Keeping the Horse’s Hindgut Happy
Getting back to basics and simplifying meals might be the key to keeping the horse’s hindgut healthy and functioning properly. Learn more in this article excerpt from the February 2021 issue of
The Horse.
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Getting back to basics might be the key to keeping the largest portion of the horse’s GI tract functioning properly
Horses are powerful, athletic animals. Their digestive systems, however, are delicate compared to those of most other types of livestock. Ruminants such as cattle and sheep have multicompartment stomachs. Saliva created by chewing a cud processes food in the front half of ruminants’ digestive tracts. Horses, however, rely on a metabolically complex fermentation process. And because horses only have one stomach, most of that fermentation occurs in the back part or hindgut.