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Equine nutrition is the feeding of horses, ponies, mules, donkeys, and other equines. Correct and balanced nutrition is a critical component of proper horse care. Horses are non-ruminant herbivores of a type known as a "hindgut fermenter." Horses have only one stomach, as do humans. However, unlike humans, they also have to utilize plant fiber (largely cellulose) that comes from grass and hay. Ruminants like Cattle are foregut fermenters, and digest fiber in plant matter by use of a multi-chambered stomach, whereas horses use microbial fermentation in a part of the digestive system known as the ''cecum'' (or ''caecum'') to break down the cellulose.〔( Williams, Carey A.,Ph.D., Extension Specialist. "The Basics of Equine Nutrition" ''from'' FS #038, Equine Science Center, Rutgers University, Revised: April 2004. ) Web site accessed February 9, 2007〕 In practical terms, horses prefer to eat small amounts of food steadily throughout the day, as they do in nature when grazing on pasture.〔("Horse Nutrition - Frequency." Bulletin 762-00, Ohio State University. ) Web site accessed February 9, 2007.〕 Although this is not always possible with modern stabling practices and human schedules that favor feeding horses twice a day, it is important to remember the underlying biology of the animal when determining what to feed, how often, and in what quantities. The digestive system of the horse is somewhat delicate. Horses are unable to regurgitate food, except from the esophagus. Thus, if they overeat or eat something poisonous, vomiting is not an option.〔Giffen, James M. and Tom Gore. ''Horse Owner’s Veterinary Handbook''., 2nd ed. New York:Howell Book House, 1989, 1998. ISBN 0-87605-606-0〕 They also have a long, complex large intestine and a balance of beneficial microbes in their cecum that can be upset by rapid changes in feed. Because of these factors, they are very susceptible to colic, which is a leading cause of death in horses.〔("Colic in Horses" ASC-128, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Equine Section, Department of Animal Sciences. ) web site accessed March 14, 2007〕 Therefore, horses require clean, high-quality feed, provided at regular intervals, and may become ill if subjected to abrupt changes in their diets.〔(March, Linda. "Feeding Your Horse To Avoid Problems," ''from'' University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine. ) Web site accessed February 16, 2007〕 Horses are also sensitive to molds and toxins. For this reason, they must never be fed contaminated fermentable materials such as lawn clippings.〔A. Cirelli, Jr. and B. Cloud. ("Suburban Horse Keeping." ) (PDF) Fact Sheet: 94-09, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Nevada, Reno. Web site accessed July 4, 2009.〕 Fermented silage or "haylage" is fed to horses in some places; however, contamination or failure of the fermentation process that allows any mold or spoilage may be toxic.〔("Horse Nutrition - Carbohydrates and fats." Bulletin 762-00, Ohio State University. ) Web site accessed February 9, 2007.〕〔Karen Spivey and Jackie Nix. ("Haylage" ) North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Web site accessed July 4, 2009.〕 ==The digestive system== (詳細はEquus'' are adapted by evolutionary biology to eating small amounts of the same kind of food all day long. In the wild, horses ate prairie grasses in semi-arid regions and traveled significant distances each day in order to obtain adequate nutrition.〔Budiansky, Stephen. ''The Nature of Horses.'' Free Press, 1997. ISBN 0-684-82768-9〕 Therefore, their digestive system was made to work best with a small but steady flow of food that does not change much from day to day. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Equine nutrition」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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