Dale Moulton

The Hidden Link Between Behaviour and the Hindgut We’ve all seen it, and many of us have lived it. A horse that pins its ears when the saddle appears. A horse that snaps when the girth is tightened. A horse that suddenly becomes resistant, tense, unwilling, or explosive under saddle despite having previously been a willing partner. The traditional response is often predictable. “He’s testing you.” “She’s trying to be dominant.” “You need to be firmer.” But deep down, most owners know their...

What Happens Between the Feed Tub and the Stomach? Most horse owners spend considerable time choosing feeds, supplements, and forage, yet very few understand what actually happens during the first thirty minutes after a horse begins eating. Those first thirty minutes are among the most important stages of digestion. They determine how effectively nutrients will be extracted, how comfortable the horse will remain during digestion, and whether the digestive system is being supported or...

In my previous article, I explained that digestion begins in the horse’s mouth. Efficient chewing, thorough salivary saturation, and the formation of well-lubricated food boluses are the essential first steps in extracting nutrients from forage. The other end of the digestive tract provides an equally valuable source of information. Every pile of manure is a daily report card. It tells us how efficiently the digestive system has functioned, whether the microbial population in the hindgut is...