8/ DECEMBER 2018 THE RIDER The Way of Horses:


Part 2 - Equine Digestive System - The Stomach


Once the horse has sorted,


By Eleanor Blazer Copyright @ 2018


Through the lips, over the


gums…look out stomach! Here it comes!


chewed and softened feed with salvia he swallows. The slurry travels down the esophagus and into the stomach. The esophagus, a muscular


tube about fifty inches in the aver- age horse, leads to the stomach. A horse chokes if a foreign ob-


ject blocks the esophagus. This ob- ject may be an apple, corn cob, hay cube, a wad of improperly chewed feed or baler twine. Horses can choke on most anything… The equine esophagus could


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also be blocked by a growth (tumor) or scar tissue from trauma (a previous choke episode or dam- age to the sensitive tissue because of a medical procedure).


Symptoms of choke in horses: • Heavy nasal discharge that


contains bits of feed and white foamy saliva • Excessive salivation • Stretching and extending the


neck


• Attempts to retch • Inability to swallow • Coughing and blowing out


feed through the mouth and nose Call your veterinarian and re-


move all feed as soon as you see any of these symptoms. Even though the horse can still breathe this is a medical emergency. Pro- longed obstruction can cause scar tissue. Aspiration of fluid in to the lungs can cause pneumonia. To prevent choke do the fol-


lowing: • Avoid large chunks of food -


treats, apples, carrots • Avoid grass clippings • Avoid poor quality forage or


hay (overly mature and stemmy) • Avoid feeding after sedation • Avoid leaving foreign objects


within reach (remove the baler twine!) • Place several large rocks in


the feeder if the horse bolts his feed • Soak the feed for senior


horses, horses with poor teeth or a previous history of choke • Chose a feed designed to


meet the nutritional needs of the horse and can be offered as gruel – if needed. • Make sure the horse is re-


ceiving proper and regular dental care.


After passing through the


esophagus the feed now enters the stomach through a one-way entry.


valve prevents food from


being regurgitated and does not allow the horse to burp. The horse’s stomach will usually rup- ture before this valve allows the material to be regurgitated. A rup- tured stomach will result in death. Feed must be of the quality and quantity the horse can handle to avoid stomach distress. Once through the cardiac


sphincter valve the feed arrives in the stomach. The stomach of the horse is


very small in relationship to the size of the horse. The average horse’s stomach only holds about 4 ½ gallons. It fills fast and empties fast. The stomach breaks feed down mechanically and chemically. There are four sections to the


equine stomach: 1. Esophageal section – basi-


cally a storage area. 2. Cardiac section – produces


mucous used to coat the stomach and protect it from acidic secre- tions. 3. Fundic section – produces


enzymes and hydrochloric acid which break down the feed. 4. Pyloric section – produces a


small amount of enzymes and mucus. The pyloric section is


highly acidic (low pH level). Most of the digestion of feed


takes place in the fundic section. The enzyme, pepsin, breaks down protein into amino acids, which can then be utilized by the horse. The muscles in the stomach


uses rhythmic contractions called peristalsis. This mechanical action helps break down feed into smaller particles. The design of the equine stom-


ach is such that a horse needs small frequent meals. It fills quickly and empties quickly. Feed usually only remains in the stomach for about 20 minutes. Ulcers can result if the stomach is allowed to become empty. Next month we’ll journey into


the small intestine.


* 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.horsecoursesonline.com for information.


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