It’s vital to provide equines with food and water in a balanced and varied diet. Discover more about equine nutrition and take our quiz at the end to test your knowledge.
Nutrition
What to feed and how much?
The following factors should be considered before feeding: size, body weight, breed, health status, temperament, age, and workload.
High-fibre, low-sugar forage is an essential part of your horse’s diet for both their physical and psychological needs. It provides the necessary nutrients to keep them in good condition and provides warmth in the winter months. It aids their mental state, replicating their natural behaviours of roaming and foraging.
Some good doers* (see end of page for definition), may need a diet plan, but their daily intake of food should not fall below 1.5% of their bodyweight. Discover more tips on managing weight.
Concentrates, which are fed as grains and pellets, can be considered if your horse is in hard work, underweight, aged or is breeding stock. There are many concentrate feeds on the market with varying nutritional values; we advise you to discuss any requirements with an equine nutritionist as incorrect feeding can cause health and behavioural issues.
The Equine Digestive System and how it works
Equines are herbivores (plant-eaters) and often consume grass and hay. They have evolved to be trickle feeders and spend most of their time roaming and grazing, meaning they should eat little and often.
Below is a simple guide to the digestive system which will support your understanding of the importance of feeding and nutrition.
The digestive tract is unique as it digests some food in the foregut (oesophagus, stomach, small intestine) by enzymes and then other food is broken down by fermentation in the hindgut (caecum, large colon, small colon, rectum).
Large Intestine (Caecum, Large and Small Colon, Rectum)
The total length of the large intestine is around eight metres long. The caecum is around one metre long but can hold up to 25 litres. Fibre is broken down here by fermentation, this provides the warmth for the horse and also produces volatile fatty acids that can be used as energy. The bacterial gut flora is sensitive and changes to feed should be done gradually to avoid health problems, such as, colic, diarrhoea and even laminitis.
The large colon is around three-and-a-half metres long and the small colon is around three metres long. During this stage water is absorbed so all that is left is undigested waste, and any last nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream. Impaction colic is an issue here due to the number of folds and turns and therefore causing the food to become stuck. We advise against making any sudden changes in routine.
The rectum is around 30 cm long and this is where faeces are formed and expelled through the anus as droppings.
Small Intestine (Duodenum, Jejunum and Ileum)
This is made up of three parts, is about 15-22 metres long. (20 metres is the width of a dressage arena!) The first section is called the duodenum, this is about one metre long, the second section is the jejunum and is around 19 metres and the last section is the ileum, again around one metre long. In the small intestine, food is broken down further by enzymes and bile is trickled in continuously, as a horse does not have a gall bladder. Nutrients are absorbed via the blood stream to be used or stored in the liver.
Stomach
This is relatively small compared to the equine size. It is approximately the size of a rugby ball and can hold 8-12 litres. The stomach is generally divided into two areas, the top area, known as the squamous or non-glandular area and the bottom area, known as the gastric or glandular area. Equines can be at risk of Gastric ulcers* if natural feeding habits are not followed by providing forage regularly, therefore we advise not leaving the stomach empty for long periods of time as the acid can splash up causing the ulcers. The chyme* then moves through the pyloric sphincter into the small intestine.
Cardiac Sphincter
The bolus of food passes through a one-way valve into the stomach. This sphincter prevents an equine from being able to vomit. If an equine is fed something that it shouldn’t have it may have serious complications, known as colic*. Following a nutritional plan and feeding the correct diet is advised but if you see any signs of colic, please contact your vet.
Oesophagus
This is a muscular tube, about 1.5 metres in length. The food is moved down the tube by peristalsis*. A bolus* of food that has not been chewed sufficiently can cause choke, so another reason for regular dentist checks.
The Mouth
A horse has 36 teeth (mare) or 40 (stallion) The horse will first use its whiskers to feel for food, then use their incisors to bite the forage. The food is then mixed with saliva and moved to the molars at the back of the mouth to be chewed and ground down. An average horse can complete 60,000 jaw sweeps per day when out at grass. Therefore, it is vital for equines to have annual dentist visits to ensure that the digestive process can begin.
Feeding guidelines for all horse owners
- Provide clean, fresh water at all times – remember a horse can drink around 25 litres of water a day.
- Feed plenty of forage – this replicates their natural diet and can help provide all your horse’s daily requirements. Feed 2.5% of your horse’s body weight for a healthy diet. Remember if you need to restrict your horse’s daily intake do not drop below 1.5% of their body weight.
- Feed according to body weight and their individual needs – if possible, use a weighbridge for an accurate reading, or use a weigh tape. Most feed companies will provide a table with an approximate weight for the size and breed of a horse.
- If you need to feed concentrates, feed little and often – their stomach is similar to the size of a rugby ball and cannot cope with large amounts in one go. Plan several smaller feeds throughout the day rather than just one.
- Feed only good quality foodstuff – check for any mould or spores. Store the food in rodent-proof and weatherproof bins to keep it fresh.
- Make any changes to their diet gradually and prevent potential problems such as colic by allowing the microbes in the digestive system to become accustomed to the change.
- Keep to a routine – horses thrive from a routine.
- If exercising, remember to leave at least an hour between feeding concentrates and riding. Having some forage in their stomach can support with gastric ulcers, preventing acid splashing on their stomach lining.
Remember we are here at Bransby Horses to support you with the health and welfare of your horse, if you require further information on any of the above or you would like to discuss your management plan please call 01427 787369 or email welfare@bransbyhorses.co.uk.
Nutrition Glossary
- Good Doers – A good doer is a horse or pony that maintains or gains weight easily.
- Peristalsis – Where the muscles in the oesophagus contract above the bolus to push food down the oesophagus. The muscles work together to produce wave-like contractions. These have a squeezing action that pushes the bolus through the gut.
- Bolus – A small ball of chewed food mixed with saliva.
- Colic – A symptom of abdominal pain caused by problems in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Gastric Ulcers – Sores in the stomach lining that occur when the lining has been damaged by stomach acid and digestive enzymes.
- Chyme – A thick semi-fluid mass of partially digested food and digestive secretions.