Understanding Digestion
Good feeding begins with understanding digestion.
Horses are not designed to process food quickly or in large concentrated meals. Their digestive system is built for steady intake, predictable flow, and efficient utilisation of nutrients when conditions are right. When this system is respected, digestion tends to be stable and consistent. When it is challenged, problems often begin quietly and progress over time.
Understanding how digestion is intended to function provides the context for every feeding decision that follows.
The Digestive Sequence Matters
Digestion in the horse is a sequence, not a single event.
The small intestine is responsible for enzymatic digestion and nutrient absorption. This is where starches, proteins, and grass fats are meant to be broken down and utilised efficiently. The hindgut, which includes the cecum and large intestine, is designed primarily for microbial fermentation of forage.
When feed is digested in the correct order and in the appropriate locations, the system functions with minimal stress. When that sequence is disrupted, efficiency declines and instability can follow.
The Role of the Small Intestine
The small intestine has a limited capacity, but it is highly effective when presented with digestible material.
When ingredients are properly processed and fed in appropriate amounts, digestion in the small intestine can occur efficiently with the help of enzymes. This allows nutrients to be absorbed before they pass further down the digestive tract.
If material moves through the small intestine without being adequately digested, it does not disappear. It continues into the hindgut, where it behaves very differently.
The Role of the Hindgut
The hindgut is designed for fermentation, not enzymatic digestion.
Microorganisms in the hindgut break down fibrous material from forage, producing energy the horse can use. This process relies on balance and stability. Sudden changes in the type or amount of material entering the hindgut can disrupt that balance.
The hindgut is not designed to compensate for poor digestion upstream. When it is asked to do so repeatedly, variability and instability are more likely to occur.
Why Raw Starch Changes the Equation
Raw starch is not readily digested by the horse in large quantities.
When significant amounts of non-water-soluble raw starch are fed, the capacity of the small intestine can be exceeded. Undigested starch then passes into the hindgut, where it is rapidly fermented in a way that differs from normal forage fermentation.
This is not a matter of good or bad ingredients, but of suitability and preparation. The way starch is presented to the digestive system matters.
Digestibility Is Not the Same as Energy
Energy content alone does not determine how a feed behaves in the digestive tract.
Two feeds with similar energy values can interact with digestion in very different ways depending on ingredient selection, processing, and feeding rate. Digestibility describes how effectively nutrients are broken down and utilised, not how much energy is theoretically available on paper.
The Thrive Feed system prioritises digestibility because it influences where and how digestion occurs.
Processing and Digestive Flow
Processing alters how ingredients behave during digestion.
Proper processing can improve the availability of nutrients and reduce the likelihood that material passes undigested into the hindgut. This supports a smoother digestive flow and reduces unnecessary variability.
Processing is therefore part of digestive management, not simply a manufacturing detail.
Why Stability Comes First
Digestive stability allows the horse to utilise feed predictably.
Rather than chasing rapid change, the Thrive Feed approach focuses on supporting a steady digestive environment that can be maintained over time. This creates a nutritional foundation that other aspects of management can build upon.
Stability is not passive. It is the result of appropriate inputs, correct processing, and consistent use.
Understanding Before Adjusting
Many feeding changes are made in response to visible signs without considering what may be happening earlier in the digestive process.
Understanding digestion helps prevent unnecessary changes and allows feeding decisions to be made with intention rather than reaction. Not every issue originates in the feed, but feeding practices can either support or undermine digestive function.
How This Informs the Thrive Feed System
Everything in the Thrive Feed system is shaped by an understanding of digestive sequence, capacity, and flow.
Ingredient selection, processing methods, feeding guidelines, and recommended transitions are designed to respect how digestion is intended to work. This does not guarantee outcomes, but it reduces variables and supports consistency.
Understanding digestion does not require technical expertise. It requires attention to order, preparation, and use.