Whether we are talking about sport or breeding horses, the basis of good feeding management is to choose a good forage feed, as well as to provide this feed in adequate quantities. This is because horses are herbivores, and from an anatomical and physiological point of view, they are prepared to meet a large part of their energy needs through the digestion of fibrous feed.
Digestion of fibrous food
Regarding the digestion of fibrous food, this occurs through microbial fermentation in the cecum and colon, with the support of a resident microflora consisting of bacteria, protozoa and yeasts. These fermentation processes result in volatile fatty acids (VFAs), which are absorbed into the bloodstream and converted into glucose for immediate use, or stored in the form of fat, constituting energy reserves for future use.
The forage source must therefore be seen as a fundamental energy resource, but it is not limited to this role alone. The provision of forage food, in adequate quantities or “ad libitum”, is beneficial from a behavioral, gastrointestinal and nutritional point of view.
- behavioral
Providing forage is an essential factor in the performance of the horse's physiological behavior, as it allows the horse to reproduce its behavior in a natural environment, providing continued intake over time, reducing behavioral problems (known as “tantrums”).
- Gastrointestinal
Providing forage feed contributes to adequate intestinal motility.
This food is necessary for the maintenance of an adequate resident intestinal flora, and the relationship between the intestinal microbiota and the horse is symbiotic (both parties benefit). The horse needs this microbial flora (mostly composed of cellulolytic bacteria) to digest the fiber. Fiber, in turn, is necessary for this microbiota to remain stable, preventing an increased development of lactic acid-producing bacteria that promote intestinal acidity, making the environment more favorable to the development of pathogenic bacteria such as coli and the Salmonella.
Continued chewing associated with fibrous food contributes to an increase in salivation, as saliva naturally contains bicarbonate that acts as a buffer, promoting an increase in gastric pH and contributing to the prevention of problems associated with gastric acidity, such as Equine Gastric Ulceration Syndrome, which is so prevalent in athletic horses.
Fiber also contributes to water retention in the intestine, with the large intestine functioning as an important water reservoir, available when the horse needs it, preventing dehydration and electrolyte depletion during prolonged efforts.
- nutritional
Fibrous feed, in addition to being a source of energy, is also a source of minerals and vitamins that are important for horses. It is also important as a fermentable substrate for the intestinal microbiota, which has the ability to produce some B vitamins.
to retain:
- Forage feed is essential from an energy point of view and for maintaining a healthy gastrointestinal tract. Its quantity should correspond to approximately 1.5% of the horse's live weight and constitute approximately 60% of the total feed provided (minimum 50%).
- Insufficient fiber consumption contributes to the development of behavioral problems (“tantrums”), intestinal acidosis, intestinal dysbiosis, gastric ulcers, “colic”, among other problems.