I just got this months copy of The Horse. If you don't get a
copy yourself, I'd suggest you ask your vet to subscribe you.
The vets get lots of free subscription for their clients.
You get 3 months free, then you have to pay. In the two
months I've gotten this mag, it's the best I've read. It
only deals with health issues.
Now, on to endurance.
This month they have an article about the GI tract of the horse.
Most of the information is not new to me, but some is. And it
pertains to how we feed our endurance horses. Here's some of the
information that I find very interesting.
Small stomach. We all know this. When the stomach gets about
3/4 full, it pushs the food into the small intestines.
1- Feeding small amounts frequently will keep the food flowing.
2- Feeding lots of amounts in infrequent intervals will push
the food through too fast. Loss of nutrients and potential
colic problems.
Small intestines. Here is where most of the grain products are
digested. Digestion in the small intestines takes only 60 to 90
minutes. Hay is only partialy digested here. Most hay is pushed on
to the large intestine. Fat is also digested mostly here.
1- So, feeding grain a hour before the ride means that morning
breakfast is already digested and the energy ready to use during
the ride.
2- If you feed too much too fast, the intestines can't digest it all
and pass it on to the large intestine. In the large intestine,
grain isn't digested well, can lead to colic, killing off of the
bacteria, and other things.
Large intestines. Here is where most of the hay products are
digested. Digestion takes 36 to 72 hour. Or the food passes
through the cecum and large colon in 36 to 72 hours.
1- What the horse is digesting during a ride is what hay it ate
two days before. So Wednesday dinner through Thursday dinner
may still be sitting there happily (we hope happily) digesting.
The hay we feed the night before and the morning of the ride is
just entering the digestive tract, keeping things moving along,
and just starting to be absorbed.
2- Yesterdays breakfast is where the "hay" energy comes from for the ride.
3- All the other "hay" is holding water for the ride.
Protein - 60 to 70% absorbed in the small intestine, 30-40% in the hindgut.
Soluble carbos - 65-75% absorbed in small, 25-35 in the hindgut.
Fiber - 15-25% in small, 75-85% in the hindgut.
Fat - no specifics percentages, but mostly in the small.
Very few recommendations were made. At least 1% of body weight should
be in long stemmed roughage (not hay concentrates). No more than 0.75%
of body weight in concentrated feed at any one feeding. 7.5 pounds
max for a 1000 pound horse. 10 days to 2 weeks for a change in feeding.
10 to 12 gallons of water per day.
I suggest finding a copy of the article and reading it. It's very good.
Web page - http://www.thehorse.com
The Horse: Your Guide to Equine Health Care,
PO Box 4680
Lexington, KY 40544-4680
Subscription rate $30
-- Wendy\|/ /\ -O- /**\ /|\ /****\ /\ / \ /**\ Here there be dragons / /\ / \ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\/\/\ /\ / / \ / \ / \/\/ \/ \ /\/ \/\ /\ /\/ / / \/ \ / / \/ /\ \ / \ \ / \/ / / \/ \/ \ / \ \ / / \/ \/\ \ / \ / / \ __/__/_______/___/__\___\__________________________________________________
Wendy Milner HPDesk: wendy_milner@hp4000 Training Development Engineer HP-UX: wendy@fc.hp.com Mail Stop 46 Telnet: 229-2182 3404 E. Harmony Rd. AT&T: (970) 229-2182 Fort Collins, CO, 80525 FAX: (970) 229-4292