Brewer’s Yeast

Hi Team, hope the sun is shining where you are today! What a great early spring in NZ.

I thought I would share another of my favourite natural feedstuffs that I feed to my own horses = Brewer’s Yeast

Make you think of Beer? You would be correct.

Brewer’s yeast is an ingredient used in the production of beer and bread. It is made from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a one-celled fungus.

Brewer’s yeast is also used as a nutritional supplement. It’s a rich source of chromium, which may help the body maintain normal blood sugar levels. It is also a source of B vitamins.

Vitamins B (1, 2, 3 – Niacin and 5 – Pantothenic acid) are necessary for metabolising carbohydrates, fats and protein into usable energy in the horse. The more your horse exercises the higher the requirement for these vitamins.

Specifically, these four vitamin B’s are found in Brewer’s Yeast.

Why is it so good? Because many owners now avoid diets for their horses which contain a lot of grains which normally would supplement these vitamins, so providing them in this natural package is a great way of avoiding metabolic disorders.

Because it is a source of chromium, Brewer’s Yeast improves glucose tolerance and may improve blood sugar levels. It can definitely be a part of the overall dietary answer to help many issues.

Feeding rates vary between individuals depending on type, weight and exercise etc. A rule of thumb would be around 10g per day for ponies, 15g per day for small hacks, 22g per day for thoroughbreds.