Jessica Irving

Ms. Jessica Irving

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

2Years (2025-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications
28 June 2025 in Animals
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
JIJessica Irving
Jessica Irving
VPViolaine Pineau
Violaine Pineau
SSSusanne Shultz
Susanne Shultz
FWFe ter Woort
Fe ter Woort
FJFélicie Julien
Félicie Julien
EEEmmanuelle Van Erck
Emmanuelle Van Erck
Equine gastric disease (EGD) is a common condition in performance horses (Equus caballus), potentially compromising behaviour, performance, and welfare. EGD is often attributed to high-starch, high-sugar feeds and limited forage. Evidence for diet-induced changes on digestive microbiota is lacking. Nine elite showjumping horses were housed at the same performance yard with standardised diet and management throughout the study. Horses were transitioned from a high-sugar and -starch (31%) feed to a low-starch and -sugar (16.5%) concentrate feed. Gastroscopies, blood, and faecal samples were taken pre- and 12 weeks post-diet change. Squamous and glandular ulceration was blindly graded a posteriori using 0–4 scores and faecal microbiota profiled using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Total (t(1,8) = −6.17, p < 0.001; Pre: 4 [0–5], Post: 1 [0–2]), squamous (t(1,8) = −5.32, p < 0.001; Pre: 1 [0–3], Post: 0 [0–1]), and glandular (t(1,8) = −2.53, p = 0.04; Pre: 2.5 [0–4], Post: 0 [0–2]) disease improved following the introduction of a low-starch diet. Diet change did not impact microbiota communities (PERMANOVA: F(1,16) = 1.37, p = 0.15, r2 = 0.08), but Firmicute to Bacteroidota (F/B) ratio reduced (t(1,8) = −3.13, p = 0.01; Pre: 2.07 ± 0.21 vs. Post: 1.29 ± 0.14). Lower F/B ratios were associated with reduced total EGD scores (ChiSq(1,17) = 3.83, p = 0.05). Low-starch diets did not influence faecal microbiota diversity but aided gastric disease healing and reduced F/B ratios in elite showjumpers during a competition season without medication.