Nutrition - Monogastric Flashcards
What type of stomach do horses have?
Simple stomach
What are horses (in terms of their digestion)?
Hind gut fermenters
What type of feeders are horses?
Trickle feeders - food takes roughly 3 days to travel through the GI tract
What two components should constitute the majority of the equine diet?
Roughage and forage
Complete the sentence:
Horses produce very little ..(1).. and their stomachs should be ..(2).. at all times.
(1) Salivary amylase
(2) Half full
What is the capacity of an equine stomach?
8-15 litres
What is the pH of the equine stomach?
pH of 3.0
What is produced in the cardiac region?
Mucous and bicarbonate
What 4 substances are secreted in the fundic region?
1) HCl (parietal cells)
2) Pepsinogen (chief cells)
3) Gastric lipase
4) Histamine and serotonin (ECL cells)
What 4 things happen in the pyloric region?
- Further HCl secretion
- G cells produce gastrin
- D cells secrete somatostatin
- ECL cells secrete serotonin
What happens in the small intestine of a horse?
- Carbohydrate, fat and amino acid digestion
- Starch absorbed as glucose
- Proteins broken down with proteases
- Fats broken down with lipases
What happens as you move into the hindgut of a horse?
Switches from enzymatic digestion to microbial hind gut fermentation
What type of environment is maintained within the caecum?
Anaerobic environment
What is the capacity of the equine caecum?
25-35 litres
What is the pH of the caecum?
pH = 6.5
Through which structures does digesta enter and leave the caecum?
Digesta enters through the ileocecal valve and leaves through the cecocolic valve.
What happens in the caecum?
- Fermentation of structural carbohydrate to VFA
- Protein degradation to ammonia
- Synthesis of B vitamins
The large colon of a horse is folded into 4 sections with 3 sharp bends (susceptible to blockages) - what are the bends called?
- Sternal flexure
- Pelvic flexure
- Diaphragmatic flexure
What happens in the small colon of a horse?
Absorption of water, minerals and electrolytes
What is the function of the rectum?
Faecal storage before voidance
What is produced from starch after microbial fermentation?
Propionate
What is produced from cellulose and hemicellulose after microbial fermentation?
Acetate and butyrate
What are the 4 types of microorganisms involved in microbial fermentation?
What type of relationship do these have with the hindgut?
- Bacteria
- Anaerobic fungi
- Protozoa
- Archae
Symbiotic or commensal relationship
What are the 4 end products of microbial fermentation?
- Volatile fatty acids (VFAs)
- Acetic acid
- Butyric acid
- Propanoic acid
Propionate is a glucogenic precursor and acetate and butyrate are lipogenic precursors - what does this mean?
- Propionate can be used to make glucose
- Acetate and butyrate can be used to make lipids.
What are the 6 key areas to assess when doing a BCS on a horse?
Neck, withers, behind the shoulder, ribs, top line, tail head.
What are the 2 possible methods to determine the weight of a horse?
- Use a weigh tape
- Use a weigh bridge
What is the advantage and disadvantage of soaking hay?
Advantage = reduces dust
Disadvantage = can dissolve some of the nutrients.
What is the maximum daily dry matter intake of a horse?
2.5-3% of their body weight per day
Why would a horse need to increase in weight?
- 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
How is the diet changed for hard working horses?
- They have an energy increment 15-20% greater than maintenance
- Must replace high loss of electrolytes
- Must replace vitamin E and antioxidants
How is the diet changed for a pregnant mare?
- Increased nutritional requirements in the last 90 days of pregnancy
- Need more proteins, vitamins and minerals.
How do you feed a horse in early lactation?
- 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)
What is different about the digestion in a foal?
Digestion predominantly in the foregut
What two substances are essential when feeding a growing horse?
Lysine and threonine
Why is copper needed in the diet of a growing horse?
For cartilage growth
What are 6 possible consequences of poor feed management?
- Colic
- Gastric ulcers
- Stable vices
- Behavioural issues due to pain/ boredom
- Laminitis
- Hyperlipidaemia
What is a limiting amino acid for horses?
Lysine
What can be added if a feed ration does not meet all nutrient requirements?
Add a balancer
OR
Add supplements
