A horse’s digestive system is an ingenious system consisting of several parts, including the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine.
Each of these parts plays an important role in processing food and absorbing nutrients.
In your horse’s small intestine, sugars, starches and amino acids are absorbed.
However, it is important to note that the small intestine cannot digest fiber.
However, fiber is an essential part of a horse’s ration and should make up the majority of it.
Fiber fermentation takes place in your horse’s large intestine.
Here there is a complex ecosystem of bacteria, yeasts and other microorganisms.
During this process, volatile fatty acids are produced as an end product, which are absorbed by the intestinal wall.
These fatty acids serve as an important source of energy for your horse.
Because of its unique digestive system, your horse needs a high-fiber ration.
A general recommendation is to provide 1.5% of body weight in dry matter from roughage.
Grass and hay are often one-sided in terms of fiber structure, so providing a forage mix can be a valuable addition.
This is because a forage mix with a wide variety of fiber has a positive effect on intestinal flora, which in turn contributes to your horse’s health.
This applies not only during winter, but certainly also in spring and summer, when your horse will benefit from a healthy intestinal flora.
Especially in spring grass, the sugar content can be very high, especially the amount of fructan is a major concern in pasture management.
It is important to prevent your horse from suddenly ingesting a large amount of fructan.
The same advice applies to all horses: make gradual changes in rations and give the bacterial populations in the gut time to adapt.
Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you provide your horse with a low-sugar forage mix prior to grazing.
Finally, it is an excellent idea to provide a small amount of roughage mix in lieu of concentrate prior to heavy training or competition.
The energy released supports your horse’s stamina and helps maintain optimal acidity in the stomach.
In short, providing a high-fiber ration is critical to your horse’s health and well-being.
By providing a variety of fiber and avoiding sudden changes in rations, you can support your horse’s digestion and contribute to a healthy gut flora.
Remember, healthy digestion is the key to a happy and healthy horse!
