With nutritionist Sarah Butler from Bluechip we find out the benefits of feeding my horse a balancer with probiotics.

Q I’ve noticed that a lot of feed balancers contain a probiotic. What is this and how do they benefit my horse?

A Probiotic yeasts have a thick cell wall, which allows them to travel through your horses’ digestive tract to the large intestine where they’re utilised.

They need to be fed daily in order to ensure they’re replenished to promote the growth of fibre digesting bacteria, which helps your horse make the most of the feed you give them.

As the probiotic yeast is a living microorganism, they contribute to the ‘gut flora’ which increases gut motility and nutrient absorption.

However, not all probiotics are equal in their effectiveness, so look out for ones with proven results.