Raw sequence reads from microbial survey of equine fecal samples in psyllium supplementation study

Prophylactic supplementation of psyllium (Plantago ovata) husk is recommended to enhance passage of ingested sand from the gastrointestinal tracts (GIT) of horses. We hypothesized that psyllium supplementation would increase the passage of sand in the feces and favorably alter bacterial populations in the hindgut. Psyllium crumbles were supplemented in the diet daily for seven days to 6 yearlings and 6 mature mares. Voluntarily-voided feces were collected over the course of 29 days, prior, during, and after treatment. Microbial DNA was isolated and the V3/V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene was PCR-amplified and sequenced using MiSeq technology.