What an Independent Field Study Revealed About Digestive EQ and Hard-Keeper Horses

What an Independent Field Study Revealed About Digestive EQ and Hard-Keeper Horses

When a horse struggles to gain weight, it's rarely just about "feeding more." Often, the issue lies deeper. Mainly, in how efficiently that horse can digest and absorb what it's already being fed.

An independent field study led by Professor Andrew Dart, one of Australia's most respected equine veterinarians, explored exactly this question:

What happens when digestive efficiency is supported in under-conditioned horses?

The results were striking.

First, what kind of study was this?

This was an independent observational field study, not a laboratory trial.

That matters.

The horses were managed under real-world conditions. Much like the same way many horses are managed at spelling paddocks or coming back into work.

Importantly, the study was conducted independently of Poseidon Animal Health, the makers of Digestive EQ.

The aim wasn't to "prove" a mechanism in a lab. Rather, it was to observe meaningful, practical outcomes in real horses under real world conditions.

The horses involved

Five adult horses were selected because they were:

• Poor doers or hard keepers
• In low body condition (scores 1-2 out of 5)

Coming back into work after time off

Before the study began, all horses had:

Dental treatment

• Worming
• Been on hard feed for 8 weeks

Despite this, their weight gain remained slow and disappointing.

What changed when Digestive EQ was added?

1. Weight gain increased dramatically and immediately

This was the most compelling finding.

Before Digestive EQ:

• Weight gain ranged from 1.0 to 2.9 kg per week

After Digestive EQ:

• Weight gain jumped to 5.6 to 17 kg per week

That's a 3-8x increase!

Even more compelling? The acceleration occurred in the very first week Digestive EQ was introduced and was something Professor Dart described as "difficult to dismiss."

2. Gut function visibly improved

One horse entered the study with chronic loose manure.

By Day 4 on Digestive EQ, manure consistency improvi y the end of supplementation, it was completely norm

mr horse owners, this is often one of the clearest outward signs that digestion is

3. Overall condition improved across all horses

Every horse showed consistent, visible improvements in:

• Body conditior
• Coat qualit

General health and appearance

These weren't subtle changes; they were obvious enough to be noted consistently across the group.

4. Excellent palatability

All five horses ate Digestive EQ readily in their feed.

→ No refusals.

→ No coaxing.

→ No palatability issues.

That matters because even the best supplement can't work if a horse won't eat it.

5. The results couldn't be explained by "management catch-up"

This is a critical point.

All horses had already:

• Been wormed

Had dental work done

• Been eating hard feed for two months

Yet weight gain remained sluggish until Digestive EQ was added. That makes it unlikely the results were simply delayed effects of management changes.

What's actually going on in the gut?

Professor Dart was careful and balanced in his interpretation.

He noted that:

• Changes in the hindgut microbiome alone can't fully explain such rapid improvements
• The most likely explanation is improved digestive efficiency

In simple terms:

When the gut environment is calmer, better buffered, and better supported, horses can finally extract more nutrition from the same feed.

Once digestion improves:

• Nutrient absorption improves
• Hindgut fermentation stabilises
• Weight gain becomes easier and more consistent

Who is Digestive EQ most suited for?

Based on this study, Digestive EQ appears particularly valuable for:

• Horses coming back into work after spelling
• Horses eating "enough" but not thriving

It's not about feeding more; it's about helping the gut do its job properly.

A grounded takeaway his study doesn't claim miracles. It doesn't overreach.

And it doesn't ignore complexity.

What it does show is this:

Supporting digestive efficiency can make a profound, rapid, and visible difference in the right horses.

For owners of hard keepers, that's a hopeful (and practical) message.

This article is based on an independent preliminary field evaluation conducted by Professor Andrew Dart BVSc PhD, DipACVS, DipECVS (published May 2018).