Straight grains such as corn, oats and barley or sweet feed can contribute to the development of colic. Many bagged concentrates have high-fiber ingredients to be more gentle on digestive tracts.
If too much starch is fed in one meal, the small intestine can’t absorb all of it, so some spills over into the large intestine. This is not a good place for starch to be, since it leads to bacterial overgrowth and death of microorganisms that produce toxins that leach into the bloodstream when they die. These toxins are known to reduce intestinal motility.
In addition, horses fed large grain meals are 15 percent less hydrated than horses fed a high-fiber diet; this adds to the possibility of impaction colic. Grains are also highly fermentable, generating more gas in the large intestine, which further slows intestinal motility. Distention (with gas or blockage) of the intestines leads to pain, cramping, and colic, and also the potential for intestinal displacements or twists.Oats
Gastric ulcers—often resulting from high-grain diets—are the culprit of a variety of syndromes: behavioral changes, performance deficits, weight loss, and/or colic pain. (Tap here to learn more.)
When extra calories are needed, a high fat-and-fiber concentrate is much safer to feed than straight grains.
This article originally appeared in the June 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!
Nancy S. Loving, DVM, is a performance horse veterinarian based in Boulder, Colo., and is the author of All Horse Systems Go.
Post-workout leg care can be as hot-button a topic as blanketing among horse owners. Some…
As winter winds down and soil temperatures start to rise, spring grass pops up all…
Plenty has been written about the prevention, causes, and treatment of founder, but less information…
Needles and horses usually aren’t anyone’s favorite mix, but if you’re around horses long enough,…
Welcome to Barn Banter, the official podcast of Horse Illustrated. In Barn Banter episode 19, hosts Susan Friedland and Horse Illustrated…
Mark Bolender is a busy guy… Mark and his wife, Lee, own Bolender Horse Park, are the founders of the…
For beauty expert Jessica Andrews, equestrian underwear designed to flatter, fit and offer comfort to women in the saddle just…
Post-workout leg care can be as hot-button a topic as blanketing among horse owners. Some riders cold hose, wrap, and/or…
Welcome to Horse Illustrated’s weekly installment of the Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, offered in partnership with the…
With a history spanning 25,000 years, the Lusitano’s roots run as deep as the trees on the Iberian Peninsula, where…