Nutrition - Monogastric (Equine)

Question 1

What type of stomach do horses have?

Answer 1

Simple stomach

Question 2

What are horses (in terms of their digestion)?

Answer 2

Hind gut fermenters

Question 3

What type of feeders are horses?

Answer 3

Trickle feeders - food takes roughly 3 days to travel through the GI tract

Question 4

What two components should constitute the majority of the equine diet?

Answer 4

Roughage and forage

Question 5

Complete the sentence:
Horses produce very little ..(1).. and their stomachs should be ..(2).. at all times.

Answer 5

(1) Salivary amylase
(2) Half full

Question 6

What is the capacity of an equine stomach?

Answer 6

8-15 litres

Question 7

What is the pH of the equine stomach?

Answer 7

pH of 3.0

Question 8

What is produced in the cardiac region?

Answer 8

Mucous and bicarbonate

Question 9

What 4 substances are secreted in the fundic region?

Answer 9

1) HCl (parietal cells)
2) Pepsinogen (chief cells)
3) Gastric lipase
4) Histamine and serotonin (ECL cells)

Question 10

What 4 things happen in the pyloric region?

Answer 10

• Further HCl secretion
• G cells produce gastrin
• D cells secrete somatostatin
• ECL cells secrete serotonin

Question 11

What happens in the small intestine of a horse?

Answer 11

• Carbohydrate, fat and amino acid digestion
• Starch absorbed as glucose
• Proteins broken down with proteases
• Fats broken down with lipases

Question 12

What happens as you move into the hindgut of a horse?

Answer 12

Switches from enzymatic digestion to microbial hind gut fermentation

Question 13

What type of environment is maintained within the caecum?

Answer 13

Anaerobic environment

Question 14

What is the capacity of the equine caecum?

Answer 14

25-35 litres

Question 15

What is the pH of the caecum?

Answer 15

pH = 6.5

Question 16

Through which structures does digesta enter and leave the caecum?

Answer 16

Digesta enters through the ileocecal valve and leaves through the cecocolic valve.

Question 17

What happens in the caecum?

Answer 17

• Fermentation of structural carbohydrate to VFA
• Protein degradation to ammonia
• Synthesis of B vitamins

Question 18

The large colon of a horse is folded into 4 sections with 3 sharp bends (susceptible to blockages) - what are the bends called?

Answer 18

• Sternal flexure
• Pelvic flexure
• Diaphragmatic flexure

Question 19

What happens in the small colon of a horse?

Answer 19

Absorption of water, minerals and electrolytes

Question 20

What is the function of the rectum?

Answer 20

Faecal storage before voidance

Question 21

What is produced from starch after microbial fermentation?

Answer 21

Propionate

Question 22

What is produced from cellulose and hemicellulose after microbial fermentation?

Answer 22

Acetate and butyrate

Question 23

What are the 4 types of microorganisms involved in microbial fermentation?
What type of relationship do these have with the hindgut?

Answer 23

• Bacteria
• Anaerobic fungi
• Protozoa
• Archae

Symbiotic or commensal relationship

Question 24

What are the 4 end products of microbial fermentation?

Answer 24

• Volatile fatty acids (VFAs)
• Acetic acid
• Butyric acid
• Propanoic acid

Question 25

Propionate is a glucogenic precursor and acetate and butyrate are lipogenic precursors - what does this mean?

Answer 25

- Propionate can be used to make glucose - Acetate and butyrate can be used to make lipids.

Question 26

What are the 6 key areas to assess when doing a BCS on a horse?

Answer 26

Neck, withers, behind the shoulder, ribs, top line, tail head.

Question 27

What are the 2 possible methods to determine the weight of a horse?

Answer 27

- Use a weigh tape - Use a weigh bridge

Question 28

What is the advantage and disadvantage of soaking hay?

Answer 28

Advantage = reduces dust Disadvantage = can dissolve some of the nutrients.

Question 29

What is the maximum daily dry matter intake of a horse?

Answer 29

2.5-3% of their body weight per day

Question 30

Why would a horse need to increase in weight?

Answer 30

- If it has a high intensity work load - If it is pregnant or in lactation - If the horse is growing - For veteran/ elderly horses - During cold winters

Question 31

How is the diet changed for hard working horses?

Answer 31

- They have an energy increment 15-20% greater than maintenance - Must replace high loss of electrolytes - Must replace vitamin E and antioxidants

Question 32

How is the diet changed for a pregnant mare?

Answer 32

- Increased nutritional requirements in the last 90 days of pregnancy - Need more proteins, vitamins and minerals.

Question 33

How do you feed a horse in early lactation?

Answer 33

- Give good quality pasture and forage - Compound feed up to 35% of daily intake - Avoid giving alfalfa (does not give a good nutrient content in the milk)

Question 34

What is different about the digestion in a foal?

Answer 34

Digestion predominantly in the foregut

Question 35

What two substances are essential when feeding a growing horse?

Answer 35

Lysine and threonine

Question 36

Why is copper needed in the diet of a growing horse?

Answer 36

For cartilage growth

Question 37

What are 6 possible consequences of poor feed management?

Answer 37

- Colic - Gastric ulcers - Stable vices - Behavioural issues due to pain/ boredom - Laminitis - Hyperlipidaemia

Question 38

What is a limiting amino acid for horses?

Answer 38

Lysine

Question 39

What can be added if a feed ration does not meet all nutrient requirements?

Answer 39

Add a balancer OR Add supplements