Horse digestion

Horses feed exclusively on vegetable matter, from which their bodies draw energy and nutrients essential for their maintenance, to maintain optimal health and sporting performance, and even prevent certain pathologies... In short, to guarantee their well-being!
To reap the full benefits, the food we ingest must pass through our digestive system, passing through various organs and complex mechanisms. For simplicity's sake, let's distinguish three forms of digestion:

A. MECHANICAL DIGESTION

Its function is to roughly reduce the size of food while preserving its nature, and to ensure its transit through the digestive tract. It also increases the food's contact surface to facilitate the action of enzymes and make their activity more efficient.
Digestion is essentially governed by 2 phenomena that continue throughout the digestive tract:
- peristalsis = a set of muscular contractions that move the bolus from the mouth to the rectum (more intense in the esophagus and small intestine)
- Stirring = mechanical function of a digestive organ that mixes its food contents with secreted juices (mainly present in the stomach and intestine).
Let's see how this works in the horse's digestive system:


B. ENZYMATIC AND BIOCHEMICAL DIGESTION

Enzymatic and biochemical digestion takes place at the same time as, and complements, mechanical digestion.
In the digestive system, certain glands/organs release juices. These consist of enzymes and/or other secretions.

From a physiological point of view, let's take a look at how digestion affects the food we ingest...

The small intestine fulfills 2 important functions in digestion:

1. It is the main site of enzymatic digestion. It is in this part of the digestive tract that most of the food bolus (80% starch, 60% soluble fiber, two-thirds protein and virtually all fat) is digested by intestinal, pancreatic and biliary secretions, EXCEPT crude cellulose.
Nutrients, thus hydrolyzed, can be assimilated at this point to meet the body's energy, maintenance and production needs.

2. The small intestine is also the major site of absorption for most minerals (Ca, Mg, Na, K...), trace elements and most water- and fat-soluble vitamins.

C. MICROBIAL DIGESTION

The environmental conditions of the last part of the intestine, the large intestine, make it a favorable environment for microbial development and activity. It is home to a large number of highly diversified micro-organisms, whose activity is very intense and important to the completion of digestion. But that's not all!
In a future article, we'll look at how this flora plays a part in the digestion process, and the link it maintains with many other bodily systems... In short, the importance of keeping it in balance!


Horse Remedy © Pauline Rigollet