hindgut
A better understanding of how the horse’s digestion system works has revealed that balancing forage intake with concentrate intake is necessary when feeding horses, and even more critical when feeding starch/sugar sensitive horses. Concentrates are the portions of the diet we typically think of as “grain.” A concentrate can consist of a plain grain, such as oats, or it can be a mixture of ingredients referred to as textured feeds (sweet feed) or... Read More »
Category : Fat & Fiber | Health & Management | Nutritional Minutes | Tips and Topics
It can be hard to get a picky eater to consume enough calories to maintain optimal condition. Digestive aids, such as probiotics and yeast cultures, keep the digestive system in balance, which helps to stimulate a horse’s appetite. A balanced digestive tract utilizes feedstuffs more efficiently, so the horse benefits more from the feed he or she is eating. Article written by KPP staff. Copyright (C) 2013 Kentucky Performance Products,... Read More »
Category : Digestive Health | Tips and Topics
Most of us know that horses can suffer from equine gastric ulcers syndrome (EGUS), a condition where horses develop ulcers in their stomachs. Horses can also develop ulcers in their large intestines. This condition is referred to as colonic ulcers or right dorsal colitis (RDC). In a recent study of 545 horses tested for RDC, 44% of nonperformance horses and 65% of performance horses had colonic ulcers. Although they are not as prevalent as gastric ulcers,... Read More »
Category : Digestive Health | Nutritional Minutes | Tips and Topics
May 2009 Horse Health Article American Association of Equine Practitioners The number one killer of horses is colic. Colic is not a disease, but rather a combination of signs that alert us to abdominal pain in the horse. Colic can range from mild to severe, but it should never be ignored. Many of the conditions that cause colic can become life threatening in a relatively short period of time. Only by quickly and accurately recognizing colic –... Read More »
Category : Digestive Health | Health & Management | Tips and Topics
In every aspect of our lives we strive for balance. As owners and caretakers of horses we should also make every attempt to achieve balance in their lives too. We try to balance exercise with stall rest and stall rest with turnout. We try to provide balance in their nutrition as well. Understanding how to balance forage intake with concentrate intake is critical to ensuring optimal nutrition and energy balance. Concentrates are the portion of the diet we... Read More »
Category : Digestive Health | Fat & Fiber | Nutritional Minutes | Tips and Topics
Bugs? What bugs? Horses are hindgut fermenters. In other words, the hindgut portion of your horse’s digestive tract contains millions of beneficial bacteria and yeast, often referred to as microbes or “bugs.” These bugs have the ability to break down otherwise indigestible fiber into digestible compounds through a process called symbiotic microbial fermentation. Both the horse and the bugs benefit from this process. By joining forces, the bugs and... Read More »
Category : Digestive Health | Nutritional Minutes | Tips and Topics
Your horse is a home The digestive tract of your horse is home to millions of microorganisms that aid in the digestion of feedstuffs. The sheer size of the microbial population shows their importance to your horse’s health. Leading equine nutritionist David Frape once wrote “…the bacteria cells in the digestive tract of the horse number more than ten times all the tissues cells in the body.” Think about it: There are more microbes in the gut... Read More »
Category : Digestive Health | Nutritional Minutes | Tips and Topics
