Instead, the horse has a simple stomach that works much like a human's. Herbivore means that horses live on a diet of plant material. Figure 1 is a diagram of the equine digestive tract. The equine digestive tract. The wolf teeth are not counted as not all horses have them.
Teeth are important in harvesting and chewing feed.
The horse's upper jaw is wider than the lower jaw, so sharp points often develop on the molar teeth. These points may prevent normal chewing which reduces the food value received from the feed and may predispose a horse to colic. Feeds are mixed with saliva in the mouth to make a moist bolus that can be easily swallowed. Esophagus This is a simple muscular tube that takes food from the mouth to the stomach. Because the muscles in the cardiac sphincter valve leading into the stomach are very strong, it is almost impossible for a horse to vomit.