The athletic partnership between horse and rider is a truly remarkable one. Nowhere else in the long  history of civilization do you see two individuals from two entirely different species working so closely or so equally. Ancient myths of centaurs seem to come true when horse and rider work as one–and when it happens, it feels as if we aren’t so very far apart after all.

SHAWN HAMILTON PHOTO

Of course, there are vast differences between humans and horses. True, we’re both mammals, but there the similarities might be said to end. Quite apart from the obvious (biped vs. quadruped, predator vs. prey), we have internal differences that make us very dissimilar types of athletes. Although our muscles both use ATP (adenosine triphosphate) as their main energy source for performance, how we accumulate and store it varies because our diets and our digestive systems vary.

If you’re like most riders, you probably understand the workings of your horse’s innards better than you do your own, and that can be a mistake, because as 50% of an athletic partnership, it’s important for you to know how to fuel your own body. Let’s have a comparative look at the human and equine digestive systems, and come to a better understanding of how to keep both running at optimal levels