Ashley Griffin, University of Kentucky
Roughage is an important part of the equine diet.
Horses have an absolute requirement for long-stemmed roughage. They require it for normal gastrointestinal function. Adequate roughage will go a long way toward preventing digestive disorders.
Horses should be fed a minimum of 0.75 to 1 percent of their body weight per day in roughage. That means a 500 kg horse would require 5 kg (11 lb) of roughage per day.
If adequate roughage is not supplied in the horse's diet, behavioral disorders occur, such as:
- Wood chewing
- Eating feces or bedding
- Chewing the manes and tails of other horses
Insufficient roughage also predisposes the horse to the potentially deadly gastrointestinal disorder called colic.
