Understanding a Horse's Digestive System

 Understanding your horse's digestive system, which is a bit different than our own, is an important step in keeping your horse healthy. Knowing what is going on as food is digested and the specific dietary needs of your horse can help you ensure that he is healthy. The major difference between a horse's digestive system and that of a human's is that horses have hundreds of bacteria, called microbes, in their hindgut(cecum and large colon). These microbes break down(ferment) the plant fiber into a usable energy.

 A horse's digestive proccess is much like ours. It begins with the horse taking bites of food, grinding it into small, digestible pieces and swallowing it. From there, it travels to the stomach, which is quite compared to the rest of their body size, holding only two to four gallons. This is because horses are meant to eat many small meals all day long. Once in the stomach, acid and enzymes further break the food down, and it moves on to the next step: the small intestine(70-feet long). There, sugar, starch, protien, fats, vitamins, and minerals are absorbed before the remaining food travels to the hindgut(cecum and large colon). The cecum(three to four feet long) and large colon(ten to twelve feet long) store fluid to be used during prolonged exercise, while at the same time fermenting the food and providing 30 to 70% of a horse's energy. Finally, whatever is leftover enters the narrow, small colon, where 90% of the fluid is absorbed, and exits through the rectum.

Digestive system credit

 Now that you know how everything works, you can better understand some of the problems that occur in the digestive tract.

Stomach Ulcers
 Stomach ulcers are becoming increasingly more common among domesticated horses. This is due to the fact that domesticated horses are fed only several times a day, rather than being allowed to eat all day long as they do in the wild. Since a horse's stomach continuously produces stomach acid, whether he is eating or not, long periods of not eating can cause the acid to burn the stomach, creating an ulcer. Too much grain, intenste exercise, stress, and illness can also cause stomach ulcers. Symptoms can be a rough coat, poor performance, grinding of the teeth, and possibly colic-like symptoms. The only way to know how severe an ulcer is, or if your horse even has one, is by your veterinarian performing an endoscopy.

 Prevention is the best cure, and can be done by feeding your horse several small, more frequent meals rather than two or three bigs ones, or allowing him to graze all day if possible. Reducing grain may also help. Essential oils, too, can assist with the prevention of stomach ulcers, according to Lisa Carter from Heavenly Gaits Equine Massage. She recommends three to five drops of copaiba oil between the lip and gum, taken two to three times a day.

Colic
 There are several types of colic: impaction, gas, and intestinal twists. The first is caused by solid food becoming lodged inside of the digestive tract, and can be prevented by providing plenty of fresh, clean water for your horse to drink. Gas colic, as the name suggests, is when a horse becomes bloated and gassy. It can be caused by too much starchy grains or by a sudden change of diet and is not as serious as other kinds of colic. Torsion colic, or an intestional twist, is the worst, but also the most rare, kind. Only surgery can fix it. Since it usually isn't readily apparent what type of colic has occured, call you veternarian as soon as you notice any symptons.

Laminitis
 Laminitis can also be very serious. It is an inflammation in the hooves and can be caused by a horse eating food high in non-structural carbohydrates(sugar, starch, etc.). Limiting concentrate feed(grain) to 1/2% of your horses body weight or less per meal can help prevent laminitis.

 Understanding your horse's digestive system is a huge step in creating a healthy, happy horse.

Equine Emergencies

 When you own horses, eventually you may come across some sort of an equine emergency, whether that be colic or a wound of some kind. To keep your equine partner as safe as possible, you must prepare for an emergency so you can act quickly and affectively. The American Association of Equine Practioners recommends doing the following:

1. Write down your veterinarian's office number and a number you can use to contact him after hours, placing it in an easily found place, such as on the inside of you first aid kit's lid, as well as in the contacts section of your cell. Don't rely on memory. Even if you have memorized, recalling something when panicked or in an emergency can be difficult.
2. Also write down the numbers of several other vets you can call in case yours is busy or out of town. Your vet may refer someone to you if you ask.
3. Another important thing to do is to memorize your way to the equine surgery center in case your horse needs to be transported. Finding last-minute directions can waste precious time.
4. Write down the numbers of a couple nearby friends and and neighbors, who can assist you while you wait for the vet.
5. Keep a fully equipped first aid kit on hand. It should include gauze, scissors, a thernometer, a stethoscope, antibacterial scrub, and wound spray. For a more complete list, check out my first aid post.

Equine veternarians. credit

 In the case of an emergency, gather as much information as possible before calling the vet. If your horse is injured, tell him where the injury is, how much swelling there is, and how severe the injury looks. If your horse is lame, let him know when you noticed the lamness and if your horse can put weight on the hoof. Also observe your horse's demeanor. Is he agitated, depressed, gloomy? These signs can give you lot a lot of information, particularly if your horse's ailment is not visible, such as colic or an illness. His vital signs also have a lot tell, so if they are higher or lower than usually, you should definitely call the vet. Other signs on when to call the vet are profuse bleeding, wounds that need stitches, eye injuries, fractures, sudden lameness, seizures, watery diarrhea, colic, and choking. Most importantly, if in doubt, call the vet. Never neglect to call if you are not sure how serious the injury/emergency is.

 While waiting for the vet to arrive, do your best to treat the injury. If the horse is bleeding, hold sterile padding or a towel to the wound, and do not remove it, not even to see if the bleeding has stopped, unless the vet instructs you to. Add another layer when the first becomes soaked with blood and continue to place steady pressure on it. If your horse colics, remember to stay calm and do not let him lay down and roll, which can aggravate the colic. 

 Preparation can prevent many equine emergencies. Remove potentially hazardous items from the barn and pasture, and try to memorize a set emergency plan. Write it down in case you are not on hand when the emergency occurs so some else knows what to do and who to call.

Horse Health Myth Busters

 Over the years, many ideas have appeared regarding horse health. Recent technology has studied these ideas, disproving some, while verifying others. As horse people, we are responsible for seperating the truth from the myths.

 One idea states that horses cannot vomit. This, in fact, is true. When a horse swallows food, it passes from the esophagus into the stomach. The lower part of the esophagus, called a sphincter, is much stronger than that in humans. The ring-like muscle prevents food or liquid from coming out of the stomach. As a result, a horse is incapable of vomiting.

It is commonly thought that white hooves
are weaker than their dark counterparts.
credit

 However, their inability to regurgitate can cause colic. Because a horse cannot vomit, if food, liquid, or gas gets jammed in their gastrointestinal tract, they experience pain in their digestive system and in serious cases require surgery.

 You have probably heard that white hooves are weaker than dark hooves, which we now know is simply a misconception. Radiographs(X-rays) have proven that other than color, there is nothing physically or structurally different from a white hoof than a black one.

 People also say that horses cannot breathe through their mouths, another fact. This is because the soft palate on the roof of the horse's mouth, which seperates the nasal cavity from the oral cavity, extends all the way to the back of the throat. Therefore, no air can reach their lungs from their mouths.

 When a horse breaks or fractures a leg, many people treat it as a death sentence, saying they should euthanize the horse. In some cases, there is an alternative, but it takes a lot of work. A horse with a broken or fractured leg must be kept from laying down for extended periods, which can cause nerve and lung damage from his own heavy weight. This is often done using a large sling. Also, his leg must be splinted.

A broken leg must be care for like this.
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 You must take into account where the fracture is, too. One below the knee proves relatively easy to perform surgery on and put in a splint, while the chances of repairing one higher up on the leg proves dim. Even if a horse does successfully heal, other complictations may occur. Putting too much weight on his good legs can cause joint problems. Also take into account the age of the horse. The future of foals with broken legs is actually brighter than that of adults due to their light weight.

 A final myth is that horses can only sleep standing. While they do sleep standing most of the time, this is only for lighter sleep. To get a deep sleep, they lie down, though this is only done for up to an hour at a time. In order for you to understand why, you must remember that horses are prey animals. Standing allows them to start running more quickly should a predator come.

 Knowing the truth when it comes to your horse's health leads to his well being. Do not trust that old stories that have been around for over a hundred years are valid.

Common Equine Winter Ailments

 Winter, for some, means bitter cold and snow, while for others it means lots of rain and mud. Nevertheless, no matter where you live, you still must watch out for similar ailments in your horse.

Mud Fever
 Mud fever is an infection caused by Dermatophilus congolensis. As the name suggests, it only occurs during moist conditions, such as when a horse stays muddy too long. It causes painful, inflamed sores full of bacteria to erupt on the horse's legs. These scabs carry bacteria and must be gently removed.

 According to Melissa Shelton, DVM, mixing 10-20 drops of lavender essential oil with 4 ounces distilled water into a spritz bottle, then spraying several times a day on the affected area, often relieves the condition. Oils like Roman chamomile and geranium also work well.

 You can even apply the Animal Scents Ointment to the wounds. Just be careful not to hurt your horse while applying it.

 Dr. Shelton also recommends using oregano or Thieves essential oil blend orally for bacterial infections by placing a drop on the horse's lower lip. Be warned, though, that those oils are strong and should only be used in more severe conditions. Even then, you should probably dilute it by mixing it into a moist feed.

 The affected horse should be keep inside a stable if possible while his wounds heal.

Click to enlarge.

Rain Scald
 Rain scald is similar to mud fever and is caused by the same bacteria. It mostly occurs on the back of a horse that has been body clipped and is lacking his winter coat. Again, the spray I mentioned earlier is recommended.

Colic
 Colic can be caused by multiple different factors, such as the horse eating quickly. If horse horse colics, you should call your vet. Check out my post about colic for more information.

Lameness
 In the winter, with the ground likely being frozen or muddy, lameness often occurs. Be careful when you ride and make sure you thoroughly pick out snow and ice when you are done.

Thrush
 Be on the look out for thrush, a hoof ailment that causes the frog to secrete a black, oily substance. thrush is caused by the horse standing on wet, muddy ground for extended periods of time.

 As with anything, prevention is best. Check your horse regularly to make sure he is dry and warm.