Horses are browsing herbivores, typically spending 16-18 hours a day moving and eating a variety of plant and forage-based fibre which flows through the digestive tract in a slow constant trickle. With a small stomach and a large hindgut devoted to digesting a continual supply of fibre, horses are essentially ‘hindgut fermenters’ and their digestive system reflects this. Fibre is, therefore, essential for health and vitality in your horse so it’s important to ensure they always have a plentiful supply, ideally on an ad-lib basis.

Fibre – the basics

Fibre is a complex plant carbohydrate, which horses are unable to break down with their own enzymes. Instead fibre is broken down through the process of fermentation by billions of hindgut microbes in the horse’s hindgut. 

Fibre comes in many forms including more complex forage such as grass, hay and haylage, and also straw (roughage), alfalfa and unmolassed sugar beet.  When you imagine that the hindgut makes up 60% of your horse’s digestive tract, this clearly demonstrates just how important fibre is in their diet.

Fibre – the benefits

The main function of fibre is to provide energy for your horse in the form of Volatile fatty acids (VFA), which are released as a product of microbial fermentation.  However, there are many other benefits of feeding plenty of fibre.  Fibre satisfies the horse’s psychological need to chew. Chewing produces saliva which acts as a buffer to stomach acid, helping to keep gut pH stable and potentially preventing gastric (stomach) and hindgut ulcers.

Fibre helps keeps the gut moving and expels gas, helping to prevent certain types of colic. Also, B-vitamins such as Biotin are synthesised by the gut microbes from fibre, so feeding plenty of forage will ensure your horse gets a good supply of these essential vitamins.

Grass and fibre

Ideally, horses should be grazing 16-18 hours per day on high fibre grasses, plants and herbs, creating natural biodiversity within the diet, which supports a healthier, more balanced microbial community in the hindgut.   Unfortunately, a lot of grazing in the UK lacks this natural variety, often being dominated by a single species with lower levels of fibre. Additionally, fresh spring and summer grass can have a typical water content of 85%, which also has an impact on fibre levels. Finding ways of increasing your horse’s fibre intake throughout the spring and summer will help support optimum digestive health, and also create fibre variety for healthy gut microbes.   

Tips to boost fibre in your horse’s diet

• If your horse is out grazing 24/7 offering some extra hay or haylage out in the field can really help boost your horse’s fibre levels. You will probably find your horse is keen to eat it because they have a natural desire to browse varied forage.
• Hedgerows and roadside verges are some of the best places to find plenty of varied high fibre forage. Take your horse for a wander along verges and hedgerows where the road is quiet and go browsing! Just 10 minutes a day will help boost fibre intake and increase microbial diversity within the hindgut.  This also has the added bonus of increasing the bond between you as you walk along together.
• Coligone Fibre Cubes are ideal if you are looking to boost your horse’s fibre levels. They provide a great source of fibre and can be fed up to 2kg per day, helping you increase your horse’s fibre intake in a convenient, tasty form.   Additionally, Coligone Fibre Cubes are packed with naturally nutritious vitamins and minerals and also provide 5% Coligone to support optimum digestive health.