Winter Diarrhea in Horses

energy of the forage.
Lignin is the indigestible part of the plant cell wall and it increases as the plant matures. This is why forages become more course and stemmy as they mature with reduced digestibility.
Hemicellulose is a complex carbohydrate that is a component of the plant cell wall and it can be fermented to energy by the hindgut microbes. Hemicellulose digestibility can vary between hay cuts and varieties. This could potentially affect the energy derived by the horse through hindgut fermentation. It could also impact pH microbial populations and as a result the consistency of the manure in a horse with sensitive hindgut health.