Page 741 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse
P. 741
17
VetBooks.ir THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
INTRODUCTION
The horse is a herbivore, meaning that its diet is made up of plant material. The digestive
tract of the horse is designed to cope with the digestion of protein, fat and carbohydrates. The
large intestine acts as a fermentation vat where bacteria are involved in breaking down the
fibre component of grass, hay and grain (Figure 17.1).
Figure 17.1 The digestive system
