Digestive System

Over millions of years horses have evolved with specialized digestive tracts adapted to utilize diets containing high quantities of plant fiber. Horses are grazing animals, with digestive systems designed for constant plant-food intake. The digestive system in a mature horse is approximately 100-feet long continuous tract that begins with the mouth and ends with the rectum. The digestive organs include a small, simple stomach followed by a long narrow small intestine. The stomach and small intestine are where most of the protein, fat, vitamins and minerals in the feed are digested and absorbed. After the small intestine are two very large organs, the cecum and the colon, known collectively as the large intestine or hindgut, and this is where fiber digestion occurs. The large intestine of the horse holds about 21 to 24 gallons of liquid and houses billions of bacteria and protozoa which produce enzymes that break down (ferment) plant fiber.