Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
Roughage refers to food that contains fiber or indigestible matter that can act as fiber. While roughage is nutritionally beneficial to all herbivores and omnivores, it makes a unique contribution to that grouping of mammals known as ruminants. Present among farm animals and wildlife, ruminants possess four stomach chambers and chew "cud" -- food partially digested by the first chamber before returning to the digestive tract. Sheep are among the ruminants for which roughage fortifies the microbes in the first stomach chamber, known as the rumen. They consume roughage in several forms.
Colic is the term used to describe a variety of abdominal pain and distress caused by anything from excessive gas to obstructions to intestinal twists. Colic, for any reason, is a medical emergency and the horse owner should contact his veterinarian immediately. There are steps that a horse owner can take to help prevent bouts of colic, including feeding a proper diet to their horse.
