Colic is a broad term for abdominal pain in horses, and the leading cause of morbidity in horses. Diet is recognized as a key risk factor for colic, yet limited research has investigated how diet affects fecal properties and fiber digestibility, factors closely linked to gastrointestinal health. In this prospective cross-over study, 20 healthy adult horses were offered two common rations: a forage-based diet (coastal Bermudagrass hay with concentrate supplementation) and a complete pelleted feed. Horses consuming the pelleted diet produced feces with larger particle sizes and a different fiber profile, characterized by greater acid detergent fiber (ADF) and a tendency for lignin but decreased neutral detergent fiber (NDF), compared with the forage-based diet. Measures of digestibility, including intakes for dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), and apparent total tract digestibility of fiber fractions, were greater in horses receiving the forage-based diet. These findings suggest that diet composition influences fecal characteristics and fiber digestibility in healthy horses, factors that may affect colic risk.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.