EM-fermented feeds for horses and livestock: Proferm, Syn-Vital, Aronia+, Prominant Gel

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Proferm, Syn-Vital, Aronia+: behind these names are complementary feeds made by fermentation with effective microorganisms (EM). They are aimed at horse owners and livestock keepers looking for simple products made from plant-based raw materials. Prominant Gel, on the other hand, is an external care product for hooves and skin.

This guide describes what these products contain according to their labels, how to dose and introduce them, and above all what you can reasonably expect from them. A complementary feed nourishes: it does not treat, and the law forbids presenting it as anything else.

Fermented bran, a complementary feed

A complementary feed is added to the basic ration (hay, grass, cereals) without replacing it. Those in the EM range start from cereal bran, the outer layer of the grain, which is fermented with EM in the absence of air. Lactic fermentation acidifies the bran, gives it a sweet-and-sour smell and produces organic acids. According to the manufacturer, it also makes the ration more palatable.

The principle is similar to that of the bran used to make bokashi, but the two products are in no way interchangeable. Animal feed is subject to its own rules on manufacturing, traceability and labelling.

Emy's tip

Keep your bokashi activator well away from the tack room and the feed bin. It is made to ferment kitchen waste, not to feed an animal: never give it to eat, not even in small amounts.

Proferm and Syn-Vital: what are the differences?

Proferm, for equines

Proferm EM is made of 100% spelt bran fermented with EM. It is intended for horses, ponies and donkeys. The manufacturer explains that it chose spelt, an ancient cereal, in collaboration with an equine vet.

There is also a Proferm Seaweed version, which adds the brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum to the same bran. This seaweed provides minerals and trace elements, including iodine. Iodine is essential, but too much is as harmful as too little: in particular, it can cause goitre, and foals born to mares given too much iodine are the most vulnerable. Most horse feeds and mineral supplements already contain it. If your horse receives a mineral supplement or another seaweed-based product, or if your mare is in foal, check with your vet to avoid doubling up on intake.

Syn-Vital, for ruminants

Syn-vital EM uses the same process, but with wheat bran. The manufacturer intends it for sheep, goats, cattle, dairy cows, calves and deer, and recommends Proferm for horses instead. For dogs, cats, rabbits and poultry, there is a suitable version, presented in our guide EM for dogs, cats and small animals.

Doses and gradual introduction

The doses below are those given by the manufacturer. They may change from one batch or label version to another: the bag label is always the reference.

• Proferm and Proferm Seaweed: about 50 g per day for a 500 kg horse, i.e. a large handful; 25 g for a pony or donkey. Some distributors' instructions give lower doses: 20 to 30 g for a horse, 10 g for a pony. At 50 g per day, a 5 kg bag lasts about 100 days.
• Syn-Vital: 10 g per day for a sheep or goat, 5 g for a calf, 50 to 70 g for a cow in milk, 20 to 50 g for a dry cow.
• Aronia+: a 50 g dose per day for a horse, half a dose for a pony or donkey, as a one-month course.

Mix the dose into the usual ration. With horses, any change in diet should be made gently: start with a small fraction of the dose and increase it over one to two weeks, keeping an eye on appetite and droppings.

Keep the bags tightly closed, in a cool, dry place. A sweet-and-sour smell is normal; a product that is mouldy, damp or smells rotten must not be fed.

Did you know?

A fermented feed often has a surprising smell: slightly acidic, a little like mild sauerkraut. Many horses accept it straight away, while others pick it out at first. Mixing it into a damp feed or with a few of their usual pellets helps the more suspicious ones.

Aronia+ and Prominant Gel: what their labels say

Aronia+

Aronia+ EM is made of dried aronia berries, organically grown near the French-Belgian border, enriched with EM bokashi. Aronia is a small black fruit naturally rich in pigments from the polyphenol family (anthocyanins), vitamins and minerals. The manufacturer designs it as a one-month course, for example at the change of seasons or for older horses, with a measuring scoop supplied. It can be given mixed into the ration or on its own.

Prominant Gel

EM Prominant Gel is not a feed: it is a gel for external use. Its composition is simple: water, cane molasses and EM microorganisms (lactic acid bacteria, yeasts). Its thick texture and nozzle allow it to be applied deep into the grooves of the frog, on a hoof that has been picked out, cleaned and dried, or on the skin. The manufacturer suggests it for regular care, especially in wet weather, when the feet stay damp.

It is not a veterinary medicine. A frog that smells strong, oozes or becomes hollowed, scabs on the pasterns or a lame horse are matters for the farrier and the vet.

What a complementary feed can, and cannot, promise

In the EU, the labelling of animal feed is governed by Regulation (EC) No 767/2009, which was also carried over into UK law after Brexit. A feed may describe its composition and nutritional characteristics. It may not claim to prevent, treat or cure a disease: a product presented in this way becomes a veterinary medicine, with all the authorisations that entails. Any claim must also be objective and backed by scientific evidence.

That is why we will not promise you any effect on your animal's health, even if such promises can be found online. We explain this framework in detail in our guide EM and regulations.

What about the science?

We have found no published independent study on Proferm, Syn-Vital or Aronia+ themselves. The manufacturer cites a laboratory analysis according to which its fermented spelt bran contains 1.8 times more polyphenols, but it has not been published.

On the principle of EM-fermented bran, a trial carried out in Ethiopia on dairy cows replaced all or part of the concentrate with EM-fermented wheat bran. Milk yield rose from about 9.9 to 10.4 litres per day. But there were only five cows per group, and no group receiving unfermented bran: it is impossible to tell what was due to the fermentation. More broadly, fermented feeds are the subject of a great deal of livestock research, with results that vary according to species and products.

Key points

An EM-fermented feed is a palatable, plant-based addition to the ration. Judge it by what you observe in your animal (appetite, condition, droppings), together with your vet, and not by health promises.

Always involve the vet if there are symptoms

No supplement should ever delay a visit to the vet. Call your vet straight away if your animal shows signs of colic (pawing the ground, looking at its flank, rolling), diarrhoea, loss of appetite or condition, fever or lameness.

• Tell them about all the supplements you give, especially if the animal is undergoing treatment.
• Ask their advice before giving any to a mare in foal or with a foal at foot, to a foal, or to an animal whose diet is closely monitored.
• If your horse competes, have the composition of any supplement checked against the anti-doping rules of your discipline.

In the buildings, EM are also used to maintain bedding: see our guide EM in the stable, cowshed and henhouse. The whole equine range is grouped together in our EM for horses section.

In summary

Proferm (spelt bran, for equines), Proferm Seaweed (with Ascophyllum seaweed), Syn-Vital (wheat bran, for ruminants) and Aronia+ (aronia berries and EM bokashi) are fermented complementary feeds. They are dosed according to the label, around 50 g per day for a horse, and introduced gradually. Prominant Gel is an external care product for the frog and the skin. None of these products is a medicine: no independent study has assessed their effects, and the law forbids them from making any health claims. They complement a good ration and good veterinary care, but never replace them.

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Vermicomposting30 sheets →Composting25 sheets →Bokashi24 sheets →