Harris, P.A. and Arkell, K. (2005) How Understanding the Digestive Process can help Minimise Digestive Disturbances Due to Diet and Feeding Management. In: Equine Nutrition for All, 1st BEVA & Waltham Nutrition Symposia, pp. 9-14. We all know that our horses like carrots and that mint is frequently added to commercial feeds, but who would have thought that horses prefer fenugreek and banana to carrot and mint. Research studies have shown that horses prefer fenugreek, banana, mint, cherry, garlic, apple and carrot to other flavours such as cinnamon, vanilla and citrus. Flavours are a good way of ensuring that horses eat their supplements and manufacturers have begun to include these in their products. These flavours can also be used to mask the taste of medicines and to encourage horses to take certain medicines. For example, flavour can be used to encourage a horse to accept a deworming syringe by filling an empty syringe with apple sauce (it is better to use sugar-free if possible). Getting them used to enjoying the odd syringe of sweet apple sauce can often mean that future deworming is a less traumatic experience for your horse, and you! Flavours can also be used to increase intake in horses with a loss of appetite. There are many reasons your horse may be anxious, and it is essential to know what is causing them stress when they stop eating. We also offer a sloppy feed, such as a rehydration mash, straight after they have performed to make sure they stay hydrated,' she says. Don’t forget the forage

Whatever the reason, horses enjoy some flavors and avoid others, just as people do. “We don’t know if horses have cravings the way we do but, no matter what you put in front of some horses, there are some things they just won’t eat,” says Thunes. “Some horses are just more likely to try new things than others.” Try to stay consistent and determine what type of food your horse enjoys to prevent this behavior. #2: Unpalatable water Eat like a horse” can be used in a wide range of scenarios to express when someone enjoys food a little too much. It is considered an English idiom. Origin Of Phrase My friend always says she is on a diet.But how can I tell her it is useless since she eats like a horse !

How to change your horse’s feed safely

Although digestion in the stomach is primarily through gastric acidic and enzymes, small amounts of microbial fermentation of starch and sugars taking place in the squamous part of the stomach is normal due to the presence of certain types of microbes. When a large meal is fed, however, this fermentation can rapidly increase and get out of hand. Lactic acid produced from excessive microbial fermentation means the squamous section becomes strongly acidic, leaving the lining vulnerable to ulcers. Laminitis The horse’s stomach is small – just about the size of rugby ball – with a limited capacity of 9-15 litres and comprises just 10% of the digestive system. The stomach uses both acid and enzymes to start digestion and this works far more efficiently if your horse’s meal size is kept small. Feed the best-quality hay you can find. Alfalfa (lucerne) or an alfalfa/grass mix will be appealing to most horses. As with a grass diet, horses that eat plenty of good quality hay may not need grain or nutritional supplements. It may be best to feed your horse a simple diet and slowly re-introduce more ingredients into their feed. If your horse is a restless eater and spills his feed, create a quiet atmosphere during the meal. Switch the radio off, avoid people walking past the stables and no noises from wheelbarrows etcetera.

Large meals have a higher dry matter (DM) content which results in slower and reduced mixing of the feed with digestive juices. This decreased mixing can result in dysfermentation in that microbial fermentation that should have ended continues in the lower part of the stomach. Dysfermentation results in a build-up of gas and too much gas can cause colic. Everytimes when I teach my brother English, I feel like I'm flogging a dead horse.However I cant tell him straight from the horse's mouth he has no talent in English. Horses on high-grain diets and those not getting enough forage in their diets are prone to gastric ulcers. Horses in hard work and horses that get stressed during travel and competition are also at risk of ulcers, as are those that have had to be maintained on phenylbutazone (bute) for an extended period of time or that have not been eating and have had extended periods with an empty stomach. Horses by nature usually eat well, and some, especially native breeds, would eat excessively given the chance. So, if your horse is totally off their feed, it could be a cause for concern and warrants calling the vet. It could mean that your horse is ill, has a temperature or is suffering from colic.Some feedstuffs such as barley hay with seed heads attached and feeds including oat or rice hulls are sharp and can cause damage to your horse’s gums as he eats them. Inflammation and infection of these sores can lead to painful mouth ulcers that can affect appetite. If you are feeding anything that you suspect might be causing abrasions in the mouth, take a look or get your vet to have a look inside your horse’s mouth and consider changing the feed to prevent the problem.

Keep in mind that visible change may be slow in coming. As a sage horseman once observed, "You've got to fill up the inside first, before you see a difference on the outside." But perseverance, coupled with lifestyle changes to minimize stress, will eventually yield results and turn your underweight horse into a healthy, more energetic athlete. Dig deeper TMMy girlfriend eats like a horse, but she would tell me about losing her weight, her determination about diet seems to me like a flogging a dead horse. i heard it from the horse's mouth, obesity is not from diet but form gene. Some years ago, I used to eat like a horse. But I have had some education eating habits and now I don't eat like a horse any more. Now I know how important it is for me to control my eating habits. Eating like a horse, might be dangerous for our health. A person may be as hungry as a bear and may eat like a horse but there are definite limits beyond that. Excellent! be assured! you're flogging a live horse! ;-)Thank you and hope to receive more video.Regards If you are giving two different medications, give them in separate feeds, as two together might be too much for your horse to accept in one go.