“My horse has finished the 60-day Challenge. Now what?” Owners often see significant benefits in their horses after completing the SUCCEED Challenge. But SUCCEED isn’t a short-term fix. It’s a long-term program designed to support lifelong equine gastrointestinal health. The immediate improvements you see after starting SUCCEED are just the tip of the iceberg. Many horses today can benefit from daily GI tract support to manage the digestive health risks associated with modern management and performance demands. Keep reading to learn why a long-term approach to total equine GI tract health with ..read more

As the makers of SUCCEED, our goal at Freedom Health is “Every horse at its best!” We’re on a mission to help owners get their horses from good to great by achieving optimal gastrointestinal tract health. The proven ingredients in SUCCEED support equine GI health in horses subject to digestive health challenges due to stressful lifestyles. But greatness isn’t just measured in the show arena. We believe every horse deserves to feel and look their best, no matter their job. Keep reading to learn how SUCCEED can benefit horses of all ages, disciplines, and competition levels, including retired ho ..read more

Horses need amino acids to make the proteins required for every physiological process, including maintaining the structural integrity and functionality of the digestive tract. Deficiencies in essential amino acids can adversely affect these processes, even if your horse gets adequate crude protein from their diet. Performance horses are subject to chronic stress, which can decrease immune function and degrade digestive tract integrity. Plus, certain amino acids may become conditionally essential during periods of intense training or rapid growth. Deficiencies in these amino acids can impede he ..read more

Gut health is one of the most important components of whole horse wellness and performance. The digestive system directly affects many other systems in the horse’s body. But this aspect of equine health is also the most susceptible to disruption from modern management practices. The health and function of the equine digestive tract impact fertility, body condition, immunity, cognition, hoof health, energy, and more. So you shouldn’t treat gut health as a small, separate part of horse management. Gastrointestinal issues can have adverse effects throughout your horse’s body, and a healthy digest ..read more

Injuries are an unavoidable part of horse ownership. Depending on the injury, your horse may need extensive rehabilitation and recovery time to return to full work. But unfortunately, the recovery process can take a toll on other body systems. Good digestive function affects the entire horse and can be disturbed by issues throughout the rest of the body. While gut health is essential for supporting immune health and a complete recovery, horses in rehabilitation have an increased risk of GI problems.  If you want your horse to recover fully, you can’t address an injury without supporting f ..read more

Equine researchers are paying more attention to systemic (bodywide) inflammation in horses and its impact on their health and performance. Why? Systemic inflammation affects the entire body and can contribute to various health problems, including muscle and bone injuries, equine metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and laminitis. Research has revealed a strong link between systemic inflammation and gut health in horses. Intestinal diseases related to inflammation, such as leaky gut syndrome, can lead to chronic inflammation and other metabolic and musculoskeletal problems that will wreak hav ..read more

Horse owners understand that what they feed directly impacts their horse’s health, but have you considered how meal timing influences performance? While horses need constant access to forage throughout the day and night for optimal digestive function, owners should consider glycemic responses when determining the best time to feed grain. Consuming a grain meal has physiological effects that change how horses respond to exercise. How Feed Timing Affects Performance Horses Research demonstrates that consuming a grain meal has immediate effects on the body that can impact how your horse feels. Ti ..read more

Horses are hindgut fermenters that rely on large populations of beneficial microbes to digest their forage-based diets. The hindgut includes the colon and cecum, which house the diverse microbiota responsible for fermenting fiber to produce energy and essential nutrients. A balanced microbiota is essential for efficient digestion and nutrient absorption. But dietary changes, stress, and other environmental factors in modern horse management often lead to disruptions in the intestinal microbiota. When populations of beneficial bacteria can’t thrive, the overgrowth of harmful microbes can cont ..read more

If you work with performance horses, you know the high demands placed on these animals. The pressures of rigorous training, regular hauling, and staying performance-ready can be intense and have physical repercussions. Do you know how to tell if your horse suffers from chronic stress? You need to know the sources, signs, and effects of stress—especially how it impacts the equine gut and immune system. Knowing what to look for and what you can do enables you to put your horses on course to a healthier lifestyle. Horses better able to handle and recover from stress can have healthy, successful ..read more

If you rely on complete feeds in your horse’s diet, you may be hurting their system with high-glycemic meals that cause spikes and crashes in blood sugar. Understanding what’s in your horse’s feed and how it can affect blood sugar levels is crucial to providing exemplary care and reaching peak performance. Complete Feeds and Your Horse’s Health Complete (grain) feeds are a staple in most feed programs, necessary to provide adequate nutrition and energy for performance horses. However, these feeds are often full of sugars and starches, nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC). NSCs are low molecular w ..read more