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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / The Fibre Requirements of Horses and the Consequences and Ca...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2023; 13(8); doi: 10.3390/ani13081414

The Fibre Requirements of Horses and the Consequences and Causes of Failure to Meet Them.

Abstract: Failure to meet the minimum forage requirement of 1.5% of the horse's bodyweight and the opportunity for foraging for a minimum of 8 h a day (not going without this opportunity longer than four to five consecutive hours) can have both physiological and behavioural consequences. To provide an energy source for horses, rations often include starch rather than fibre. This can result in health issues related to the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in the horse. In the stomach, the main concern is equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) and, more specifically, equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD). Ulcerations are caused either by increasing acidity in the stomach (from starch ingestion and reduced saliva production) or splashing of acidic juices caused by a lack of a forage barrier prior to exercise or prolonged periods without fibrous feed intake, which allows the stomach to collapse and spread acidic gastric fluids into the upper squamous regions of the stomach. In the hindgut, starch that has escaped digestion in the small intestine causes microbial instability and increased production of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and lactic acid. This puts horses at great risk for acidosis and subsequent laminitis. Shifts in the hindgut microbiota will also affect a horse's behaviour via the gut-brain axis, as well as potentially compromise immune function. Reduced fluid intake caused by reduced saliva production can result in colic. Choosing a fibrous alternative for starch in a high-energy diet greatly reduces the risk of EGUS and acidosis and improves digestion, GIT pH, body condition, behaviour, immune functions, and performance. Providing hay can reduce crib-biting, wood-chewing, coprophagia, the consumption of bedding, aggression, and stress, and subsequently increase social bonding and affiliation with conspecifics. Adequate fibre intake is related to reduced clinical signs of EGUS, reduced reactivity, and better adaptation to weaning. Lignophagia (wood chewing) has also been observed in horses that are foraging, and this is thought to reflect low fibre content in the available forage (for example, early vegetative, lush pasture).
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Publication Date: 2023-04-20 PubMed ID: 37106977PubMed Central: PMC10135103DOI: 10.3390/ani13081414Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The study discusses the importance of a suitable amount of dietary fibre for horses, the consequences when this need is not met, and the common reasons why such failings occur. It examines these issues through the lens of both physiological and behavioural aspects.

Importance of Fibre in Horse Diets

  • This paper highlights that horses should have at least 1.5% of their bodyweight in forage and 8 hours of foraging time each day.
  • A key driver for meeting this requirement is to prevent health complications tied to the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), including equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) and equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD).
  • When starch is over-represented in the horse’s diet, less saliva is produced, which can increase the acidity of the stomach and cause stomach ulcers.
  • Undigested starch can trigger microbial instability and lead to excess volatile fatty acids and lactic acid in the hindgut, putting horses at risk for acidosis and laminitis.

Behaviours Linked to Dietary Fibre Deficiency

  • Deficits in the hindgut microbiota can alter a horse’s behaviour and may weaken its immune system.
  • Behavioural changes such as crib-biting, wood-chewing, coprophagia (feces-eating), aggression could indicate insufficient fibre intake.
  • Conversely, higher levels of social behaviour and stress reduction occur with adequate fibre consumption.
  • Stress adjustment during weaning is also linked with fibre consumption.
  • Wood chewing (lignophagia) is speculated to be related to the low fibre content in available forage.

Fibre vs Starch in Diets

  • The research emphasizes the efficacy of replacing starch in high-energy diets with fibrous alternatives.
  • Benefits include lowered risks of EGUS and acidosis, enhanced digestion, proper GIT pH, better body condition, improved behaviour, stronger immune functions, and ideally, superior performance.
  • A simple and practical way to boost fibre content is to supply hay to horses, especially important when other forage is not adequately fibrous.

Cite This Article

APA
Ermers C, McGilchrist N, Fenner K, Wilson B, McGreevy P. (2023). The Fibre Requirements of Horses and the Consequences and Causes of Failure to Meet Them. Animals (Basel), 13(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13081414

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 8

Researcher Affiliations

Ermers, Colette
  • School of Environment and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
McGilchrist, Nerida
  • Equilize Horse Nutrition Pty Ltd., Tamworth, NSW 2340, Australia.
Fenner, Kate
  • School of Agriculture and Food Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia.
Wilson, Bethany
  • School of Life and Environmental Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
McGreevy, Paul
  • School of Environment and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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