8/ OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 THE RIDER The Way of Horses:


Part 1-Equine Digestive System - The Mouth


By Eleanor Blazer Copyright @ 2018


You out in one end and take it out


the other! Do you know what happens to ex-


pensive grain and hay during its long journey to become manure? Equine lips have almost a prehen-


sile (adapted to wrap or fold around an object) ability. They can separate oral additives from grain, chose the tender shoots of grass and untie a lead rope. A horse’s meal starts at the lips


which gather feed and make it available to the teeth. Desirable grass is collected by the lips and presented to the incisors for snip- ping and moved back with the tongue to the molars for grinding. Loose products (for example - grain and hay) are collected and moved directly back to the molars. Mechanical breakdown of the


feed now takes place. The upper premolars and mo-


lars (back teeth) are set wider than the lower arcade. This configura- tion keeps the teeth from meeting squarely when the horse is not chewing. In order to make good contact the jaw must move back and forth. This side to side movement


and the natural misalignment of the upper and lower teeth causes the teeth to wear at an angle. Malocclu- sion, a term used to describe teeth that do not meet properly, occurs. Points (sharp edges), ramps (exces- sive lower premolar height), hooks (a tooth overhangs the opposing tooth, waves (the arcade of teeth becomes uneven) and other tooth wear patterns develop. An equine dentist or veterinarian can attempt to eliminate tooth wear problems so the horse can chew comfortably. Another unique characteristic


to equine teeth is they do not grow – they erupt. Teeth are formed soon after foaling and the entire un- used tooth is stored in the dental socket until needed. 4 ½ to 5 inches


of tooth lies below the gum line in a young horse. This amount must last the horse his entire lifetime. As the exposed surface wears away new tooth erupts. The equine dentist or veteri-


narian attempting to correct maloc- clusions must be careful not to become overzealous when grinding down the exposed surface. An in- experienced operator with a power float can take years off a horse’s life expectancy. Once the horse has moved the


feed back to the molars he begins to chew. The chewing action stim- ulates three pairs of salivary glands. A horse will produce five to ten gal- lons of saliva per day. The production of salvia is


very important to the digestion of feed. Salvia contains buffers that protect the stomach from acids, and contains some enzymes that start the breakdown of carbohydrates. Salvia moistens the feed so it is easy to swallow. Horses being fed a complete


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feed (grain and forage in one prod- uct) or a diet consisting of mostly pellets do not get enough chew- time. Horses in a natural environ- ment will graze 18-20 hours per day, producing large quantities of salvia. Horses in confinement are


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lucky to get four hours of chew- time.


Horses that bolt their feed may


not chew feed long enough, reduc- ing the amount of salvia produced. Several large rocks placed in the feeder will slow down the concen- trate consumption and cause the horse to chew for longer periods of time. This will also decrease the chances of choke caused when feed is not being moistened or broken down before swallowing. Providing adequate amounts of


long-stem fiber (grass, hay, hay cubes or chopped hay) will aid the production of salvia. Pelleted prod- ucts will not achieve the desired re- sult. The product must contain particles at least three-quarters (3/4) of an inch long. Once the feed reaches a slurry


consistency the horse swallows and the meal’s journey continues.


* Earn a Bachelor of Science De- gree in Equine Studies or certifica- tion as a Professional Horse Trainer or Riding Instructor. Start your new career as a riding instructor, horse trainer, or stable manager. All courses are online. Visit www.horsecourseson-


line.com for information.


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