Ingestive behavior.

The research explores the eating behaviors of horses, detailing preferences, influences and the physiological aspects linked to their digestion and nutritional intake.

Eating Habits and Preferences of Horses

• Horses spend approximately 60% or more of their time grazing or eating when they have unlimited access to feed. Grass is their preferred food source, but they also eat herbs and woody plants to complement their diet.
• The most favoured concentrates are mixtures of oats and corn sweetened with sugar. This gives them additional energy and nutrition that they may not get from grass alone.
• Changes in eating patterns and portions are a result of the horse’s effort to maintain a consistent calorie intake.

Behavioral and Pharmacological Influences on Horse’s Eating Behavior

• The presence of other horses is one of the behavioral stimuli that encourage consumption of food. As herd animals, horses may feel safer and more relaxed to eat when in the company of their kind.
• The intake of food in horses can be stimulated by drugs like diazepam, a treatment commonly used for anxiety and seizures. This suggests possible implications on the horse’s feeling of relaxation when eating.

Physiological Responses and Eating Patterns

• One of the physiological indicators that horses rely on to stop eating is an increase in gastric osmolality, a measure of solute concentration in the horse’s stomach.
• Digestion in horses triggers an increase in plasma osmolality, and levels of protein and glucose which suggests a correlation between digestion and blood chemistry changes.
• Foals, young horses, tend to eat several times per hour, and they begin experimenting with solid food while their dams (mothers) are eating.

Areas for Further Research

• Despite the understanding of the basic patterns and influences on horse eating behavior, there are still areas that require further investigation. One of these is the effect of exercise on both short-term and long-term food intake.
• In addition, the impact of reproductive state on a mare’s feeding habits remains under-explored. Understanding these influences can provide valuable insights to support health and performance in the equine industry.