In our Efeed.co.uk advice section, we’re asking experts from leading companies in the industry questions that you want answered. We’ve asked five people to answer the question below, and we’ve put a bullet point summary at the end. If you have a question you’d like to ask, just email us.

The question: I’ve heard that feeding fibre helps to keep horses warmer for longer- how does this work?

The answer:

Nicola Tyler from TopSpec
Fibre in a horse’s diet is digested by the microflora in its hind gut. As the hindgut makes up 60% of the digestive system it fills a big area in the horse’s stomach. As the microflora digest the fibre the fermentation process releases heat which literally warms a horse up from the inside. Perfect central heating and the effects can last from 12 to 48 hours. Try FibrePlus, TopChop Alfa or TopChop Lite.

Isabel Harker, Spillers
Fibre is an essential and most natural part of a horse’s diet, in fact over 60% of the horse’s digestive system is devoted to fermenting fibre and as such we should feed a minimum of 50%. Fibre can be provided in many different forms within the horse’s diet such as hay, haylage, short chop chaffs or even fibre within a cube such as High Fibre Cubes, the microbial population of the hind gut ferments fibre which in turn produces heat hence acting as an internal hot water bottle helping to keep your horse warm during these cold winter months. Try Happy Hoof, Conditioning Fibre or Equlibrium Low.

 Laura Meszaros, Dodson and Horrell
The fibre a horse consumes is fermented in the hindgut. Your horse's hindgut contains a population of micro-organisms that ferment the fibrous feeds he consumes to produce energy. The fermentation process that acts upon fibrous foods is heat producing. It is this bi-product, which can be useful to keep warm in colder weather, rather like an internal hot water bottle! Keep your horse warm by feeding plenty of forage and providing feeds high in fibre such as Dodson & Horrell Fibergy, Dodson & Horrell High Fibre Nuts and Dodson & Horrell Kwikbeet.

 Lorna Edgar, Baileys
You are right, as fibre is digested in the hind gut it ferments, it is this fermentation process that produces heat and therefore acts as an efficient central heating system! Hence the importance of supplementing grass for those horses living out during the winter months. Try Everyday HighFibre Cubes or High Fibre Complete Nuggets.

Bryony Biddlecombe, Allen and Page
Eating fibre helps to keep horses warm in the winter as when fibre is digested by bacteria in the hind gut, they release heat so act like central heating for the horse. So the higher the fibre in the diet the more heat will be released by the bacteria. Try Fast Fibre or Cool and Collected.

Anna Pyrah, The Pure Feed Company
The horse digests different components of the diet within different areas of the gastrointestinal system and there are actually no enzymes in the equine digestive tract which can digest the tough fibres in forage. Instead, the horse is able to absorb the nutrients that are locked inside these tough fibres thanks to the population of microbes that naturally reside in the hind gut. These microbes, or “beneficial bacteria” ferment the tough fibres and convert them into a form of energy which the horse can utilize. One of the by-products of this fermentation process is heat, which creates a warming effect from the inside out. All feeds in the Pure Feed range are designed with fibre as a significant source of energy.

In summary:

 - 60% of the horse’s digestive system is devoted to fermenting fibre.
 - Fermentation of fibre in the hindgut creates heat.
 - The heat created might be a bi product, but it helps heat the horse from the inside.
 - There are lots of different ways to add fibre to your horse’s diet during the winter months, to make sure he or she is consuming the right levels.