Feeding Practice & Digestive System

[TracingEquines]

Feeding Practice

The horse prefers a diet based on roughage and one that is free from moulds or taint. Its digestive system is designed for a small intake at frequent intervals. If the horse is fed two large feeds a day, the food will be less well utilised and therefore money is wasted. Moreover, although the appreciates some variety, it does not like sudden change, particularly of the roughage part of its diet. This is because the roughage is broken down in the horse by bacteria which develop to meet a particular need. If there is a major change in diet, the bacterial population will change, but this takes time.

Within the gut, cereal-based food tend to form a mass like bread dough, which the digestive juices have difficulty in penetrating. Digestion is more efficient if cereals are mixed with roughage. The inclusion of a little bran, dried grass, nuts or soaked sugar beet with the cereals can aid digestion. Chaff (chopped hay or straw) may also be included. It is a useful aid to digestion to offer the stabled horse a small amount of hay before the morning corn feed. The hay will go into the stomach ahead of the corn and help to break up the "dough".

Oat and barley straw are as nutritious as low-quality hay. Straw can therefore usefully supplement the diet of ponies wintering outside. However, neither hay nor straw supplies an adequate diet without supplement: feed blocks are useful in this respect.

Concentrate feeds based on corn are important highlights of the day for the stabled horse, and are best given at regular times. The horse is, of course, capable of being flexible in feeding arrangements when away from home. Because the horse has a keen sense of smell, all feed containers must be kept scrupulously clean and manger must be checked before the next feed is put in.

Digestive System

It takes 24-48 hours for the food to travel from the mouth to the anus (digestion)

The whiskers detect food

The lips pick it up

The incisors cut the food

The tongue rolls the food into a bolus

Siliva is added which moistens and warms the food and starts to break it down

The molars grind and crush it

The tongue rolls the bolus back which triggers the epiglottis

The bolus goes through the pharynx (the epiglottis stops the bolus from entering the trachea)

Food moves down the oesophagus by peristalsis (a muscular wave) aided by siliva (4-5 feet 1.2-1.5m long)

The cardiac sphincter is a one way valve

The stomach (3-5 gallons 13-22 litres) is the size of a rugby ball, churns up food. Digestive juices (hydrochloric acid) is added which begins protein and fat digestion

(pyelorax sphinkta - one way valve)

In the small intestine (70-90 feet, 21.3-27.4m, holds 12-16 gallons, 54.5-72.7 litres), bile (alkaline) is added to further breakdown of protein and fat, and to breakdown carbohydrates. All nutrients are absorbed at this point and vitamins and minerals are absorbed into the blood stream

The large intestine (20-30 feet 6.1-12.2m, consists of large colon 10-14 feet 3.1-4.3m holds 20-24 gallons 90.9-109.1 litres and small colon)

- The caecum is the fermentation pot where roughage stays for 2-3 hours. Food specific bacteria breakdown fibre and cellulose

- Water is absorbed in the small colon (10-14 feet 3.1-4.3m holds 2-16 gallons 9.1-72.7 litres)

Waste material is formed into manure, in the rectum, and comes out of the anus