01/12/2025
🔥 Lactic Acid in Horses: What You Need to Know 🐴
Let’s talk lactic acid—a byproduct of exercise and digestion that can impact both your horse’s gut health and muscles over time. Understanding how it works is key to keeping your horse feeling and performing their best!
🏇 Lactic Acid in Muscles
When your horse works hard, especially during intense exercise, their muscles produce lactic acid as a byproduct of burning energy.
Short-Term Effects: Lactic acid build-up can cause muscle fatigue and soreness, slowing your horse down and making recovery harder.
Over Time: Repeated lactic acid build-up without proper recovery can lead to chronic muscle stiffness and even performance issues.
But here’s the good news: Horses that aren’t fed grains or high-sugar feeds rely on fat and fiber for energy instead of starch. This energy source doesn’t result in lactic acid production during exercise, meaning their muscles recover more efficiently with less soreness!
🌾 Lactic Acid in the Gut
Lactic acid isn’t just a concern for muscles—it can build up in the hindgut too, especially when a horse’s diet includes:
Large amounts of starch or sugar (grains, sweet feeds).
Poorly digested feed that ferments in the hindgut.
This leads to hindgut acidosis, which can cause:
Damage to the gut lining.
Imbalance of gut microbes.
Increased risk of colic and laminitis.
However, if your horse’s diet is forage-based—rich in hay, grass, and fiber—the risk of lactic acid buildup in the hindgut is significantly reduced. Fiber digests slowly and keeps the gut balanced and healthy.
⚠️ The Long-Term Risks of Lactic Acid
Whether in the gut or muscles, excess lactic acid can take a toll:
1️⃣ Gut Health: Repeated hindgut acidosis may weaken your horse’s digestive system and make them more prone to ulcers and nutrient deficiencies.
2️⃣ Performance: Chronic muscle soreness from lactic acid can reduce your horse’s stamina and willingness to work.
💡 How to Keep Lactic Acid in Check
1️⃣ Feed a Forage-First Diet: Skip the grains and sweet feeds to avoid starch-related lactic acid buildup. Focus on hay, grass, and fiber for a healthier gut and smoother recovery.
2️⃣ Allow Recovery: Build rest days into your horse’s routine to let muscles recover fully.
3️⃣ Support Gut Health: Add prebiotics and healthy fibers like those contained in Victory to maintain a healthy gut microbiome.
👩⚕️ When in Doubt: Consult your vet or nutritionist to ensure your horse’s diet and exercise plan work in harmony. A balanced, forage-based diet can make all the difference in preventing lactic acid-related issues.
🗣️ Have you transitioned your horse to a grain-free diet? What changes did you notice? Share your experience below! 👇
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