QIIME’s taxonomical plots can be used to compare and contrast across farm, age, and mare or foal status.

From the preliminary sequence data, certain trends can be seen. For example, in the first day of life fecal samples contain higher levels of bacteria from the Moraxellaceae family (*), commonly found in soil. By Day 7, there is a great deal of variation. Two common populations in foals from Day 7 until weaning, and in mares, include bacteria from families Lachnospiraceae (†) and Ruminococcaceae (‡) necessary for breakdown of complex carbohydrates like with grass diets.