Title: Explain how the digestive system supplies the horse’s nutritional needs.
Course: Equine Science, Advanced (18104-II) > Section: Managing Horse Nutrition

Explanation should include

- comparing monogastric, ruminant, and cecum digestive systems
- identifying the roles of the small and large intestine in the digestive process
- identifying the role of the cecum in the digestive process
- describing the functions of the major nutrients
- describing symptoms of nutrient deficiencies related to the digestive process.

Teacher Resources:

- The horse’s digestive system and how gut health can impact behaviour, Everything Horse
- Understanding a horse's digestive system, University of Georgia Extension

Process/Skill Questions:

- What role does the cecum play in the digestive process?
- What are the differences between foregut and hindgut digestion?
- What are digestive problems common to horses? How do various digestive issues result in nutrient deficiencies?
- What happens in the duodenum if a horse goes without eating (hint: recall no gall bladder and think of the location of the common bile duct)?
- How can we help the horse have a healthy digestive system using their environment?
- How does not having a gall bladder affect the digestive process in a horse?