Hindgut Fermenters: Equine Flashcards
Just make sure you know these:
1. Dorsal plane
2. Transverse plane
3. Saggital plane
- Parallel to long axis of trunk & vertical to ground, divides into left & right sides.
- Perpendicular to long axis of trunk but horizontal to ground.
- Parallel to long axis (head to tail), perpendicular to ground
Ur doing great honey!
Monogastric
What size stomach
Relies on…
Needs… (3)
- Large stomach
- Relies on digestible CHO’s like starch & sugar
- Needs:
- Protein
- Electrolytes
- Water
Ruminants have large ___ chambers and a ____ stomach. They ___ cud to break down further. Also, they need ___, ____, ___, & ___.
- Foregut chambers
- True stomach
- Chew cud
- Protein, fat, SC, vitamins, electrolytes, & water
Hindgut fermenters have a relatively small ___. Primary digestion of bulk of diet, mainly ___, happens in the hindgut. They also need ___, ___, ___, & ___.
- Stomachs
- Fiber happens in the hindgut
- Protein, fat, SC, vitamins, electrolytes, & water
T/F: Hindgut fermentation is not as efficient of a fermenter.
True
A horse takes a bite of delicious food. Describe the route this food will take through the GI tract.
- Esophagus
- stomach
- duodenum
- small intestine
- jejenum
- ileum
- cecum
- R ventral colon
- L ventral colon
- dorsal colon
- small colon
- rectum
Prehension meaning
Getting food into the mouth. Horses use their lips a lot
Mastication meaning
Chewing
T/F: Mature horses can produce 35-40L of saliva per day.
True! That’s anywhere between 9-11 gallons
How do horses chew?
About how many jaw movements would a 500kg horse have per day?
- They grind and chew in a circular motion & side to side.
- A 500kg horse can have up to 60,000 jaw movements per day.
Saliva contains bases such as ___. These bases are slippery and buffer ___ acids.
- Bicarbonate
- Buffer stomach acids
Salivas contains amylase. This begins ___ digestion and breakdown of starch into ___ & ___.
- Chemical digestion
- Dextrins & maltose
T/F: A 500kg horse can have up to 60,000 jaw movements per day
True
A normal chewing pattern for a horse is ___ & ___ movements
Horizontal and vertical
What is floating teeth?
The filing down of the sharp points in the horses teeth
What are some examples of dental problems? (4)
- Hooks: Sharp enamel points that form on the front and back of a horse’s cheek teeth, or molars.
- Wave: One part of the mouth is more worn than the other.
- Diastema: Gap in the valve (teeth) and food can get stuck
- EORTH: Incisors gums are too high
What is quidding?
When a horse drops feed from it’s mouth while eating or leaves partially chewed bits behind.
This can be due to dental problems or other health issues.
Choke is…
Food stuck in esophagus “Esophageal block”
T/F: Less efficient digestion can cause oral health problems in horses
True
Ill Thrift is..
Weight loss in horses
Colic is ___ pain that can come a source of multiple things
Abdominal pain
Deglutition is…
Swallowing
What are the three stages of deglutition?
- Pushing food bolus into pharynx
- Propel food bolus into esophagus while closing off airway
- Peristaltic waves move bolus down to stomach
Name the three sections of the stomach
- Squamous
- Glandular
- Pylorus
T/F: Domestic horses that are not fed continuously are higher risk for stomach ulcers due to an empty stomach
True. The stomach should rarely be empty under natural conditions
Two reasons why a horse cannot burp or vomit
- Terminal esophagus transitions to stomach at an acute angle
- Strong muscles forming the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), remains tense, stomach distension increases tension
Name in order the anatomy of the hindgut (4)
- Cecum:
- Right side of abdomen - Large colon
- Also ascending colon
- Double-U shape - Transverse colon
- Descending colon
- Small colon, rectum, anus
What are the functions of the cecum? (4)
- Important site of fermentation
- Performed by bacteria & protozoa
- VFA production
- Propionic, acetic, butyric acids
- Major energy source!! - Non-protein N & residual protein - fermented to ammonia & microbial protein
What are the functions of the large colon? (4)
- Mixing, retention, propulsion (like other regions)
- VFA absorption
- Water & electrolyte regulation
- Bands (taenia) & sacculation: slow movement of ingesta
Transverse colon function
Water and electrolyte regulation
Small colon functions (3)
- Water regulation
- Feces formation, retention, propulsion
- Vitamin B synthesis & absorption
Food transit time
Horse:
Cow:
Elephant:
- Horse: 24-72 hours.
- Poor fibers can take up to 10 days! - Cow: Similar to horse but generally slower
- Elephant: 12hrs. Worst efficiency wise of the three
Why chew twice? (3)
- Initially eat quick while safe
- Second when its safer
- Broader selection
Why ferment? (3)
- Abundance of plant material
- Make use of NSC plant material
- Ruminant very efficient!
T/F: Some hindguts eat twice. They will eat their feces to recover nutrients missed first time around
True. This is called coprophagy. Rabbits and other rodents do this
In natural conditions, horses spend ___ hours or more per day on browsing, roaming, & grazing. Up to ___ miles per day are covered.
16 hours
25 miles
T/F: Domesticated horses are typically fed meals and have issues with weight management
True
Horses will eat ___% to ___% of their body weight in dry matter per day
1.5-2.5%
Methods of slow rate consumption (3)
- Slow hay feeders
- Hay nets
- Grazing muzzles
Routines to keep in mind for feeding (5)
- Make feeding changes gradual
- Over two weeks - Strive for cont access to feed
- Clean, fresh, unfrozen water
- Encourage turn-out
- 50:50 rules or min of 1% bwt in forage/day
