Feeding forage before or after oats affects caecum pH profiles of the horse

Abstract

Feeding hay before or after oats did not affect minimum pH and time below a certain pH level in the caecum. However, feeding order affects the time for pH to reach minimum significantly. It took longer time before pH reached minimum when hay was fed first than when feeding oats first. Starch intake (1 or 2 g/kg body weight/meal) affected minimum pH and time below a certain pH value significantly, with lower values when feeding the high amount of starch in a single meal. The results show that amount of starch intake influences pH fluctuations more than feeding order, and that reducing starch intake is a better alternative than changing feeding order when pH fluctuations in the caecum should be limited.