47
WORDS BY: WRITTEN BY MISHEL METCALF EQUINE NUTRITONIST FOR HI FORM AUSTRALIA 2026
FRESH CLEAN WATER Adequate hydration is essential for all equines. The significance of voluntary water intake is frequently underestimated in feeding management.
• Facilitates digesta transit and maintains gastrointestinal motility.
• Insufficient intake is a primary risk factor for impaction colic
• Required for all cellular metabolic processes, including thermoregulation, nutrient transport via blood, and muscle function.
• Supports maintenance and regulation of hindgut pH balance.
• Horses on predominantly hay-based diets lack the inherent moisture content of fresh pasture( approximately 80 % water) and should be actively encouraged to increase voluntary intake.
DIVERSE RANGE OF FIBRE Structural carbohydrates are fundamental to hindgut fermentation and microbial ecosystem stability. Key fibre fractions include cellulose, hemicellulose, pectins, betaglucans, and lignin.
• Cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectins undergo microbial fermentation in the caecum and colon, yielding volatile fatty acids( VFAs) the horse ' s primary energy substrate.
• Lignin is indigestible but contributes to digesta bulk, promoting peristalsis and preventing compaction.
• Fibre mass maintains intestinal patency and regulates rate of passage, optimising nutrient absorption across the intestinal epithelium.
• Fermentation supports proliferation of beneficial commensal bacteria; microbial diversity creates competitive exclusion against pathogenic organisms( preventing dysbiosis).
• Dysbiosis manifests clinically as loose faeces, hindgut acidosis, behavioural agitation, and increased colic risk.
• Source quality matters fibre should derive from botanically diverse, minimally processed plant matter available in native forage species.
• Mill run, grain hulls, and industrial by-products offer low fermentability and limited prebiotic value compared to whole-plant fibre sources.
AQHA 2026 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER ISSUE