Many people consider horses and cattle to be similar, especially when it comes to feeding them. After all, both eat forage and, often, concentrates. However, if you have both cattle and horses, it’s important to understand that the two species’ digestive process is quite different. Therefore, they both have specific dietary considerations to keep in mind.
The Horse’s Digestive System
Horses are non-ruminant, simple-stomached herbivores, known as “hindgut fermenters”. Their digestive system is much more complex than that of ruminants like cattle.
Horses need to graze or eat hay for approximately 12-18 hours per day. From the mouth, forage travels down their esophagus, which has one-way peristalsis. This means they cannot regurgitate food. Horses also cannot burp or pass gas through the esophagus.
The horse’s stomach can hold about 4 gallons, which is quite small in relation to their body size when compared to other livestock. Their stomach continually secretes hydrochloric acid and enzymes which help digest food (but which can also pose a problem if the horse goes for too long without food).
The horse’s hindgut makes up 60% of their total digestive tract. It has three parts: the cecum, colon (large intestine), and rectum. The components of roughage are broken down through microbial fermentation in the cecum, an elongated vat. Volatile fatty acids are created through the fermentation process and then absorbed, providing the horse energy.
The Cow’s Digestive System
Cows are ruminants with a different digestive process than horses. Their stomach has four compartments: the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. The rumen is the largest compartment, holding up to 40 gallons in a mature cow.
Cows eat rapidly, swallowing their feed without chewing it sufficiently. Their esophagus functions in both directions, allowing them to regurgitate food for further chewing known as ruminating or “chewing their cud”. The cud is then swallowed again and passed into the reticulum. The solid portion moves into the rumen for fermentation while most of the liquid portion quickly moves into the reticulum, then the omasum and abomasum. The solid portion left behind in the rumen will stay there for up to 48 hours where microbes can ferment it for energy.
As cattle digest food, 30-50 quarts of gas are produced per hour in the rumen. They must release this gas by belching. The cow’s rumen contracts and moves on a continual basis. Each contraction aids with the digestive process.
Cattle also have a cecum at the beginning of the large intestine; however it serves little function for ruminants, unlike with horses.
Key Differences Between Horse and Cow Digestion
Several key differences exist between the digestive systems of horses and cattle:
- Because the horse’s stomach is relatively small, they need small, continuous meals throughout the day. Cattle, on the other hand, don’t need to eat continuously. They spend about 1/3 of the day grazing, 1/3 of the day ruminating, and slightly less than 1/3 of the day doing neither.
- Moldy hay is more likely to cause problems for horses than cattle.
- Since the equine digestive system doesn’t have substantial muscular contractions, like that of cattle, they need plenty of water to keep things moving.
- Horses can move a large volume of feed through their digestive system more quickly than a cow; therefore they are more likely to be “easy keepers” than ruminants.
Probiotics for Horses and Cows
Though horse and cattle digestion differs in several important ways, both species can benefit from probiotic supplementation to help keep their digestive systems functioning smoothly. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that help to keep harmful bacteria in check, make B vitamins, and support the immune system.
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