Motility in the equine hindgut provides the same fundamental services as in the large intestine of other animals: mixing, retention and propulsion of ingesta. Motility in the cecum consists of mixing contractions in which the haustra alternately contract and expand. Additionally, every few minutes the a strong, mass movement-type contraction occurs that forces some of the cecal contents through the cecocolic orifice into the ascending colon.
Within the ascending colon occurs segmentation and haustral contractions that efficiently mix ingesta and expose it to the mucosa for absorption of water, electrolytes and volatile fatty acids produced through fermentation. There are peristaltic contractions that "fight" with antiperistaltic contractions, leading to additional mixing and an overall transit rate that is rather slow (it takes 2-3 days to traverse to the colon). Within the small colon, the predominant patterns of motility are peristalsis and segmentation - segmentation contractions assist in formation of the fecal balls characteristically observed in horses.