come in and it’s clearly different to the last. Periods of box rest when grazing stops altogether. Competition seasons when feeding routines are disrupted by travel and schedule.
Horslyx Digestion Balancer can be used year-round as part of a thoughtful feeding programme or brought in specifically during higher-risk periods. Either way, it’s there to provide consistent support, quietly working in the background, in a way that fits naturally into how your horse prefers to eat.
