Take a journey through the horse’s digestive system in a one-hour free webinar courtesy Equine Guelph.

Equine Guelph's life-size model of the digestive system will be featured during the webinar, slated for April 14 from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m., so participants can identify what the entire tract looks like, how it works, and what this means for feeding horses. This interactive webinar will help viewers understand strategies and guidelines for feeding the horse that can help meet the needs of their digestive system and prevent digestive issues. Equine Guelph thanks its host and sponsor, Trouw Nutrition Canada, for making this event possible.

“Serving the Ontario horse industry for over 80 years, Trouw Nutrition understands the importance of providing quality nutrition,” says Larry Morrison, Sales Manager, Trouw Nutrition Canada, “but it is also essential to understand how the equine gastrointestinal system functions to feed in a way that optimizes digestive health. We are very pleased to be involved with this highly comprehensible presentation.”

The journey through the digestive system will start with foregut functions beginning at the mouth and making our way through the esophagus, stomach and into the small intestine detailing what is broken down and what is not before reaching the hindgut. Then the webinar will discuss the fascinating microbiota in the horse’s cecum before carrying on through the large colon, small colon and finally the rectum.

Did you know horses only produce saliva while chewing and that chew time will differ substantially depending on whether they are munching on pasture or concentrates? Sign up to find out more fun facts that will outline why certain feeding strategies are more appropriate than others.

Throughout the webinar, you will learn practical information that will help you meet the needs of your horse’s digestive system and why forage and/or forage-based feeds are so crucial for the equine digestive system. The importance of providing small, frequent amounts of food and keeping the diet consistent from day to day will be one of the many feed strategies discussed. The talk will go into guidelines for concentrate use and how it may impact digestive/behaviour issues. Participants will be able to partake in the question and answer period. A replay will be available.

Registration is available here.

(Equine Guelph)