Forage forms the foundation of your horse’s diet, so you want to be able to rely on it being of good quality. However, this is not always entirely within your control. Sometimes a bale of hay or haylage may contain mould spots, moisture, or dust. Even if you remove the visibly affected areas, the rest of the bale may still contain invisible mould spores or toxins.
In this blog, we discuss the benefits of Vitalstyle HayGuard, a supplement that can support your horse when forage quality is less than optimal.
What does HayGuard do?
HayGuard contains a combination of natural, effective ingredients that support your horse when forage quality is lower than desired. The supplement can help provide support in situations where moulds and mycotoxins are present, when sugar levels in forage fluctuate, or when forage contains dust.
In addition, HayGuard supports digestion and gut flora, helps maintain balanced blood sugar levels, and supports the respiratory system. This makes it a broad support supplement for horses that may be sensitive to less-than-optimal forage.
Important: Never feed forage that is visibly mouldy or of very poor quality. HayGuard can provide support in milder situations, but in severe cases it is always best to discard the forage.
HayGuard and mycotoxins in forage
Even if you remove mouldy spots from hay or haylage, this does not automatically mean the rest of the bale is completely clean. While some moulds are visible as white or dark patches, others are not easily detected with the naked eye.
These moulds can occur in hay, bedding, and sometimes even in concentrate feeds such as pellets or muesli. They may produce harmful substances known as mycotoxins, which often have no obvious smell and are therefore difficult to detect.
Horses can ingest these toxins through feed or inhale them through dust particles. Once mycotoxins enter the body, they can spread through the bloodstream and potentially affect various processes. Horses may be sensitive to certain mycotoxins, meaning that even small amounts can influence digestion, respiration, or immune function.
HayGuard contains ingredients that can help support the body in the presence of these unwanted substances.
What does HayGuard contain?
Vitalstyle HayGuard consists of natural ingredients and is free from grains, gluten, alfalfa, molasses, and soy. It also contains low levels of sugar and starch.
Each ingredient has its own function:
Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Yea-Sacc)
This is a probiotic yeast that supports digestion and contributes to a healthy gut flora.
Bentonite
A clay mineral with binding properties. Scientific research has shown that bentonite can bind certain mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin B1. This toxin is produced by Aspergillus fungi that mainly occur in warm and humid conditions. Bentonite can bind mycotoxins in the digestive tract and help remove them through manure.
Cinnamon
Research suggests that cinnamon may support insulin sensitivity, which can contribute to a more stable blood sugar level. For horses that are sensitive to fluctuations, additional support such as Vitalstyle Sugar Balance may be beneficial.
Apple pulp
Apple pulp contains prebiotic fibres and is rich in pectin. It also improves the palatability of the pellets.
Thyme
Thyme is known for its soothing effect on the respiratory tract. Its essential oils, thymol and carvacrol, can help support the airways when horses are sensitive to dust in forage. When dust in forage is a concern, some owners choose to provide additional support with products such as Vitalstyle respiratory support.
When can you use HayGuard?
Forage of very poor quality, for example due to obvious mould growth, extremely high sugar levels, or excessive dust, should never be fed. However, it is still possible for invisible mould spores or mycotoxins to be present in forage.
In addition, many horse owners have limited control over the forage quality at their stable. In these situations, HayGuard can provide valuable support.
HayGuard can be used, for example:
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when mould spores or mycotoxins may be present in forage (never feed visibly mouldy forage)
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when forage is dusty
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when forage contains fluctuating sugar levels
In these situations, it can also be helpful to look at the structure and composition of the ration, for example by supplementing part of the forage with a forage mix to provide extra consistency and balance.
