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Equine Alimentary System - Anatomy & Physiology (view source)
Revision as of 15:40, 14 July 2008
, 15:40, 14 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 horse evolved for grazing and it does so for up to 17 hours a day. Evolutionary adaptations that suit the horse's diet include continuous eruption of [[Dental Formulae & Species Differences - Anatomy & Physiology|teeth]],
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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).
Undigested material spends a long time in the caecum and large intestine being digested by microbial fermentation, mainly cellulose (95% after 65 hours).