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Equine Alimentary System - Anatomy & Physiology (view source)
Revision as of 15:56, 12 July 2008
, 15:56, 12 July 2008→Introduction
==Introduction==
==Introduction==
The typical horse's diet consists of 7-12% protein and 4% fat, the remainder being made up of carbohydrate. A high proportion of the carbohydrate is in the form of '''starch'''. A mature horse eats 2-2.5% of it's body weight in dry matter every day, 1.5-1.75% of this should be fibre (hay/haylage). This is to prevent a rapid drop in pH in the large intestine and also to stimulate peristalsis in the gut and prevent build up of gas.
The typical horse's diet consists of 7-12% protein and 4% fat, the remainder being made up of carbohydrate. A high proportion of the carbohydrate is in the form of '''starch'''. A mature horse eats 2-2.5% of it's body weight in dry matter every day, 1.5-1.75% of this should be fibre (hay/haylage). This is to prevent a rapid drop in pH in the large intestine and also to stimulate peristalsis in the gut and prevent build up of gas.
Undigested material spends a long time in the caecum and large intestine being digested by microbial fermentation, mainly cellulose (95% after 65 hours).
In the hindgut of the horse,
In the hindgut of the horse,