The esophagus is a muscular tube that extends from the pharynx to the stomach. It runs dorsal to the trachea. This tube passes through the diaphragm at the esophageal hiatus. The mucosa has prominent folds made of stratified squamous epithelium. The muscularis is made of 2 layers: an inner circular and an outer longitudinal.

Ruminents like the cattle have skeletal muscle from the mouth to the rumen allowing for regurgitation and chewing of the cud. Cattle average 8 hours of rumination/day. This process allows cattle to ingest large amounts of food quickly and digest it at a later point. The esophagus is innervated by the vagus nerve.