Complete Horse Care Manual by Colin Vogel

Author:Colin Vogel [Vogel, Colin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: DK ADULT
Published: 1995-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

128

F O O D A N D W A T E R

SOURCES OF ROUGHAGE

The fibrous, bulky part of a

horse’s diet is called roughage.

This may be fed fresh, as grass,

or it may be preserved, like hay

and silage. The horse’s digestive

system, unlike that of humans,

can obtain nutrients from the

plant fiber because it has a very

long colon, which has evolved

over millions of years for this task.

Cellulose, the main component of

roughage, is digested in the colon

by bacteria that exist in harmony

with the horse. The bacteria

provide soluble carbohydrates,

fatty acids, and amino acids for

the horse, in exchange for the

Natural food

Grass is the most natural form of

value through the seasons. It is most

chewed-up cellulose on which

roughage for a horse. The horse has

nutritious in early summer, just before

they live. If a horse does not eat

no option but to bite off each mouthful,

flowering. In spring, it has a high water

enough bulky food to keep the

so it is forced to eat slowly. Grass

content, while in winter some grass is

colon fairly full, colic may result.

changes its character and nutritional

as dry as hay.

H AY

Good hay

DANGERS OF BAD HAY

Hay is dried grass. Meadow hay, shown

It is very important to feed

here, is made from permanent pasture

horses good-quality hay. Some

and contains a variety of grasses

hay may have little nutritional

and herbs; seed hay is made from

value; some may contain a high

specially grown grass. Good hay

concentration of fungal spores

is crisp, smells sweet, and is

that can trigger respiratory

greenish- brown in color.

ailments. Be sure not to feed hay

containing poisonous plants. They

can cause death, even when dried.

Poor-quality hay

Bad hay will contain more

This poor-quality hay is brown;

stalk than leaf. It may be

it also looks dull, in contrast to

the springy, glossy appearance

yellowish-brown in color

of good hay

rather than green because

the pigment has been

bleached out. If the hay has been

made or stored badly, white mold

may even be visible.

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