Equine Digestion: From Mouth to Manure
Have you ever wondered what happens to that feed and hay after you provide it to your horse? Did you know that one of the greatest diagnostic tools to your horse’s health lies right there in his stall each day?
Understanding the equine digestive system, how food is processed from start to finish, and paying attention to your horse’s manure on a regular basis will greatly enhance your ability to keep your horse happy and healthy.
The Mouth
Let’s start at the beginning. Mastication, or chewing, is the first stage of digestion where feed is ground down to allow enzymes and bacteria to attack the cell walls of the horse’s plant-based diet.
The physical action of chewing activates the three pairs of salivary glands in the horse’s mouth. This is the only time saliva is produced in horses. Saliva production in horses, just as in humans, is critical in helping the swallowing process and preventing choking. The more chewing, the more saliva that is produced.
The bicarbonate produced by the salivary glands protects the stomach from acid damage and contains small amounts of amylase which starts the breakdown of carbohydrates.
Health Notes About the Mouth
Dental issues affect chewing, which in turn affects the rest of the digestive process. Regular dental checkups should be a routine part of horse care.
Does your horse tend to “wolf down” his food, or eat too fast? If so, he may not be chewing enough to produce a healthy amount of saliva. There are many hacks (tips and tricks) for slowing down your horse’s eating habits.
The Foregut: Stomach and Small Intestine
The Stomach
The equine stomach is quite small relative to the size of the horse. It is divided into two sections: non-glandular and glandular.
The non-glandular region is the first area to encounter food, and depends on mucus and buffers from saliva to protect it. This is the region where 80% of ulcers are found. The glandular region continuously produces hydrochloric acid which further breaks down food.
Pepsinogen and stomach acids initiate the digestion and degradation of fats and proteins. The stomach mixes the food and regulates its passage via muscular contractions known as peristalsis.
Our first clinical study showed the positive impact that G’s Formula has on the contractility of glandular muscle tissue! Read the Published Research Paper.
The Small Intestine
The majority of proteins, soluble carbohydrates and fats are broken down by digestive enzymes in the small intestine. The pancreas releases amylase into the small intestine for carbohydrate breakdown. Proteases continue the breakdown of proteins into amino acids. Bile from the liver helps emulsify fats into smaller globules. The nutrients are then absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestinal villi.
Health Notes About the Foregut
Healthy villi in the small intestine allow for maximum absorption of nutrients, but the tiny villi are sensitive to certain medications, parasites, and excess stomach acid.
When cells in this area are damaged, the membrane barrier is compromised, allowing toxins and large molecules into the bloodstream (this is often referred to as ‘Leaky Gut’). This can result in body inflammation and suppressed immunity. Other health issues resulting from foregut issues include ulcers, laminitis, colic, GI tract inflammation and malabsorption of nutrients among other metabolic issues.
The Hindgut: Cecum and Colon
Fermentation in the hindgut enables most of the horse’s food digestion. Therefore, the PH and balance of microorganisms is critical to proper hind gut function. And that balance is easily disrupted.
The Cecum
The cecum collects undigested feed and forage from the small intestine and begins fermenting it with the help of billions of naturally occurring microbes. This process also requires large quantities of water, which the cecum stores in sac-like chambers in its walls, called sacculations.
The cecum also serves to slow the passage of food through the horse’s digestive system, allowing the microbes to adequately digest it.
The Large Colon
Microbes continue their digestion of feed as it moves into the large colon. This section makes up more than half the total volume of the equine digestive tract. As the fermented food passes through the large intestine, it is exposed to intestinal mucosa for resorption of water, electrolytes and volatile fatty acids. Fibre in the large intestine creates a constant water reservoir to prevent dehydration.
By the time feed leaves the large colon, most of the nutrients have been absorbed.
The Small Colon
The small colon functions to remove excess water from the processed feed and return it to the body. Remaining material is formed into fecal balls and passed through the rectum as manure
Health Notes About the Hindgut
The good health of the microbiome (bacteria and protozoa colonies) and having an adequate amount of water in the hindgut are two critical components to healthy equine digestion. Situations that lower PH, creating an acidic environment or causing death to a portion of the microbiome can result in the release of endotoxins into the bloodstream potentially causing an array of issues including laminitis, founder, colic and leaky gut. Too little water intake can cause an excess of undigested material and result in impaction colic. Too much water remaining in the system can lead to diarrhea.
Continual exposure to low PH can cause anorexia or malnutrition, colitis (inflammation of the colon) and other metabolic disorders.
As we alluded to earlier, it is easier to disrupt the horse’s PH and microbiome balance than it is to maintain it. Diet change, intolerance to certain hays and processed feeds, ulcers, stress, dental issues and extended periods between meals are all contributing factors.
Physical signs of hindgut issues may include a swollen cecum (right side in front of the hip), difficulty bending to the right under saddle, gut agitation and loose manure. If the cecum has an acidic environment, this can spill over into the large intestine causing damage, which can lead to diarrhea, dehydration, poor absorption of nutrients, colic, ulcers and colitis.
What Can You Do to Ensure a Healthy Equine Digestive Tract?
Feed your horse as naturally as possible (at least 4 meals/day, access to quality hay/forage at all times)
Ensure access to fresh water at all times
Provide regular exercise and routine health checks, and…
Add G’s Formula to your daily routine!
G’s Formula provides nature’s best sources of digestive healing aids. Based on extensive research, we created G’s Formula using cabbage, carrots, oat groats, and hemp fiber meal, with no fillers, binders, preservatives, flavor enhancers, or other additives.
G’s Formula is the first Canadian equine digestive health supplement to be backed by published research. Our work with the University of Guelph has already demonstrated how G’s Formula promotes gut motility, reducing the likelihood of impaction colic, and continues to reveal exciting benefits as the studies continue.
We are often asked why some horses show improvement within 48 hours of introducing G’s Formula, while other horses take up to 4 months. Remember - while we know that G’s Formula facilitates the equine GI tract’s ability to quickly replace cells, the time to repair depends on the extent of the damage.
If you plan to start your equine companion on G's Formula, be patient and be consistent. True healing takes time.
9 Fun Facts About Your Horse’s Digestive System
These share-worthy facts were compiled from multiple sources, including those referenced in this blog:
The adult equine digestive system is over 100 feet long from mouth to rectum
On average, the process can take from 36-72 hours (from intake to excrement)
On average, a 1000 pound horse requires 25-35 gallons of water to maintain a normal digestive process
Horses typically produce 10-12 liters of saliva daily
Concentrate feeds require 800-1200 chews per kg
Forage (hay, grass) requires 3000-3500 chews per kg
80% of equine ulcers are found in the first region (non-glandular) of the stomach
The large colon can hold approximately 15-20 gallons of feed material and water
An average horse will produce as much as 50 pounds of manure per day
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