Assessing the body condition score (BCS) of a horse is needed in order to evaluate the physical health of the horse. The ideal BCS of many horses is between a 5 and 6, while a thoroughbred in the racing industry has an ideal BCS of a 4. While the BCS of a horse is a good way to determine the overall body condition of a horse, it does not tell whether or not the horse is getting the required nutrients in the appropriate amounts. The required nutrients can be calculated into the horse’s diet based on age, weight, and activity level. When there are mineral deficiencies in a horse, certain signs and symptoms may arise. Different activities or stresses the horse is undergoing will call for varying nutritional standards. For example, a racehorse
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The majority of digestion and absorption occurs in the small intestine of the horse. Carbohydrate and protein digestion and absorption mainly occur in the small intestine while the main site of the digestion of fiber is in the hindgut of the horse, which is composed of the colon and cecum (Hintz and Cymbaluk, 1994). The fermentation that occurs in the colon and cecum of horses is microbial fermentation, and while it works well for horses that are grazing, they still cannot digest forages of lower quality as well as cattle can (Parker and Henderson, 2014). While the digestion of food begins with the chewing of food in the mouth, further breakdown of food by liquefaction in the stomach, and absorption of food in the small intestine, the fermentation of the fiber in the diet primarily occurs in the hindgut with the assistance of bacterial and protozoa (Succeed equine, 2016). Volatile fatty acids are one of the main products formed from fermentation; these acids are an important energy source and are provided from the bloodstream that had previously absorbed the acids (Succeed equine, …show more content…
A horse that is not expending a lot of energy or doing any real work may go on a maintenance feed diet. While a pregnant mare may need to increase the amount of food she eats and the food quality should also increase. Diseases linked to improper nutrition or lack there of can impact horses of any age, some however are more at risk then
The majority of digestion and absorption occurs in the small intestine of the horse. Carbohydrate and protein digestion and absorption mainly occur in the small intestine while the main site of the digestion of fiber is in the hindgut of the horse, which is composed of the colon and cecum (Hintz and Cymbaluk, 1994). The fermentation that occurs in the colon and cecum of horses is microbial fermentation, and while it works well for horses that are grazing, they still cannot digest forages of lower quality as well as cattle can (Parker and Henderson, 2014). While the digestion of food begins with the chewing of food in the mouth, further breakdown of food by liquefaction in the stomach, and absorption of food in the small intestine, the fermentation of the fiber in the diet primarily occurs in the hindgut with the assistance of bacterial and protozoa (Succeed equine, 2016). Volatile fatty acids are one of the main products formed from fermentation; these acids are an important energy source and are provided from the bloodstream that had previously absorbed the acids (Succeed equine, …show more content…
A horse that is not expending a lot of energy or doing any real work may go on a maintenance feed diet. While a pregnant mare may need to increase the amount of food she eats and the food quality should also increase. Diseases linked to improper nutrition or lack there of can impact horses of any age, some however are more at risk then