Exercise affects digestibility and rate of passage of all-forage and mixed diets in thoroughbred horses.

The research article focuses on understanding how different types and intensities of exercise impact the digestibility and rate of passage of food in thoroughbred horses. The study particularly compares the effects on horses fed on either an entirely forage diet or a mixed forage/grain ration.

Background of the study

• Previous research on digestion in horses has mostly used idle equines and the results have been generalized to all classes of horses, including performance horses.
• Earlier studies suggested that light exercise could enhance digestion in horses while heavy work could inhibit it, but these results were inconclusive and not explicitly verified.
• The researchers observed that previous studies showed inconsistencies on the impact of exercise on digestion, as shown by Orton et al. (1985), where exercise increased digestion and retention of a fluid marker but reduced the retention time of a particulate marker.

Purpose of the study

• The researchers aimed to perform a more consistent study measuring the effect of daily exercise (specifically 8km trotting and galloping) on the digestibility and rate of passage (how fast the food passes through the digestive system) in trained Thoroughbred horses.
• The study also aimed to explore if these effects are different for horses on different diets, i.e., an all-forage diet versus a mixed forage/grain ration.

Significance of the study

• This study is significant as it provides insights into how physical activities impact the overall digestion process in performance horses.
• The findings could be useful in creating optimal diet and exercise programs for performance horses by factoring in the impact of different exercises on digestion and food passage rate.