Never Exercise Your Horse on an Empty Stomach...Ever!

By Monique Warren

Provide your equine with forage prior to and during prolonged exercise. While trail riding, offer the opportunity to graze along the way. Why? Fiber creates a mat of sorts which prevents acid splashing in the stomach. The equine stomach produces acid 24 hours a day (16 gallons!) in preparation for constant uptake and can empty in as little as 15-20 minutes. Chewing activates saliva production (an alkaline substance rich in bicarbonate), which buffers gastric acid. An empty stomach allows unbuffered gastric acid to slosh and bathe its lining causing discomfort and may induce ulcers. (Learn more about how forage helps buffer gastric acid and prevent ulcers.)
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The lower part of the stomach, in addition to producing the acid, receives protection by also producing mucus. The upper, or non-glandular part, has no protection and thus is even more susceptible to damage. The upper portion has squamous epithelium – similar to our skin. Having fiber in the stomach is especially important during any physical activity/exercise causing the splashing of acids. ​​​

How Slow Fed Free Choice Forage Assists in Colic Prevention

Slow feeding prior to exercise requires the horse to eat smaller amounts over a longer period of time. Chewing activates saliva production, which buffers gastric acid. Increased chew time yields higher saliva quantities creating an overall higher saliva to forage ratio and further reduction of particle size. This also decreases the risk of impaction colic associated with exercise.​

Additional Benefit of Free Choice Forage: Hydration

​The equine cecum serves as a storage site for water and electrolytes if forage is present. Fiber consumption increases water consumption and the extra water is held in the cecum until absorption. During exercise when dehydration may be an issue, the cecum can help keep the horse hydrated and supply him with electrolytes that are lost in sweat. Bottom line - forage creates a reservoir of fluids in the cecum.

Take Home Message

Equines are designed to have access to forage 24/7. In nature, horses will voluntarily take breaks to sleep and rest for periods of time, typically no longer than an hour. Wild horses are not subjected to prolonged periods of time at the trot, canter and gallop. In domestication, involuntary periods of time without forage can be physically painful and mentally stressful. Mental and physical experiences are synonymous in that each has an influence on the other. ​Prevention of physical discomfort can help you and your beloved companion enjoy your rides and outings equally.      

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​The Hanging Hay Pillow® is a perfect solution for use inside and outside your horse trailer or while you are tacking up at home. It is offered in a variety of mesh sizes. The Manger Hay Pillow® is also available and was designed to contain hay in a horse trailer manger alleviating waste - and enabling your equine easy access to “graze” during travel while keeping hay off the ground and out of your horse's eyes. The Standard and Mini Hay Pillow are an excellent choice for travel and home! Read our Hay Pillow Reviews.  ​

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Helpful How-to Resources for Slow Feeding

• Sand Colic - The Surprising (Simple) Cure & Prevention
• How to Introduce & Incorporate Free-Choice Forage: A Detailed Action Plan
• Slow Feed Solutions for Any Environment
• 6 Great Reasons to Feed Your Horse from Ground Level
• 9 Benefits of Slow Feeding Horses
• 7 Slow Feed Dos and Dont's for Horses
• 7 Easy Ways to Help Prevent Colic
• Why You Shouldn't Transport Horses On An Empty Stomach
• Keeping Horses Warm Naturally – Internally and Externally
• Why Most Horse Prefer to Eat Outside
  

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About the Author:
Monique Warren invented the Hay Pillow® slow feeder and is the owner of Hay Pillow Inc.
​Warren has been an equine guardian for over forty years and slow-feed advocate for over 10 years. She contributes equine nutrition and digestive and hoof health articles to publications such as The Naturally Healthy Horse,  Natural Horse Magazine,  Nicker News, Horse Back Magazine, The Horse's Hoof, and  Miniature Horse World Magazine. Equine nutrition and horses feet are her passions. She resides in Southern California.