Darcy Tolley Equine Products

08/31/2026

🐴 WHAT’S ACTUALLY IN MY ULCER & DIGESTIVE TOOLBOX?

I carry several digestive-support products.

And here’s something that may surprise you:

I DON’T THINK EVERY HORSE NEEDS THE SAME ONE.

I also don’t believe in automatically stacking five “gut supplements” together because a horse is cinchy, grouchy or doesn’t want to eat at a barrel race.

First I want to know:

What are we actually trying to accomplish?

Is this horse dealing with:

🔸 Diagnosed gastric ulcers?
🔸 Suspected gastric discomfort?
🔸 Hindgut upset?
🔸 Loose manure?
🔸 Stress from hauling or competition?
🔸 A feed change?
🔸 Poor appetite?
🔸 Poor digestive efficiency?
🔸 Or simply a horse that needs better long-term digestive support?

Those are NOT necessarily the same problem.

Here’s how I look at some of the tools in my toolbox:

🟤 DYNAMITE MIRACLE CLAY

Think short-term digestive/gastric support rather than a daily “everything gut” supplement.

Dynamite places Miracle Clay in its ulcer/digestive-support program.

Clay-based products can have adsorptive properties, which is one reason they’re interesting in digestive applications.

Would I tell you Miracle Clay replaces veterinary treatment for a diagnosed gastric ulcer?

No.

Could it have a place in a horse’s digestive-support program?

Yes.

⸻

🟠 ZESTERRA

Zesterra takes a different approach.

It’s a liquid containing ingredients including oils, fatty acids, orange peel bitters, guar gum and colloidal silver.

The manufacturer specifically recommends it for gastric support, stressful situations, hauling and ulcer-prone horses.

This is one I would describe as:

Gastric/digestive support—particularly around stress.

The company makes strong claims regarding ulcers, but I still distinguish between manufacturer claims and independent clinical evidence demonstrating healing of diagnosed gastric lesions.

⸻

🟢 KOMBAT BOOTS

This one belongs in a different category.

Kombat Boots is primarily yeast-based digestive support.

I’m thinking:

HINDGUT.

The horse’s cecum and colon contain an enormous microbial population responsible for fermenting fiber.

Yeast products can help support the hindgut microbial environment and fiber digestion.

So when I’m talking about:

🌾 Digestive efficiency
💩 Manure consistency
🦠 Hindgut microbial support
🌱 Fiber utilization
🐴 Overall digestive health

Kombat Boots becomes an interesting tool.

That’s different from saying:

“This heals stomach ulcers.”

Foregut and hindgut health are connected—but they aren’t interchangeable.

⸻

🔵 TECHMIX COLOSTRU-BOOST

This is another completely different approach.

Colostru-Boost uses bioactive components derived from colostrum.

Depending on the specific Colostru-Boost product, TechMix positions the line for support of the stomach, foregut, hindgut, digestive tract, recovery and performance.

This is one I particularly like discussing with:

🏇 Performance horses
🚛 Horses that haul frequently
🏆 Competition stress
🔄 Horses going through management changes
❤️ Horses needing additional GI/recovery support

Again:

SUPPORT—not a promise that it cures diagnosed ulcers.

⸻

🟣 SUCCEED

SUCCEED is interesting because its philosophy isn’t simply:

“Neutralize stomach acid.”

It’s designed around supporting the entire digestive tract.

Its formulation includes things such as oat-derived ingredients, soluble fiber/beta-glucan, polar lipids and other nutritional components intended to support the intestinal environment and mucosal health.

So I tend to think of SUCCEED as:

LONG-TERM WHOLE-GI SUPPORT

rather than something I’d grab only when a horse suddenly acts ulcer-y.

⸻

🌿 SILVER HORSE CARE STABILIZE BIOTIC

Here’s another category:

MICROBIOME SUPPORT.

When I’m thinking about maintaining a healthy microbial population—especially with horses experiencing dietary or environmental stress—this type of product enters the conversation.

Again, we’re primarily talking about supporting digestive and microbial balance, not claiming we’re medicating a stomach lesion.

⸻

🌾 SYMPHONY

Sometimes the answer isn’t adding another “ulcer supplement.”

Sometimes we need to look at the horse’s entire nutritional program.

That’s where a product such as Symphony fits differently into my toolbox.

If the overall ration isn’t providing what the horse needs—or we’re relying heavily on high-starch concentrate meals—I’d rather address the foundation than continually add products trying to compensate for the diet.

Because:

YOU CAN’T OUT-SUPPLEMENT BAD MANAGEMENT.

⸻

🧰 SO WHICH ONE WOULD I CHOOSE?

That’s the point.

I NEED TO KNOW THE HORSE.

A horse with confirmed gastric ulcers may need veterinary treatment.

A horse with chronic loose manure may have me thinking much more about the hindgut.

A horse that quits eating every time we haul may need a completely different strategy.

A hard-working performance horse may benefit from long-term whole-GI support.

And sometimes…

The horse doesn’t need another supplement at all.

Maybe we need:

🌾 More forage
🥬 Some alfalfa
⏰ Shorter periods without food
🥣 Smaller concentrate meals
💧 Better hydration
🐴 More turnout
🚛 Better hauling/competition feeding practices
🩺 Or a veterinarian and a gastroscope.

❤️ THAT’S WHY I CARRY OPTIONS.

Not because I want to sell you every bucket on the shelf.

Because I want to be able to say:

“Tell me about your horse.”

What are you feeding?

How much forage?

How long are they without food?

What does their manure look like?

What happens when you haul?

What symptoms are you seeing?

Have they actually been scoped?

And THEN let’s decide which tool makes sense.

DON’T JUST BUY AN “ULCER SUPPLEMENT.”

Figure out what part of the digestive system you’re trying to support.

Because the stomach, small intestine and hindgut are all part of the same horse—

but they aren’t the same problem.

08/31/2026

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Prepare. Perform. Recover.

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08/30/2026

🐴 “ULCER SUPPLEMENTS—WHAT INGREDIENTS ACTUALLY HAVE EVIDENCE?”

Walk into a feed store or scroll through Facebook and you’ll find dozens of products promising gastric support.

Buffers.

Herbs.

Oils.

Pectin.

Lecithin.

Aloe.

Prebiotics.

Probiotics.

And some pretty expensive buckets.

So here’s the question I think horse owners should be asking:

WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH ACTUALLY SAY?

First, an important distinction:

A supplement that supports gastric health is NOT automatically equivalent to a medication proven to heal diagnosed gastric ulcers.

And remember—we’re dealing with TWO different problems:

🔸 ESGD — squamous gastric disease

🔸 EGGD — glandular gastric disease

Something that helps one isn’t necessarily proven to help the other.

🟢 PECTIN + LECITHIN

This combination actually has some interesting research behind it.

Pectin forms a gel-like substance in an acidic environment and may help protect the stomach lining.

Lecithin contains phospholipids that may help strengthen the protective hydrophobic barrier of the gastric mucosa.

Studies of pectin/lecithin-containing products have produced some encouraging results—although not every study has shown a benefit.

So I’d put this ingredient combination in:

👉 PROMISING—with some actual research behind it.

🟢 SEA BUCKTHORN

Another interesting one.

Research has found that sea buckthorn berry supplementation may help protect the glandular portion of the stomach under certain conditions.

Does that mean sea buckthorn cures glandular ulcers?

No.

But there’s enough evidence that I wouldn’t dismiss it as simply marketing.

👉 PROMISING FOR GASTRIC SUPPORT.

🟢 MAGNESIUM-BASED BUFFERING

Magnesium compounds can buffer stomach acid.

Research using magnesium oxide has shown improvement in squamous-ulcer scores in some horses.

But here’s something people don’t always realize:

Buffers don’t shut down acid production like omeprazole does.

A horse continuously produces stomach acid.

So simply putting a buffering ingredient in a supplement doesn’t automatically make that product equivalent to ulcer medication.

👉 USEFUL TOOL—but understand what it actually does.

🟡 ALOE VERA

This one gets recommended constantly.

There is some research showing improvement in squamous lesions with aloe vera.

BUT…

When aloe was compared directly with omeprazole, omeprazole performed better.

That’s a perfect example of:

“May provide benefit”

being very different from:

“This replaces proven treatment.”

🟡 OILS & FATTY ACIDS

This category gets interesting.

Certain fats and fatty acids may influence gastric acid secretion and the stomach’s protective mechanisms.

But results aren’t consistent across studies.

Oil can still be extremely useful because it allows us to provide calories while reducing reliance on high-starch feeds.

So sometimes the biggest gastric benefit isn’t that oil is an “ulcer treatment.”

It’s that:

OIL CAN HELP US BUILD A LOWER-STARCH DIET.

🔵 ALFALFA

Don’t overlook FOOD while you’re shopping for supplements.

Alfalfa’s relatively high calcium and protein content gives it natural buffering properties.

For many ulcer-prone performance horses, strategically feeding alfalfa—particularly around exercise—can be one of the simplest nutritional tools available.

But glandular disease is complicated, and emerging research means I wouldn’t treat “feed lots of alfalfa” as a universal prescription for every ulcer horse.

🚩 WHAT MAKES ME SKEPTICAL?

A label with 15 impressive-looking ingredients doesn’t automatically impress me.

I want to know:

HOW MUCH of each ingredient is actually in the daily serving?

Is that amount comparable to what was studied?

Is the company showing research on:

THE ACTUAL PRODUCT?

Or are they taking research performed on individual ingredients and implying that their entire formula has been proven?

Those are VERY different things.

💰 AND EXPENSIVE DOESN’T MEAN EFFECTIVE.

A $150 bucket isn’t automatically better than:

🌾 More consistent forage

🌱 An appropriate lower-starch ration

💧 Plenty of water

🐴 More turnout

🥬 Strategic alfalfa

🏇 Feeding forage before exercise

…and appropriate veterinary treatment when ulcers are actually present.

❤️ MY APPROACH

For a horse with suspected ulcers:

DIAGNOSE FIRST.

If ulcers are present, determine whether we’re dealing with:

SQUAMOUS, GLANDULAR—or BOTH.

Treat appropriately.

Then build a feeding and management program designed to reduce recurrence.

And THEN choose supplements based on ingredients and evidence rather than whichever bucket has the best marketing.

🐴 BECAUSE THERE’S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN:

“Supports gastric health.”

and

“HEALS GASTRIC ULCERS.”

Those aren’t interchangeable statements.

I absolutely believe nutritional support has a place.

I just want horse owners spending their money on something that makes sense for their horse and the problem they’re actually trying to solve.

08/29/2026

🐴 “BAL OR TRACHEAL WASH—AREN’T THEY THE SAME THING?”

Not quite.

Both involve collecting fluid from your horse’s respiratory tract.

But they sample different areas and can answer different questions.

Think of it this way:

🔬 BAL = “WHAT’S HAPPENING DEEP IN THE LUNGS?”

BAL stands for Bronchoalveolar Lavage.

Often called a lung wash, a BAL collects cells from the small airways and alveolar region deeper within the lungs.

The recovered fluid is examined under a microscope.

The veterinarian is looking at the types and percentages of cells present.

You may hear them talk about:

🟢 Neutrophils
🟢 Mast cells
🟢 Eosinophils
🟢 Macrophages
🟢 Lymphocytes

Different inflammatory patterns can help your veterinarian diagnose and characterize equine asthma and other lower-airway inflammation.

So when the question is:

“Does this horse have inflammatory airway disease?”

BAL can be extremely valuable.

⸻

🧪 TRACHEAL WASH = “WHAT’S IN THE TRACHEA?”

A tracheal wash (TW) collects fluid from the trachea—the large airway leading toward the lungs.

That makes it particularly useful when the veterinarian is investigating things such as:

🦠 Bacterial respiratory infection
🧫 What organism might be involved
💊 Which antibiotic may actually work

Unlike a BAL sample, a tracheal-wash sample can be submitted for bacterial culture and antimicrobial-susceptibility testing when infection is suspected.

That can help move us away from:

“Let’s try an antibiotic and see what happens.”

and toward:

“Let’s identify what we’re treating.”

⸻

🫁 SO WHY NOT JUST CULTURE A BAL?

This is an important distinction.

BAL is excellent for evaluating inflammation, but it isn’t generally the preferred sample for bacterial culture.

Because the BAL tube passes through the upper respiratory tract on its way into the lung, contamination can occur.

When identifying a bacterial infection is the goal, veterinarians commonly prefer an appropriately collected tracheal wash for culture.

⸻

🩸 AND WHAT ABOUT A BLEEDER?

Here’s where we add another diagnostic to the toolbox.

If we’re asking:

“Is this horse experiencing EIPH?”

➡️ Post-exercise endoscopy is extremely important.

If we’re asking:

“What kind of inflammation is occurring deep within the lungs?”

➡️ BAL

If we’re asking:

“Could there be a bacterial lower-respiratory infection, and what organism are we dealing with?”

➡️ TRACHEAL WASH + CULTURE

Three different questions.

Three different tools.

⸻

🐴 HERE’S THE BIG LESSON

When someone tells me:

“My horse keeps coughing. What should I give him?”

My answer isn’t automatically going to be a respiratory supplement.

I want to know:

WHY IS THE HORSE COUGHING?

Because the appropriate solution for:

🌾 Equine asthma
🦠 Bacterial infection
🩸 EIPH
🌼 Environmental allergy
🌬️ Airway irritation

…isn’t necessarily the same.

And sometimes the best money you can spend isn’t buying another product.

It’s getting the right diagnosis.

Once we understand what’s happening, THEN we can intelligently talk about:

🌾 Environmental changes
💨 Nebulization/inhaled therapy
🩺 Veterinary treatment
🥄 Nutritional support
🏇 Conditioning and recovery

❤️ DIAGNOSE FIRST. SUPPORT SECOND.

Your horse’s cough is giving you information.

Don’t cover it up—figure out what it’s trying to tell you.

08/28/2026

“What all can we nebulize?” 🤔

It’s one of the most common questions we get—and the answer might surprise you!

Nebulization isn’t limited to just one type of medication. Depending on the condition and treatment plan, different medications can be delivered through a nebulizer.

Better airflow. Easier breathing. Happier horses.

silverhorsecare.com

08/28/2026

Better Hydration, Better Outcomes​
One of the biggest challenges we see year-round is dehydration and often, it goes unnoticed until we’re already dealing with the consequences.​
Many people don’t realize that horses can lose 2–4 gallons of water per hour through sweating. Sweat isn’t just water; it also contains important minerals and protein. That means increasing water intake won’t be enough to improve hydration. Proper hydration also means replenishing the electrolytes and nutrients lost through sweat to help the horse recover and perform at its best.​
Equine BlueLite® provides targeted nutritional support to help promote hydration, recovery, and overall well-being by:​
Replenishing essential vitamins and minerals lost through sweat​
Supporting cellular hydration with betaine​
Promoting digestive and gut health with prebiotics and probiotics​
Supporting performance, recovery, and healthy digestion​
​
To learn more about Equine BlueLite: https://www.techmixglobal.com/product/equine-bluelite-effective-electrolyte-for-horses-
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08/27/2026

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08/27/2026

🐴 “MY VET RECOMMENDED A BAL…WHAT EXACTLY ARE THEY LOOKING FOR?”

We’ve talked about coughing.

We’ve talked about heaves/equine asthma.

We’ve talked about allergies.

We’ve talked about bleeders.

So now let’s talk about one of the tools veterinarians can use to actually investigate what’s happening down inside your horse’s lungs.

🫁 BAL — BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE

You’ll also hear it called a lung wash.

During a BAL, the veterinarian passes a tube into the horse’s airway and introduces sterile fluid into a small area of the lung.

Some of that fluid is then collected back.

Why?

Because it brings cells and material from the lower airways with it.

That sample can be examined under a microscope and can tell us a LOT more than:

“My horse coughs.”

🔬 WHAT CAN A BAL SHOW?

The laboratory looks at the different types of inflammatory cells in the sample.

Depending on what cells are increased, the results can help your veterinarian determine whether inflammatory airway disease/equine asthma is present and characterize the type of inflammation.

You may hear terms such as:

NEUTROPHILS

MAST CELLS

EOSINOPHILS

Those aren’t different diseases by themselves.

They’re clues.

And those clues—combined with the horse’s history, examination and environment—help the veterinarian put the respiratory puzzle together.

🌾 DOES A BAL TELL ME WHAT MY HORSE IS ALLERGIC TO?

Not exactly.

A BAL can identify inflammation within the lower airways.

It doesn’t simply produce a list saying:

❌ Dust mites
❌ Mold
❌ Ragweed
❌ Hay

That’s a different question.

But if the BAL demonstrates inflammatory airway disease, then looking closely at hay, bedding, barn ventilation, arena dust, molds and other environmental exposures becomes incredibly important.

🩸 WHAT ABOUT BLEEDERS?

Here’s another important distinction.

BAL and post-exercise endoscopy answer different questions.

If we’re specifically investigating EIPH/bleeding, timing an endoscopic examination after strenuous exercise is extremely useful because the veterinarian can look for blood within the airways.

BAL is much more commonly used when we’re asking:

“Does this horse have lower-airway inflammation—and what kind?”

That’s why simply saying “scope him” doesn’t always answer every respiratory question.

🤔 WHEN MIGHT A VET RECOMMEND BAL?

Maybe your horse:

• Keeps coughing during warm-up
• Coughs in dusty arenas
• Has unexplained exercise intolerance
• Takes longer than expected to recover
• Has intermittent nasal discharge
• Seems fine at rest but struggles during performance
• Has recurring respiratory symptoms despite management changes

Sometimes the horse looks completely normal standing in the barn.

The problem only shows up when we ask those lungs to WORK.

❤️ WHY I LIKE THIS TEST

Because it helps move the conversation from:

“What respiratory supplement should I give?”

to:

“What are we actually trying to support?”

That’s a much better place to start.

If we find inflammatory airway disease, then we can build a targeted plan involving:

🌬️ Environmental management
🌾 Lower-dust forage and bedding
🩺 Veterinary treatment when indicated
💨 Inhaled/nebulized therapies when prescribed
🥄 Appropriate nutritional support
🏇 Conditioning and recovery management

Instead of throwing five respiratory products at a coughing horse and hoping something works.

🫁 LISTEN TO THE LUNGS.

If your performance horse repeatedly coughs, doesn’t recover normally or simply isn’t performing like they should…

Don’t just suppress the symptom. Investigate the reason.

Sometimes a BAL can give your veterinarian a window into what’s happening where we can’t see it—

deep inside the lungs.

08/27/2026

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