Thehorse.com - Full Article
Although it can be damaging if fed improperly, starch can be an important part of horse diets. Here’s what you should know.
Posted by Kristen M. Janicki, MS, PAS | Feb 4, 2019
Starch is a highly digestible energy form and can provide horses with energy they need for exercise, growth, metabolism, and other life functions. However, when fed improperly, this nonstructural carbohydrate can be detrimental to your horse’s health.
Most of the energy contained in grains, such as corn and oats, and a percentage of the energy from forage is starch. During digestion, starch is broken down primarily in the horse’s small intestine by an enzyme called amylase. This process efficiently produces glucose, a type of simple sugar essential for fueling some bodily functions.
The amount of starch consumed at one time also affects the amount of starch digested in the small intestine...
Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/118110/starch-in-horse-diets/
No comments:
Post a Comment