Rapid research progress in the field of equine microbiomics has inspired a comprehensive special collection within the March issue of the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) which was published in early February 2026.
The special collection, guest edited by Michael Hewetson, is part of a special focus section on equine infectious disease. It updates the EVJ’s 2019 collection of early developments on the equine microbiome, highlighting the considerable progress in unravelling its complex mysteries since then.
While the human microbiome has been extensively studied, it is only in the past two decades that technological advancements have enabled researchers to more accurately explore the complexities of the equine microbial community.
The 18 papers in the special collection offer deeper insights into how shifts in the taxonomic composition of the microbiome may affect disease processes, and importantly, efforts to begin to understand their clinical implications.
“This work has been facilitated by the integration of functional metagenomic and NMR-based metabolomic analysis that provides a more comprehensive overview of the microbiome by linking genetic potential with functional outcomes,” said Michael Hewetson
“Specific molecular patterns or microbial genes derived from combining these novel analysis techniques have helped identify potential biomarkers of diet and intestinal health, with implications for modulating the microbiome through dietary intervention and early detection of disease.”
The collection includes further exploration of the association between colic and the faecal microbiota; how external factors such as probiotics, transport, fasting and anaesthesia might influence microbiota composition; and the potential impact in health and disease. The impact of domestication is discussed as well as the influence of diet on the functional restructuring of the microbiome. Types of colic and resulting changes in the microbiome are considered. The links between colon inflammation and dysbiosis with larval cyathostominosis and simultaneous immune response are reviewed. On the topic of drugs and antimicrobial resistance the antimicrobial resistance gene profile in young foals prior to antimicrobial exposure is explored, while in a field gaining increasing importance, the effects of disease on the microbiome within the paranasal sinus are considered.
“This current collection updates our 2019 collection, highlights EVJ’s contributions and brings together some of the most impactful and noteworthy findings to date,” said Celia Marr, Editor of the EVJ.
“Only by pursuing coordinated, hypothesis-driven approaches will we be able to move beyond association to causation, clarify the clinical implications of dysbiosis for equine health, and translate microbiome knowledge into validated tools for diagnosis, therapy and prevention.”
The special collection is available here.
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