Product Review: Standlee Forage Plus Gastric Support

I am a big fan of Standlee’s equine forage products. I feed their alfalfa cubes and timothy and teff pellets on a regular basis. Their quality is always top notch and every bag I open and use is full of dark green, clean cubes and pellets. I was really excited that Standlee is expanding their forage-first product offerings with Forage Plus Gastric Support and SmartCarb Performance feed (teff grass and alfalfa-based forage option with low sugar and starch content specifically tailored for performance horses).

Both options sound amazing, so many horses suffer from ulcers and so many horse owners are constantly looking for low sugar/strach grains that are actually good for their horses. I decided to delve into the Standlee Forage Plus Gastric Support first. I am a big fan of Purina’s Outlast Gastric Support Supplement, you can read that review here and was curious to see how it stacks up.

First things first, what sets it apart from other Gastric Support Supplements, what makes it special? Forage Plus Gastric Support is formulated to buffer stomach acid, support digestive tissue health, and promote a healthy gut microbiome. Great, sounds good, how does it do that?

This forage-based (grain free, low sugar and starch) supplement combines the gut healing superpowers of alfalfa, marine derived calcium, ButiPearl Z EQ and Pre and Pro-Biotics into a highly palatable, small pellet.

Alfalfa has long been suggested as a forage supplement for horses with ulcers. The composition of alfalfa seems to help reduce the incidence of ulcer development and severity. Alfalfa is higher in protein and calcium than most grass hays, both of which act as buffers in the stomach, raising the pH level. Additionally, alfalfa is higher in a structural carbohydrate called lignin that is also thought to be beneficial. Other research has shown horses fed alfalfa hay and grain had significantly higher stomach pH for five hours after feeding and fewer/less severe gastric ulcers than horses fed brome hay. Raising the pH of the gastric contents reduces irritation of the sensitive squamous gastric tissue or existing gastric ulcers.

Marine Derived Calcium is derived from seaweed and red ocean algae. This plant-based derived calcium is very porous, which means there are many more binding sites for the protons in acids, which makes it an effective buffer. These marine-derived calciums offer about four hours of buffering as compared to a maximum of two hours with calcium carbonate.

ButiPearl Z EQ provides supplemental butyric acid and zinc to help strengthen the intestinal tract. The combination of zinc and butyric acid strengthens the lining of the gut, leading to improved nutrient absorption and a stronger barrier against pathogens, parasites and toxins. Butyric acid is a fatty acid that’s created when the good bacteria in your gut break down dietary fiber. This is a great article about butyric acid if you want to geek out like I did. Oral zinc is an effective and unique mucoprotective option for the treatment and prevention of gastric ulcers. Zinc provides beneficial anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and other effects that work together to support the natural gastroprotective mechanisms of the GI tract.

Pre and Pro-Biotics are not only effective against gastric ulcers induced by acetic acid, ethanol or stress but also play important roles in the prevention or treatment of ulcers induced by NSAIDs, such as bute. Probiotics increase antimicrobial activity in the GI tract and help the lining of the stomach heal and restore. They also have a calming effect on the digestive tract and can help reduce the symptoms of ulcers.

That all sounds pretty great but the real question is, does it work? Did it help my horses? And my answer is, I am not sure. I am kind of so so on this product. I love the science and research behind it’s ingredients and in theory it should really help. But I really did not notice any difference in my horses when they were on it versus when I put them on Purina’s Outlast (it immediately changed Shooter’s attitude in a good way). Obviously I wish I could ask them if it made them feel better, but if wishes were horses. I feel like it is something that can be used long term as a daily preventative.

As far as results go, I am just not sure, but I also don’t like the consistency of the bag I purchased. It was made up of smaller, loose pellets that were primarily ground into dust in the bag. I would say 3/4 of the bag was just crumbled dust. I messaged Standlee to see if this is common or an issue with the batch and haven’t heard back. I definitely didn’t like this crumble, dust consistency.

I also had a very negative experience with one of my horses. Shooter choked on it and I didn’t realize until after this incidence that there is a warning on the bag to wet the product down to help prevent choke. I have never had a horse choke before and it was so scary and cost me a $600 vet bill. For that reason I am really out on using this product again. I don’t like the idea of adding the extra step and mess of adding water and I really don’t want to repeat another choking episode. Again the crumbled, powder consistency may have lead to the choke and I would like to get come clarity from Standlee if that consistency is normal or just the bag I bought.

If I am being really honest I would suggest Purina’s Outlast or 100x GutX or SmartPak’s Smart Gut Ultra over the Standlee Forage Plus Gastric Support.