| "COMPLETE RIDER" YOUR #1 HORSE DESTINATION |
|
Forage Utilization
by Horses(1)
Dr. McCann, Associate Professor, Animal and Dairy Science
Department, University of Georgia, has done extensive research
on preference and utilization of forage by horses including palatability
and digestibility. She works closely with horse owners to develop
horse rations that optimize forage utilization.
|
|
Thousands
of years of foraging has resulted in a rather unique digestive
system that bears resemblance to only the rabbit and guinea pig.
Placement of a rather small stomach immediately prior to the
small intestines where most of the starch, fat, and protein digestion
occurs in the horse very much like other monogastric animals.
But just beyond the small intestines is the cecum, a blind gut
compartment that harbors the microbial flora similar to the microbial
population in the rumen of cattle. The well developed cecum is
the site of fiber digestion and is responsible for the horse
classification as a non-non-ruminant herbivore. Horses
are best able to digest higher quality forages when compared
to ruminants. As in the rumen, fiber is broken down by microbes
and converted to the volatile fatty acids (VFA's) acetic, propionic,
and butyric acids which can be utilized by the horse for energy.
These energy sources do not represent the concentration of energy
such as glucose, but nevertheless, are very important to the
horse, furnishing approximately 30% of the digestible energy
intake. For a more in depth look at forage utilization by the
horse, grazing patterns, preferences, digestibility values, and
definite reasons to consider forages the first step in the balancing
the diet for horses will be discussed.
|
E-Mail
info@completerider.com Features|Health|Nutrition|Horse Power|Horse Sport|Horseman|Canadian Thoroughbred|Horse News| TV Show|Horse Play|Learning Center|Sale Horses|HorsE-Shop|Contact Us| Advertise| designed for grasslands entertainment group by webSlave Mara all rights reserved |