Effect of a montmorillonite-bentonite-based product on faecal parameters of horses.
Authors: Gerstner K, Liesegang A
Journal: Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Montmorillonite-Bentonite Products and Faecal Health in Horses Free faecal water remains a frustrating clinical problem in equine practice, and practitioners frequently recommend commercial intestinal supplements to manage it, yet evidence supporting their efficacy is limited. Gerstner and Liesegang (2018) investigated whether a commercially available product containing montmorillonite-bentonite, whey, and botanical extracts (hop and wormwood) could improve faecal parameters and intestinal function in horses, hypothesising that the clay minerals would enhance water-binding capacity and favourably alter microbial fermentation in the large intestine. Using a rigorous crossover design, eight healthy horses received the supplement or control feed whilst researchers measured faecal scoring, pH, ammonia, dry matter content, fibre fractions (crude fibre, NDF, ADF, ADL), crude protein, crude ash, fat content, and volatile fatty acids. Disappointingly, no statistically significant differences emerged between supplemented and control periods across any of the measured parameters, including volatile fatty acid profiles that would indicate altered bacterial fermentation. The one notable observation—increased variability in faecal crude protein in supplemented horses—warrants further investigation as a potential marker of microbiota shifts, but the overall null findings suggest that healthy horses without gastrointestinal disease may not benefit from this product, and future research should specifically target horses with existing free faecal water problems and employ more sophisticated microbial profiling rather than relying solely on faecal composition.
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Practical Takeaways
- •This commercial clay-based product showed no measurable benefit for faecal parameters in healthy horses, so efficacy claims should be viewed with caution
- •The study was limited to healthy horses without gastrointestinal disorders; results may differ in horses actually suffering from free faecal water
- •More targeted research including microbiota analysis in affected horses is needed before recommending this product for managing free faecal water
Key Findings
- •No significant treatment effects were observed in any faecal parameters (pH, ammonia, dry matter, crude fibre, fat, protein, ash, NDF, ADF, ADL, or VFAs) between control and EMP-supplemented groups
- •A montmorillonite-bentonite-based product (EMP) did not improve water-binding capacity or microbial activity markers in healthy horses
- •Higher variability in crude protein content in faeces of treated horses may suggest potential changes in intestinal microbiota requiring further investigation