effects of forage type (hay, cool-season pasture, warm-season pasture) on fecal microbiota of grazing horses

Few studies have evaluated the hindgut microbiome of grazing horses and no previous studies have been conducted in horses grazing cool- vs. warm-season pasture grasses. There is also a need to better understand potential roles of the gut microbiota in modulating metabolism of grazing horses and the influence of specific forage nutrients on these interactions. While shifts in hindgut microbial communities have been documented in pastured horses over time, prior studies have not evaluated relationships between these changes in bacterial composition and forage nutrient profiles or metabolic responses of grazing horses. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize shifts in glucose metabolism and the fecal microbiota of grazing horses adapted to different forage types within integrated rotational grazing systems and to explore relationships between forage nutrients, microbial composition, fecal metabolites, and metabolic responses of grazing horses.