Can a Horse Digest Fat?

Feb 5

Written By Rachel Mottet

2/6/20

“Can you name the digestive organ that horses are missing?”

Hint! Humans and most other vertebrate mammals have it. This organ stores bile which aids in fat digestion. “Stones” may form in this organ.

What is it?……

The gallbladder!

So, what is the job of the gallbladder in animals who have this organ?

The gallbladder is a storage and secretory organ for bile. Bile is produced by the liver and secreted from the gallbladder during digestion. The job of bile is to emulsify fat (surrounds fat droplets to form a micelle) enabling optimal absorption.

So, if a horse does not have a gallbladder, can they digest fat?

Yes! Horses are quite efficient at digesting fat actually. Their liver still produces bile, it just doesn't have an organ to store it in. The bile is instead secreted directly into the small intestine to emulsify fat.

Mother nature only provides 2-3% fat in most hay and pasture, so high fat is not necessarily "natural" for a horse, however, added fat in the diet is a great way to strategically target weight gain and deliver fuel to the horse!

Have questions about fat supplements? Send me a message!