Mad Barn Optimum Probiotic - 60 g

Mad Barn’s Optimum Probiotic is a blend of 5 pure bacterial strains shown to promote healthy intestinal flora, digestive comfort, and immunity in the horse.

Our once-daily equine probiotic supplement has been scientifically formulated for regular maintenance of gut health and for preventing digestive issues.

Optimum Probiotic is a highly concentrated formula consisting of 5 probiotic strains that are resistant to stomach acid, bile and digestive enzymes, working to populate your horse’s gastrointestinal tract with beneficial microorganisms.

Each serving of Optimum Probiotic provides a guaranteed minimum of 20 billion viable CFUs (Colony Forming Units) of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Enterococcus faecium.

Looking for even more powerful protection for your horse’s digestive system? Consider Mad Barn's Optimum Digestive Health supplement which contains probiotics along with prebiotics, digestive enzymes, yeast cultures and more.

Why Use Optimum Probiotic?

Probiotic bacteria exist naturally throughout your horse’s gastrointestinal tract, playing an important role in metabolism, nutrient absorption, vitamin & protein synthesis, feed efficiency and overall digestion. These beneficial microorganisms also help to maintain appropriate pH balance by producing lactic acid, inhibiting the growth of pathogens and supporting the immune system.

However, the delicate balance between good bacteria and bad bacteria is frequently upset by changes in diet, excess grain consumption, stress, environmental factors, illness, medication use and more. If your horse’s gut microbiota becomes imbalanced, dysbiosis can occur leading to potential symptoms including:

• Diarrhea or loose stools
• Abdominal pain, bloating or constipation
• Colitis, laminitis or colic
• Impaired immune function
• Gastric Ulcer Disease
• Weight loss or ill thrift
• Systemic inflammation
• Poor skin & coat quality
• And more...

Regular use of direct-fed microbials like our Optimum Probiotic supplement can prevent dysbiosis by seeding the horse’s gut with large quantities of beneficial bacteria, maintaining a favourable microflora population.

But not all probiotics work equally well. Many products on the market simply do not supply enough bacterial colonies to be effective, providing a fraction of the dosage required to make a meaningful impact. Other products are composed largely of fillers or contain probiotic cultures that die off before they reach their intended site of action in the gut. And COST a lot more!

That’s why we designed Optimum Probiotic to be a pure, cost-effective equine probiotic that replenishes gut bacteria with strains proven to work and deliver real benefits to your horse. No marketing hype. Simply a great probiotic supplement at the lowest possible cost.

Does My Horse Need Probiotics?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, your horse may benefit from the inclusion of bacterial probiotics like Mad Barn’s Optimum Probiotic.

• Has your horse recently received NSAID’s like Banamine, Bute or Firocoxib?
• Is your horse currently taking antibiotics and/or wormers?
• Does your horse show signs of digestive upsets, have loose stools or bouts of equine diarrhea?
• Does your horse appear underweight or unthrift?
• Is your horse elderly?
• Has your horse recently experienced an illness, infection or other stressor?
• Have you recently changed your horse’s diet or environment?

Supplementing beneficial bacterial probiotics can help to restore your horse to optimal health and well-being faster. Get your horse’s microbiome back on track with Optimum Probiotic.

Ease of Use

Adding probiotics to your horse’s diet is now more economical than ever with Optimum Probiotic powder for horses, costing as little as $0.25 per day.

Optimum Probiotic is highly concentrated. Simply feed a single 1-gram scoop per day to supply the recommended serving size of 20 billion CFUs.

This extremely low inclusion rate along with high palatability means there will be no issues with fussy eaters leaving the supplement behind!

The Right Combination

Optimum Probiotic is composed of a hardy blend of 5 natural bacterial strains that grow at a wide range of pH conditions.

Probiotics only work if they are alive when they reach the gastrointestinal tract. The digestive system can be a hostile environment for bacteria to traverse, between the acidic conditions of the stomach, enzyme activity and bile in the small intestine and the competitive environment of the hindgut.

Containing 5 strains that are able to flourish in all environments, Optimum Probiotic ensures maximal activity in all areas of the digestive tract.

These lactic-acid producing bacteria competitively inhibit the growth of disease-causing pathogenic bacteria and help to clear out toxins from the digestive system. They also contribute to improved fiber breakdown and nutrient assimilation from feeds, supporting energy metabolism and healthy weight gain.

Research continues to uncover benefits linked to probiotic supplementation in horses and other animals. Optimize your horse’s gut today with Optimum Probiotic.

You should always consult a qualified nutritionist before altering your feed program.

Recommended Use: Supports gut health and immune function.

Administer with feed. Provide Daily.

Caution:  This VHP may not be incorporated into a mixed feed.

Store in a cool, dry place, protected from direct sunlight. Keep tightly closed when not in use.

Not for use in horses intended for food.

Shelf Life: 12 months from date of manufacture.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Ingredients: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcus faecium, dextrose.

Excipient Ingredients: Dextrose, calcium silicate

Enterococcus Faecium

Enterococcus Faecium is one of the most prevalent species of probiotic bacteria found in the gastrointestinal tract of the horse. E. Faecium is a Gram-positive bacterium, has low pathogenicity and is found most abundantly within the large colon.

Probiotics are beneficial bacterial that contribute to the health of the horse by aiding digestive function and nutrient utilization, combating the growth of harmful bacteria and supporting immune function. In research studies involving animals, this bacterial has been shown to inhibit the growth of pathogenic E. coli bacteria while enhancing the growth of certain probiotic strains of Lactobacillus.

Supplementing with probiotics like E. Faecium may be particularly beneficial to horses with digestive upsets or following a course of antibiotic treatment. Adding direct-fed microbials to your horse’s diet can help to restore balance in the intestinal micro-flora and alleviate digestive complaints. Enterococcus Faecium is commonly recommended to horses experiencing diarrhea.

Lactobacillus Acidophilus

Lactobacillus Acidophilus is one of the most widely supplemented species of Lactic Acid Bacteria with well-researched probiotic effects. These bacteria produce lactic acid in the gastrointestinal tract by breaking down carbohydrates (sugars) like lactose. L. Acidophilus helps to maintain an acidic environment in the gut that is not hospitable to pathogenic bacteria and germs.

L. Acidophilus exists naturally within the horse’s microbiota, but adding this probiotic to the diet in adequate quantities can help to improve the balance between good and bad bacteria within the intestines. These bacteria attach to the gut wall, limiting the number of places where harmful bacteria can gain a foothold and begin to colonize. This may improve digestion processes and contribute to overall health by supporting the immune system.

In horses, Lactobacillus Acidophilus supplements are believed to enhance nutrient uptake from food, assist in hind gut fermentation and help maintain a healthy pH balance.
L. Acidophilus may also reduce digestive issues such as colic and scours.

Lactobacillus Casei

Lactobacillus Casei is a species of Lactic Acid Bacteria from the Lactobacillus genus that is noted to have probiotic effects in a wide range of acidity and temperature conditions. It is commonly supplemented together with L. acidophilus because the two species support each others growth.

Within the gastrointestinal tract of the horse, balancing the microflora can promote improved nutrient utilization, digestion, and build immunity. L. Casei has been studied for its effects on colic, diarrhea, ulcerative colitis and other gastrointestinal issues.

In research studies, supplementation with L. Casei has been shown to reduce the probability of intestinal infections and improve bowel regularity. This beneficial bacteria helps to protect the horse from pathogens by competing with harmful bacteria for resources and space on the intestinal walls. L. casei also produces bacteriocins or antimicrobial proteins and stimulates lymph tissue to release substances that combat infections.

Lactobacillus Fermentum

Lactobacillus Fermentum is a Gram-positive species of Lactic Acid Bacteria that exists naturally in the horse’s gut bacteria population. Like other probiotics, it helps to support healthy digestive function, immune response and increased nutrient absorption.

L. Fermentum helps promote a favourable composition of gut bacteria by inhibiting the growth of harmful disease-causing microorganisms. In research studies on mice, it has been shown to combat the growth of pathogenic bacteria and increase the presence of virus-neutralizing antibodies in the gut.

It is commonly used as a probiotic culture to address digestive disorders and gastrointestinal discomfort. It has been shown to reduce colonic inflammation when supplemented in experimental animal models with colitis. Research shows that it can ameliorate the inflammatory response within gastrointestinal tissue by reducing levels of colonic tumour necrosis factor (TNF)alpha and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS).

Lactobacillus Plantarum

Lactobacillus Plantarum is a species of Lactic Acid Bacteria with probiotic effects in the horse macrobiome. Research shows that supplementing with probiotics can improve inflammation, oxidative damage, immune fuction and insulin sensitivity in horses.

DFMs (direct-fed microbials) are commonly used in horses to support digestive function, hindgut health and nutrient absorption from the gut. Lactobacillus Plantarum naturally occurs in the horse intestine and helps to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria through competitive exclusion.

Equine researchers have also been examining the effects of L. Plantarum on exercise performance in horses. In one preliminary study involving mice, adding this strain of probiotic bacteria to the diet was shown to increase muscle mass and type I slow-twitch muscle fibers. According to the researchers, long-term use of this supplement could “enhance energy harvesting, and have health-promotion, performance-improvement, and anti-fatigue effects.”