Today, Purina Animal Nutrition is® System Ike™ Purina Probiotic Supplements are live, active probiotics that support intestinal health in horses.® MQ™ The horse microbiome testing kit is an easy way for horse owners to get personalized nutritional advice to support and optimize their horse’s microbiome. These two innovations are part of the new Purina® Microbiome Index™ (M.Q.™) The platform is designed for horse owners seeking research-backed insights and solutions to proactively optimize their horse’s gut health.
Home to millions of microorganisms that work together to fuel a horse’s vital functions, the microbiome is crucial to a horse’s gut health. Nearly every aspect of a horse’s health and wellbeing, from digestion to immune function and even performance, can be attributed to the microbiome.
A decade of innovation
System Ike™ Specially formulated to remain alive and active throughout the pelleting process and into the horse’s hindgut where it’s needed most, our probiotic supplements are a key differentiator in supporting post-exercise recovery and occasional gastrointestinal stress. Research shows that our patented probiotic technology optimally supports your horse’s digestive and immune function when fed daily.
Horse owners have previously had to make educated guesses when assessing their horse’s intestinal health. Now, with the MQ™ With the Equine Microbiome Test Kit, all you need to do is take a simple swab from your horse, complete a health history questionnaire, and Purina’s Equine Nutrition PhD team will use next-generation sequencing and analysis to provide results and nutritional recommendations via an online portal.
“With the launch of MQ™ Platforms that include MQ™ Horse Microbiome Testing Kits and Systemiq™ “Through probiotic supplements, we’re empowering horse owners to make health decisions tailored to their horse’s individual needs,” said Kiri Heckman, innovation marketing manager, Purina Animal Nutrition. “This innovation in equine microbiome science is changing how we think about the relationship between equine nutrition, health and performance.”
Doug Payne, Purina® The ambassador and U.S. Eventing Team member was given the opportunity to pre-test his horse, Quantum Leap, with MQ.™ Horse microbiome testing kit.
“The microbiome plays such an important role in horse performance so it’s fantastic to be able to look at it in more detail,” Payne says. “The amount of detail provided in the report is really quite incredible.”
Payne also started feeding Systemiq™ He sees the introduction of probiotic supplements at Quantum Leap as part of a wider responsibility to provide the best possible care for horses.
“As horse owners, whether it’s a five-star competition horse or a backyard pet, I think it’s our duty to help our horses feel their best,” Payne says. “No matter what the job is, a horse’s life can be stressful, and I think Systemiq™ probiotic supplements can be of great benefit to helping them adapt well to their environment, especially for horses that travel long distances.”
Unlocking the mysteries of the microbiome
Purina® MQ™ The platform is the culmination of 10 years of Purina research, including the creation of an extremely robust equine microbiome database that contains thousands of microbiome samples from horses across all 50 states in the U.S. This database gives Purina researchers the keys to unlocking the mysteries of the equine microbiome.
“Through the samples we had the opportunity to analyze, we learned what a healthy balance of a horse’s microbiome is, something that was previously a mystery. As a result, we are now able to develop innovative new ways to support every horse’s unique microbiome whether they’re at pasture, competing, recovering at home, or whatever other part of their life and work requires,” said Dr. Robert Jacobs, equine innovation manager, Purina Animal Nutrition.
“We now know that every aspect of a horse’s health and physiology is linked to its microbiome,” Jacobs added. “Supporting an optimized and balanced microbiome can promote things like recovery after exercise and better responses to inflammation and gastrointestinal disorders.”
Learn more about Purina® MQ™ Buy the platform, Systemiq™ Buy a Probiotic Supplement or MQ™ For equine microbiome testing kits, visit PurinaEquineMQ.com.
About Purina
Purina Animal Nutrition LLC (www.purinamills.com) is a national organization serving producers, animal owners and their families through more than 4,700 local cooperatives, independent dealers and other retail locations throughout the United States. With a mission to maximize the potential of every animal, the company is a leading innovator offering a valuable portfolio of complete feeds, supplements, premixes, ingredients and specialty technologies for the production and lifestyle animal markets. Purina Animal Nutrition LLC is headquartered in Arden Hills, Minnesota and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Land O’Lakes, Inc.
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