A reminder from Dr. Getty
Little known fact: The cecum in a horse has its entrance and exit at the top. And you should pay attention to this because… For digested material to exit, it has to actually defy gravity! To process food, the cecum contracts to push the contents out the top. To do this critical digestive function, forage needs to be flowing through the digestive system at all times.

Picture a full toothpaste tube that is open. If you squeeze the bottom of the tube, toothpaste will come out the top because it is full. Picture a half empty toothpaste tube, with the paste at the bottom. Squeeze the tube and no toothpaste comes out the top because there isn't enough inside.

Without enough food matter to “fill the tube” (cecum), sand, dirt, and undigested material can remain at the bottom, leading to colic. Avoiding this is simple: Feed your horse a continuous supply of forage -- all day, and all night. This will keep the cecum full enough to push the contents up to the exit and send them along the digestive/elimination chain.

Worried about weight gain? No need. Feed a low calorie, low NSC hay, free-choice, and your horse will let you know how much he needs to maintain his weight.
By Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D.

Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D. is an independent equine nutritionist with a wide U.S. and international following. Her research-based approach optimizes equine health by aligning physiology and instincts with correct feeding and nutrition practices.

All our horses have a constant supply of hay.  24/7 we know they continually peck ´em to keep a full cecum!  (sorry, it must be the heat ;)  )

Brilliantly written article - link below.  I went down the veggie stick and snapping rope route, looking for a new way.  At the very beginning I was uncomfortable with it, but people were all raving so much about this ´new´ method that I plodded on, feeling it must be my lack of understanding, or failure somewhere.  The basic outline was fine - nothing new,  "games" known and played by horsemen of old - but turning it into charts and graphs and specific personality types (very limited personality types!) is where it didn´t bode well with me, additionally to the snapping and, well,downright dominant behaviour.  Not to be defeated I completed Level 2.  Sure all the disciples  must be right, and me wrong.  I was one unhappy bunny, my horses packed up their kitbags and left home (ok, not really, but they would have if they could have) disgusted with me.  We left the 3rd stone most definitely unturned.  Had a little look at a clinician from down under - shut that door quick smart - juxtaposed the pyschology of the very lovely German chap (at least there are more personalities in that group!), then found liberty training and a big sigh of relief.  But hold your horses (oh yes!!), none or all or any are of any use if you do not know the alternatives, if you do not experience just some regular "rightly or wrongly it´s worked for centuries" experience from other horse people.  No matter how good a package (!) it can never be done alone.  I know my previous equestrian experiences are what aided me to see the light and walk away from the vegetable.  People coming new to the equestrian world do need to work with a seasoned soul in this area, no matter how good and complete and inspiring the DVD set appears to be.

http://www.bethbehaviourist.co.uk/articles/just-another-deluded-cowboy